Golf I GTI „Rheila“, 1981

Since 1977, Volkswagen Motorsport had been participating in the German Rally Championship with tuned production vehicles. In 1981, with the car on display here, they achieved a motorsport breakthrough:

Alfons Stock and Paul Schmuck secured the German Rally Championship in the green Rheila-Golf after ten races. Instead of the original 1.6-litre engine with 175 BHP, the car later received an Oettinger four-valve cylinder head.

With a power output of 197 BHP, this became the most extensively modified Golf GTI of its era.