If only every classic choice could be as reliable as a Volkswagen. Of course, the Golf Mk2’s reputation was well-earned over several years; they might not always have been well-equipped, but every model from the 1.3 CL to the GTI 16v offered solidity, a strong image and goodsense motoring. You paid the money for it, but it got you a car that really was a cut above the Escort and the Astra of the time.
Launched in 1984, the Mk2 Golf was intended as a way for Volkswagen to build upon the success of the Mk1. It was bigger, slightly more conservative, and intended to sell to the well-to-do Margo Leadbetter types who’d bought the first one. The 1987 ad campaign with Paula Hamilton was spot on (the wronged woman in the clip was exactly the target market for the new Golf), while lower down the range, more prosaic models would appeal to the family man – or
