There is a rare Mk1 Golf GTi Cabriolet for sale in Australia

Right now there is a very uncommon Mk1 Golf GTi Cabriolet Sportline going up for auction by Grays* in Sydney, Australia.

Click through to view car on Grays website

It is a 1992 model with the Clipper body kit and 108,664 miles or 174,877 kilometres on the clock. It has a desirable 5 speed manual transmission, as well as the tried and tested Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection system on the 'big block' 1.8lt engine. Though the ad doesn't mention it, this model would've also come with a hydraulic power roof.

Though there are very many similarly speced models, GTi Cabriolets were only ever officially made for the UK market. This one was imported to Australia as a personal vehicle and went through local compliance assessment in 2009.

Photos reveal it to be in moderate-to-rough condition. There are minor scrapes and dents associated with a car of this age, and the centre console GTi gauges and radio are missing. However, most concerning is the visible rust appearing around the roof anchors near the rear passenger windows. Being an UK car there may be more rust in harder-to-detect places.

The vinyl roof seems largely intact and perhaps has been replaced at some point. This may indicate any rust around the rear window frame - another vulnerable area - has been taken care of.

The car is equipped with BBS snowflake wheels, leather Recaro seats, and features a classic black heckblende (the decorative panel between the tail-lights) common to Euro cars of the time.

The listing mentions the car starts but idles poorly and has a whining noise. In my experience poor idling is usually due to a failing lifter pump, incorrectly set idle, or under pressurised fuel lines, all of which are generally easy to resolve.

The car is currently warehoused in Arndell Park in western Sydney. The online auction is set to end at 8pm AEDT on the 16th of December 2025.

Update: 31st January 2026

As of January 2026 the car does not appear to have been sold. After 20 bids it did not reach the minimum desired value set by the owner. The auction has now been refered, meaning Grays may decide to negotiate with the highest bidder.