Factory code: Type 53 Coupé
In February 1974, Volkswagen unveils its new Scirocco model, three months before the launch of the Golf. “Scirocco. A sports coupé in top form.” is the slogan for the new Volkswagen, which gives no indication that it is based on the later VW Golf I.
The VW Scirocco is developed by the body manufacturer Karmann in Osnabrück, where a successor to the Karmann Ghia Type 14 is urgently needed. The result is a compact, classic 2+2-seater coupé designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, 3,850 millimetres long and only 1,310 millimetres high. Without a driver, the first Scirocco weighs just 800 kilograms.
Three engine power ratings are initially available, although the PS rating is almost irrelevant – because it is always fast. It is equipped with a 1.1-litre engine delivering 37 kW (50 PS), a 1.5-litre engine delivering 51 kW (70 PS), and, in the Scirocco TS, a 1.5-litre engine delivering 63 kW (85 PS). All engines are state-of-the-art designs: toothed-belt-driven, speed-stable four-cylinder engines with overhead camshafts.
There are three equipment variants: N as the basic model, L with more luxury, S and TS with more powerful engines, and the TS with particularly sporty equipment. Externally, the models differ in their headlights: rectangular headlights on the N and L, striking twin headlights on the sporty TS version.
