The humble first-generation Gol quietly made Brazilian automotive history: the 1989 Gol GTi was the first Brazilian-built car with fuel injection.
Lead trim: 1000 (997 cc Ford-developed four, 50 hp) · up to 119 hp
Volkswagen Gol G11980–1996
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Volkswagen Gol G1 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactThe humble first-generation Gol quietly made Brazilian automotive history: the 1989 Gol GTi was the first Brazilian-built car with fuel injection.
The Volkswagen Gol was released in 1980 by Volkswagen do Brasil as its entry-level car for the Latin American market, replacing the Brasilia, which was itself a replacement for the Beetle on the Brazilian market. It was based on its own unique BX platform derived from the existing VW/Audi B1 and B2 platforms, and with a design specific to Latin America it featured the 1.3-litre air-cooled flat-four engine from the Beetle, but front-mounted. The Voyage two-door sedan followed in June 1981, the Parati station wagon in May 1982 and the Saveiro pick-up in 1982, and a four-door Voyage was released in January 1983 and built in Buenos Aires from 1983 to 1994 as the Gacel (later also the Senda). In 1985 the air-cooled engine was replaced by a longitudinally-mounted water-cooled inline-four from the Passat, and the 1989 Gol GTi was the first Brazilian-built car to use fuel injection. Variants were marketed in North America as the Volkswagen Fox from February 1987 until 1993, and the Gol was the best-selling car in Brazil for 27 consecutive years, from 1987 to 2014.
Collectors Spotted in the Volkswagen Gol Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Volkswagen Gol yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
9 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.3 air-cooled flat-four | 1980–1985 | 1.3 L Flat-4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1.5 water-cooled four (Voyage) | 1981–1982 | 1.5 L Inline-4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1.6 air-cooled flat-four | 1980–1985 | 1.6 L Flat-4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1.6 diesel (export only) | 1980–1996 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1.6 water-cooled four | 1985–1996 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1.8 GTS (94 hp on gasoline) | 1987–1994 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | 94 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1000 (997 cc Ford-developed four, 50 hp) | 1991–1996 | 1.0 L Inline-4 | 50 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
| 2.0 GTI (119 hp, fuel injection) | 1989–1994 | 2.0 L Inline-4 | 119 hp | — | — | — | — | — |
| Volkswagen Fox 1.8 (North America, 81 hp) | 1987–1993 | 1.8 L Inline-4 | 81 hp | 93 lb-ft | — | — | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
VW didn't treat this Gol launch like a budget-car rollout: the 2008 ad campaign was shot in Los Angeles and starred Sylvester Stallone alongside Gisele Bündchen.
In 1995 Volkswagen Brazil sold a Gol Rolling Stones special edition to mark the band's Voodoo Lounge Tour stops in Brazil.
The humble first-generation Gol quietly made Brazilian automotive history: the 1989 Gol GTi was the first Brazilian-built car with fuel injection.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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