Many aren’t aware that the first-generation Volkswagen Scirocco was launched before the iconic Mk1 Golf — six months earlier, actually. I owned a red, low-miles 1976 Volkswagen Scirocco for a couple of years, and while it wasn’t a good fit for me for various reasons, I still love the design of that car. Today’s Good Find Friday feature is also a second-generation Volkswagen Scirocco, the design of which is starting to grow on me.

The Volkswagen Scirocco launched in 1974 as a compact sports coupe replacement for the Karmann Ghia and was produced across three generations. The first generation was built on the Golf platform and manufactured from 1974 to 1981. It featured a lightweight design and front-wheel drive, with a variety of engine options ranging from 1.1 to 1.7 liters in Europe. In 1981, the second generation was introduced, offering improved aerodynamics, a more spacious interior, and updated engine choices, including a high-performance 16-valve variant. This generation remained in production until 1992.

After a hiatus, the Scirocco was revived in 2008 with the third generation. This thoroughly modern variant featured updated design and technology with a range of turbocharged engines, including both gasoline and diesel options. It offered robust safety features and a more refined driving experience compared to its predecessors. The third-generation Scirocco remained in production until 2017, after which Volkswagen discontinued the model.

Today’s Good Find Friday car is a second-generation Mk2 Scirocco finished in Mars Red over gray upholstery and is claimed to have only 30,000 original miles on the odometer. It’s currently listed for sale by the owner in the classifieds section of The Samba.

While the second-generation Scirocco is loved by many an 80s kid, the exterior styling never really worked for me. It always felt like a bloated and ill-proportioned design compared to the elegant and lightweight “folded paper” shape of the Giugiaro-penned Mk1.

On the plus side, the new packaging allowed for improved luggage space and more interior leg and headroom. Incidentally, the reason I sold my Mk1 Scirocco was that at my height, I couldn’t really fit in it. The Mk2 Scirocco offered seats that adjusted vertically, which is a massive benefit if you’re long-torsoed. I’m told a deeply reclined driver’s seat is still necessary for us tall folks, especially with a sunroof.

Key exterior features included quad-rectangular headlights — evolved from the original quad round headlights on the Mk1, front air dam, and a rear spoiler that bisected the large rear hatch glass. The exterior condition of this car appears excellent, with no visible rust issues on the body. Some faded trim and other age-related wear is apparent, but it looks fairly commensurate with the low mileage.

The interior differentiates itself from the Golf with a dramatically angled dashboard that always reminded me of the Audi Ur Quattro dash. The gauges are deeply set into a protruding instrument pod flanked by lighting controls. Front and rear seats in this example are draped in the iconic hard-wearing striped gray velour. The car on offer also features a sunroof, but no mention is made of its operating condition.

The interior looks remarkably clean, but cracks in the dashboard are visible, including a significant one from the front of the binnacle to the windshield, and there appears to be a small hole in the rear headlining above the back seats. It’s a shame about the dash, but early VWs are commonly plagued by this issue, as are Porsches of the same vintage. Sadly, new reproductions are not available. You’ll have to find one on the used market and swap it in, which will not be cheap.

While the 16-valve overhead cam 4-cylinder is the most desired engine, the 1984 Scirocco got the 90hp 8V lump from the same-year GTI, making it sprightly if not fast. Fortunately, the close-ratio gearbox from the GTI allows you to wring all the power out of the engine. I had a couple of Mk1 GTIs and they were buzzy but quick little cars to toss around. The MK2 Scirocco is a couple hundred pounds heavier, however.

The underpinnings of the Mk2 Scirocco, are the same A1 platform as the Mk1 Golf meaning you can encourage that rear beam to lift the inside rear wheel in aggressive cornering. The front suspension is MacPherson and coil springs. While the Scirocco looks like it could be a rear-engine design, it is front-wheel drive as on the Golf. Braking is discs in the front and standard drums in the rear.

This exact car was listed on Bring A Trailer back in May of 2024 in a reserve auction, failing to sell with a high bid of $9,000. The asking price today is $12,000, a significant difference if you’re in the market for one of these. Aside from the cracked dash, the fact that this is an 8V is the main thing holding it back from the $14,500 average (includes 8V and 16V) for a Mk2 Scirocco. Most enthusiasts are seeking the higher horsepower 16-valve engine, making the 8V a bit of a red-headed stepchild.

The last 8V Scirocco to sell at auction was this silver 1982 Volkswagen Scirocco with a relatively low mileage of 106,000. It sold for $8,600 on Bring A Trailer and had a little more wear overall. Looking back a little further, a very nice Wolfsburg Edition Scirocco 8V sold on Bring a Trailer for $13,000 back in July of 2023.

$12k might be a bit on the steep side for this base spec car, but when will you find another one with this low mileage? The earlier cars Mk2s were a purer design in my opinion, lacking the body kits tacked on by the factory to make the cars more marketable as they aged. I have to admit this car tempts even me. If I were in the market, I’d offer the owner $11K to cover the cost of a new dash and some Euro bumpers and see if he bites.

What do you think? Good buy or crazy price? Let me know in the comments!

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