Estimated Price: £45,000 - £55,000

Offered from The Inverness Collection.

Debuted at the 1989 Geneva Motor Show, Volkswagen launched the 'homologation special' Golf Rallye G60, a rare, widebody, box-arched bruiser destined to take on rally stages and showroom rivals like the Lancia Delta Integrale, Ford Escort RS Cosworth, and Audi's formidable Quattro. Built for 'Group A' rally homologation, the Rallye immediately got noticed with its muscular stance, impressive technological advances and all-wheel-drive underpinnings.

Only 5,000 examples were originally built at VW’s plant in Brussels, with a seriously reduced figure still remaining. The Rallye was rare at the time, and even rarer today. They came with Syncro four-wheel drive, a supercharged 1.8-litre G60 engine, and flared composite arches to cover a widened track. The G-Lader supercharger gave it an impressively punchy 158 bhp, offering 0–60 mph in just over 8 seconds, however, the Rallye wasn’t merely an exercise in keeping up with its competitors, it was a well-engineered, street-legal rally car meant to bridge the gap between WRC dreams and road-going reality for the everyday driver.

This particular 1989 example, is surely one of the most extraordinary surviving Rallyes in existence. With a warranted mileage of just 22,221km (13,807 miles) from new, it is a true collector-grade vehicle, not only for its condition but also for the fascinating provenance and meticulous documentation that accompany it.

The car was first registered on 13th July 1989, having been purchased new by the owner of VW Main Dealership Hermann Upgang GmbH & Co. KG in Germany. After a brief period of personal use (up to 10,507km by September 1990), the Rallye was taken off the road and added to the dealership's showroom collection, where it remained preserved. Supporting this narrative is a 1998 certificate from Autohaus Hermann Upgang warranting the car’s low German mileage and accident-free status, along with an extensive set of period German service booklets, maintenance receipts, and a German registration document.

Finished in seldom-seen LB7V Metallic Black, this Rallye features its correct and original WW-code Grey/Red Rallye-specific leather and cloth interior, all of which remain in outstanding condition. The interior really is showroom fresh: the seats retain their deep bolstering and bright fabric with none of the usual bolster wear, the dashboard is uncracked, and the switchgear feels tight and unused. Cosmetically and mechanically, it presents exceptionally well, surely one of the most original, low-mileage and correct examples remaining anywhere in the world.

Accompanying the car is its history file which includes the original brochure and product information booklets, one of each in both English and German, as well as the original, unused leather key pouch. There’s also a Le Shuttle ticket from June 26th, 1998, documenting its move to the UK when it was acquired by Mr. Coles, who continued to maintain the car sparingly while preserving its mileage. German mileage readings show a careful and slow accumulation:

• 07/08/1989 – 2,062km
• 29/09/1990 – 10,507km
• 11/05/1995 – 10,708km
• 26/09/1998 – 10,789km

The car was then sold to James Parker in December 2001, and has UK documentation including MOT certificates, as well as a VW Heritage Letter (dated 14/06/2008) confirming its build date of 15th June 1989. Registered on the cherished plate ‘A4 LYE’ since at least 2008, the car was placed on SORN but MOT’d consistently, showcasing dependable care for the car. It was then sold to a private collector in Scotland, where it has lived in a temperature-controlled garage as the jewel in the crown of The Inverness Collection.

Now offered with a complete and traceable three-owner history, this Rallye is further enhanced by a scale model of the car and two original VHS promotional tapes featuring Rallye advertising from the period, a seldom seen throwback and pure collector gold.

A genuine homologation hero, the Rallye was VW's first real foray into creating a purposeful AWD performance hatch. Today, very few survive at all, let alone in this sort of condition, and even fewer retain such low mileage and rich provenance. This example is one of one: totally original, meticulously preserved, and presented in a surely unrepeatable manner. A must-have for the serious collector.