1984-1989 (mk2) VW Golf touring cars

[Robin Marriott]

I'm looking for some info about the mk2 Golfs which raced in the BSCC and possibly other championships in Europe.

From a conversation I was having last week with someone who was involved at the time, there was 4 cars raced in the UK.

I have tried searching on here but the only thread which has any info now contains a load of dead picture links so I'm hoping some more pictures or links are forthcoming.

I'm particularly keen to see some interior pictures.

Were there any more cars raced in other European championships in period?

Are any of them left?

[JesperOH]

https://trebbien.photoshelter.com/ga...000nAFVs9PABSE
https://trebbien.photoshelter.com/ga...000nAFVs9PABSE

These are two links to Danish photographer Ib Trebbien, and are dated to 1984. It shows Ernst Schröter in his E19 Golf, in the first link with German VW tuning specialist Nothelle on the wind screen and in the second link with Ernst Schröter. As these are B&W photos he was sponsored by Castrol, so a lot of green and red on the white.

This was his first season with the car and not very successful as he had to fight technical difficulties as well as drivers in much more powerfull cars. 1985 looked like a repeat, but by the quirks of reality he won the 1985 Group A championship and repeated the succes in 1992, by winning the Super Saloon Car Championship.

A conversation in about 2003-2004 with Danish Special Saloon entrant of an E17 Golf, Team Fartstrup, suggested that Ernst Schröter still had car in it's condition from the last race of 1992.

Jesper

[KA]

As for UK Mk2 Golfs, then (at least) 4 sounds about right, although up to 1988 it was only ever Alan Minshaw's car(s) and very infrequently.

In rough order of appearance-


1984- Alan Minshaw/Demon Tweeks. Red car which appeared in a couple of rounds right at the end of the season

1985- Alan Minshaw/Demon Tweeks- same red car, only appeared at the Silverstone British GP meeting and the Tourist Trophy

1986- AFAIK no Golfs

1987 - Alan Minshaw/Demon Tweeks- about 4/5 rounds, although from photos I've seen, he used his Production Saloon Golf for at least some of them.

1988- 3 Golfs-

• Alan Minshaw bought an M3, but also ran his Golf for several different drivers- James Kaye, John Brindley, Andy Middlehurst, John Morris and Minshaw himself all appeared in the car at various points.
• Andrew Jeffrey/Specialist Cars Aberdeen
• James Shead/John Maguire Racing- these two cars were near-twins in corporate VW Motorsport white with blue stripes.

1989- 2 Golfs-

• Alan Minshaw/Demon Tweeks
• John Morris/Listers of Coventry. The Morris car got shunted very heavily late-season (Donington IIRC?) and I've got a very vague memory he may have used Minshaw's car for at least one race after that.

[KA]

The problem for the Mk Golf in Group A racing was that the class splits at 1600cc, 1600-2500cc and 2500cc+ put the 1.8-litre Mk2 in the middle class, up against 2.5-litre V6 Alfas, and more significantly turbo cars like the works Metro Turbos, the Longman/Datapost Escort Turbos and Graham Goode's Nissan. Against that kind of opposition, the 1800cc Golf- still in 8-valve form (the 16-valver wasn't homologated yet), just wasn't competitive.

A change in class structure brought in a 1600-2000cc class for 1987-89 which combined with the homologation of the 16-valve engine made the Mk2 a more attractive proposition.

A few pics- Alan Minshaw, 1988.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/trackside/49830077787

I don't know whether this was the original 1984 chassis, or whether he had a second one.

James Shead 1988
https://www.flickr.com/photos/richar...ter/6046843078

Andrew Jeffrey 1988
https://www.flickr.com/photos/richar...ter/7172054186

[Robin Marriott]

Thanks for the replies.

I’ve got a couple of books on the history of the Golf GTI and both of them mention the 8v was significantly underpowered, by as much as 50bhp from what was expected of the 16v.

From what I’ve been told the 16vs were making about 205bhp on the original K-JET metering head, which is pretty impressive. Valve sizes had to be standard too and the 16v heads aren’t particularly well endowed when it comes to valve sizes.

It makes sense that it wasn’t a popular car considering it wasn’t competitive.

[tocatrucky]

Alan Minshaw/John Brindley - Demon Tweeks - Volkswagen Golf - Donington Park 1989 BTCC

??STEFAN WILLOUGHBY