Photos provided by the vendor

Highlights

Lovely example of last of the Mk1s
Two previous owners, same family since 1994
New mohair hood
Full leather interior

THE APPEAL

A convertible version of the Golf was presented to Volkswagen's management by coachbuilder Wilhelm Karmann GmbH as early as 1976, as an evolution of the original Giuigiaro hatchback.

Unlike the production model, the Karmann concept didn’t have the central rollover hoop that was a prominent design feature of the versions sold to customers, but otherwise the clean and sharp styling remained as shown.

Designated Type 155 and sold from 1980 to 1993, it had a reinforced body, a transverse roll-over bar and a high level of trim. It was built entirely at the Karmann factory on VW’s behalf, hence why the Cabrio remained in production right up until the Mk 3 Golf made its debut.

All Cabriolets from 1988 on left the factory fitted with a "Clipper" bodykit that featured smooth body-coloured bumpers, wheel-arch extensions, and side skirts in a bid to disguise the fact that it was based on Mk 1 origins.

The very last of these were designated ‘Rivage’, the ultra-luxurious run-out models, complete with leather upholstery and a choice of four exclusive colour schemes. Just 470 were made, of which less than 100 were Classic Green, making this a very rare car indeed.

THE HISTORY AND PAPERWORK

Full UK V5C
MOT valid until April 2024
Three owners
Comprehensive history file
Supplied by Alan Day VW of Finchley, London
Original company owned, then by father and son from 1994
Large pile of old invoices and past MOTs
Some receipts for recent work

THE INTERIOR

Beige leather upholstery
Smart seats, carpets and trim with a couple of minor tears to seat material
Matching leather trim to door cards and gear lever surround
Colour-coded tonneau cover
Electric windows
Power roof
Aftermarket face-off CD stereo
Heated seats (untested)

THE EXTERIOR

Very rare Classic Green metallic
Original ‘Le Catellet’polished and forged 15-inch alloys in decent order
Mostly very good paintwork with a few minor imperfections
Seemingly solid underneath with no signs of any welding required
Still retains many original features such as the supplying dealers window sticker and number plate holders
New mohair hood in very good condition

THE MECHANICS

1.8-litre fuel-injected 4cyl petrol engine
Five-speed manual transmission
The car starts and drives with no obvious faults being evident other than those referenced, however the vehicle is being auctioned as needing a good going over before any use as there may be faults which are not noted
Sometimes requires some assistance from the accelerator pedal to start but appears to run well once started

SUMMARY

This is a great example of one of the most sought-after variants of the Golf Mk1 and certainly one of the most popular cabriolet models. Finished in a great colour and with a high level of specification, this is a really smart and desirable car that is presented in very smart and sound original condition, with a good ownership history and a decent service record.

Rivages don’t come up for sale very often, and here is a rare opportunity to bag yourself a good one.

Notice to bidders

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