Golf 1 Diesel 1.471/1.1577 cm³ (76,5 mm * 80,0 mm/86,4 mm), 23,5/23 : 1, OHC, Toothed belt, 82/102 Nm 3000/2000 rpm, 37/40 kW (50/54 CV) 5000/4800 rpm, distribution pump, four-speed, Front- wheel drive, twist beam, McPherson, discs, drums, length 3,71/3,82 m, 2,4/1,61/1,41 m, 145 R 13 (4,5''), 2/4 doors, 805/830 kg, 445/420 kg, 40 liter, 140/145 km/h. 10,470/12, 250 DM

Before the first Golf with a diesel engine came out in 1976, VW was an unknown quantity as a manufacturer of diesel engines. Certainly there had been an attempt to convert the Beetle to lower fuel consumption, but the principle of the diesel engine put more stress on an engine. And since the Beetle engine was almost at its limit with its low output, the tests probably fizzled out.

The picture above shows the GTD version with 51 kW (70 hp) from 1982 (video below). Outwardly, the first Golf Diesel differed too little from the gasoline engine. When it came out in 1976 with 50 hp, it was a revolution despite the apparently low performance. Up until now, people were used that driving a diesel car was cumbersome and tedious. The Golf naturally benefited from its low weight.

But the inner workings of the engine also contributed to this. As a rule, the indirect injection diesel had an prechamber. Swirl chambers were known for a long time, but probably Daimler, for example, had become so used to the relatively smooth running of the engine that they accepted the greater inhibition of performance and consumption between the prechamber and the main combustion chamber.

The swirl chamber had only one, but larger, connection to the main combustion chamber, also larger in cross-section than all the small ones in the prechamber combined. Result: a somewhat rough engine, but very agile and even less a 'drinker'. In any case, this is the basis for VW's diesel expertise, which was not only ready to go its own way in this case.

Already in 1980 one appeared in Nardo with an Aerodynamic Research VW (see vehicle above). It had a supercharged six-cylinder in-line engine on board with a displacement of 2.4 liters (1.6 divided by 4 times 6) and 129 kW (175 hp), was only 0.84 m high and 1.1 m wide with a c_W value of 0.15. VW stated a top speed of 362 km/h.

The low consumption was almost even more fascinating: 6.5 liters/100 km at 250 km/h and 13.6 liters/100 km at 360 km/h. The intercooler was replaced by water injection in the intake tract, which was fed from a 60-liter tank. A differential gear was also thought to be superfluous. Keke Rosberg achieved 2 world and 6 class records.

Here is a particularly economical Formula E version of the 1.6 liter from 1981. It got into the Guiness Book of Records because it can be proven that it only consumed 2.03 liters/100 km at an average speed of 50.41 km/h. Of course, the massive front spoiler was not part of Formula E, but the longer ratio of the highest gear and a proprietary automatic start-stop system did.

In 1977 the hand feed pump was omitted and the motor vented itself. The ignition key no longer had to be held in the start position to preheat. There was an automatic pre-glow system with a glow time relay that was controlled depending on the engine temperature. From 1979 a Lucas CAV pump could be installed instead of the Bosch one, but again with a hand pump.