Flinging open the door of a barn or garage to reveal a long forgotten about dusty classic is the stuff of dreams. But it really does happen, and the recent discovery of this tantalisingly early two-door Mk1 Golf proves it…

The 40 year-old rarity had been stored in an overgrown lock-up in Kingston, South Australia where it sat hidden for the last 20 years before being put up for sale on Austrialian Gumtree. Needless to say it sold in an instant with offers reportedly flooding in at in excess of AUS$10,000 (£5,700), although its exact selling price is unknown.

The abandoned chrome bumpered Golf was reportedly owned by a fastidious engineer who kept hold of every receipt and dealer service book stamp in its 130,000km history, even removing the wheels when putting it into the garage to prevent damage to the bearings and tyres. The interior has also remained in excellent condition defying any attempt by rodents to get in and wreak their havoc.

The car was even sold with two sets of original keys, the original workshop manual and sales brochures as well as the original dealer delivery note dated 1976, listing all the options fitted to the car when it was purchased four decades ago.

The only things done since its rediscovery, apart from removing the cobwebs and a very good wash, was a check over by a local VW specialist who fitted fresh new fuel lines, a new timing belt and carried out a complete carb rebuild.

Judging by the pictures it looks like it’s come up a treat – although we can’t help thinking the dry Australian climate probably played a big part. When I stored my Beetle in a council owned lockup I was paranoid about it being pinched – as well as the damp. I was forever wiping mould off the seats! I was equally unfortunate when I decided to keep another of my cars, a late Karmann Ghia Coupé, stored outside in a public carpark. I went to check on it one day only to discover someone had used it as a climbing frame and dented the roof! I think I ended up selling it for £400.

Ian

The opinions expressed here are the personal opinions of the author and do not necessarily represent the views and opinions of VW Heritage.