Volkswagen Motorsport had been taking part in the German Rally Championship with tuned production cars since 1977. The motorsport breakthrough came in 1981 with the car exhibited here:

Alfons Stock and Paul Schmuck won the German Rally Championship after ten rounds in the green Rheila Golf. Instead of the original 1.6-litre engine with 175 hp, the car was later fitted with an Oettinger four-valve cylinder head.

With an output of 197 hp, this resulted in the most elaborately modified Golf GTI of its time.