South African 'Citi Golf' Finally Ends Production

It's a long-earned final call for the Mk1 Golf that never grew up

By SimonSaid / Thursday, 12 November 2009 / Loading comments

After a 25-year marathon production run, Volkswagen South Africa (VWSA) is finally to say goodnight to the Citi Golf, the car based on the original 1970s Mk1. When the Mk2 Golf came to South Africa in 1984 the Mk1 stayed in production as a cheaper alternative, and has proved so popular that it has kept going ever since - albeit with some 'modernisations' along the way.

The latest versions of the Citi Golf really are bizarre things to behold, with the original Mk1 body only subtly modernised with some extra plastic bits, and an oddly anachronistic 'modern' interior similar to that of the Mk4 Polo. In 2006 a sporty version called the 1.8iR was revealed as a 120bhp 'hot' variant, with comparable performance figures to a real (original) GTI.

There was a rumour that the jigs used in the production of the Citi Golf were wearing out and costing too much to repair, expediting the car's end, but the decision to chop the long-toothed classic is more likely to be due to VWSA's need to clear space to produce new Polos and Jettas for export at the Uitenhage plant.

The recently negotiated export contract is big business for VWSA, but before it finally hits the kill switch on the Citi Golf production lines the Mk1-alike will receive one last hurrah, in the form of a limited run of 1000 special editions.

Appropriately named the 'Mk1', the last Citi Golfs get a 1.6-litre engine putting out a racy 99bhp. The exterior is marked out with neat double-headlights, a chrome grille surround, smoked tail lights, a stainless steel exhaust pipe and special 15-inch wheels. The aforementioned strangely modern interior will also come with sporty part-leather seats (this is still a budget car after all!), a leather steering wheel and aluminium gear knob.

Incredibly, according to VWSA, one in four new cars sold in South Africa is a Citi Golf. The final special editions will go on sale at 113500 South African Rand, equivalent to £9,292.