The legendary Golf that customers weren't ready for

The VW Golf Country was an early forerunner of today's compact SUVs. But in the early 1990s, customers weren't ready for this unconventional Golf magazin de piese auto online.

The legendary Golf that customers weren't ready for

Younger readers may not believe it, but there was a time when there were no SUVs! There was a time when off-road vehicles were still driven off-road, and compact and subcompact models dominated the roads. But even more than 30 years ago, there were already cars that today could be called an “SUV” or “crossover”!

A prime example of this is the VW Golf Country. This model had just one problem: when VW introduced the lifted Golf 2 in 1989, the world wasn’t ready for SUVs. Despite this, the Golf Country went into production in 1990, but was discontinued in December 1991 – after just 7,735 units had been built.

Over the years, the unconventional-looking Golf 2 Country has managed to gain a small but loyal following. And since very few units have rolled off the assembly line, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a good representative of the model these days.

Complex production process

One of the reasons for the Country's commercial failure was its complex production process. The Golf Country was built by Steyr-Daimler-Puch - pre-assembled Golf GL Syncros were sent to Graz, where they were later converted into Country models.

Using a tubular frame, the car is raised by 12 cm, which allows for a ground clearance of around 18 cm (+6.3 cm compared to the standard Golf 2). In total, 438 special parts were used in the Country, including underbody protection, roll bars, a spare tire rack, new bumpers, certain suspension components and much more.

Because of all this, the special Golf is far from a bargain. Or, as my colleague Andreas May once said: "They asked for 32,275 marks for it. Yes, that's the price of the Golf Country, aimed at rich, well-heeled types like foresters, civil engineers and fishermen. And a few months later, when it became clear that significantly fewer sales contracts had been concluded than they had hoped, the time came for the functional Golf Country "Allround" for 31,825 marks. It was available with steel wheels, artificial leather seats - and only in green. Was this a turning point? No."

153,300 kilometers according to the dashboard

And what happens some 35 years later? The selection of Golf Country examples on the used car market is quite modest – and that is not surprising given the fact that only 7,735 of the model were produced. However, prices have not yet risen sharply.

At first glance, a well-kept example is offered by the German car dealership KFZ-Service-Mohr eK. The Country in typical 1990s green metallic Montana is first registered in 1990 and has 153,300 km. It comes from the fourth owner and overall – it makes a pretty decent impression.

The interior looks well-maintained, considering the mileage – there are no serious signs of use. Other pluses are the lack of modifications, as well as the 15-inch Speedline wheels appreciated by fans of the model. Under the hood is a 1.8-liter 4-cylinder engine with 98 hp. According to the dealer, many wearing parts have been replaced, although they were not described in detail in the ad.

The seller does not hide that there were "general signs of use" - which should not be a surprise for a car of this age - with a three-decade-old machine, we can't complain that the fuel gauge doesn't work or that the ceiling is sagging.

How much does Golf Country cost?

The price is 11,990 euros – which makes this Golf Country not exactly a bargain, but it is still a good price. The cheapest examples start at around 8,000 euros – usually with over 200,000 kilometers on the clock. The best partially restored top examples sell for 20,000 euros – or even more.

For under 12,000 euros you can get a real Golf Country. The model's prices have been relatively stable in recent years - but the Golf Country is not actually getting more expensive.

Conclusion

Yes, the VW Golf Country was a failure. And yes, it may have been ahead of its time. But often it is cars like this that go down in history and are etched in memory. For just under 12,000 euros, you get a quirky, everyday classic that you don't see on every corner.

Car parts AutoPower
Car parts AutoPower

Younger readers may not believe it, but there was a time when there were no SUVs! There was a time when off-road vehicles were still driven off-road, and compact and subcompact models dominated the roads

A prime example of this is the VW Golf Country