Lifted Import: 1991 Volkswagen Golf Country
Can’t decide between a Mark 2 golf and an SUV? Look no further! This 1991 Volkswagen Golf Country is the car for you, and yes it did come this way from the factory. What is it? Allow me to let the seller explain: “7735 cars produced (never sold in US), co-manufactured by Steyr-Daimler-Puch in Austria, designed for medium off-road driving. It had more suspension travel, Syncro four-wheel drive, improved ground clearance of 21 cm, bullbars at front and rear (generally over a single headlight grille), a skid plate for protecting the engine area, sub-frame to protect the rear Syncro differential and prop shaft and a spare wheel mounted externally on a swing-away triangular frame on the back.” This is a unique vehicle and a rare find in the United States! Find it here on Craigslist in New Jersey with 124,000 miles (not kilometers) listed for a seemingly reasonable $4,500. Thanks to B. Walters for sending this VW in!
The interior is simple, yet quirky in typical VW fashion. This photo shows average seat wear and a small tear in the passenger seat bolster. The seller states that the heater works well, and it is important to note that this car came from the factory without air conditioning. Aside from general wear and tear, the interior of this Golf appears to be clean and in presentable condition for a rugged vehicle such as this. I don’t think the CB radio is factory, but it sure looks comfortable where it is located!
This is a rugged, off-road vehicle, so some exterior wear is expected. From the ad, “The Montana Green paint is original but most of the clear coat is gone producing a patina’d, underdog look. I dig it, others may not There are some spots where the paint has been abraded down to the white primer. I’ll let the new custodian decide whether to paint it or leave it as is. To me, it’s only original once.” It would be a tough call on a vehicle like this, deciding whether to repaint the car or leave the worn original paint.
This is a photo of a different but very similar Golf Country that I sourced elsewhere, as the rear end of this car is so cool! It cannot be determined from the ad whether the actual car has the rear-mounted spare as it should, but I would assume it does. The rear of these cars helps add to the weird rugged/compact/offroad vibe. The one being sold isn’t as nice as this car, but it seems priced fairly given the condition and scarcity. Given that it has some minor mechanical issues and cosmetic wear, it would be a good candidate for an unusual daily! Would you restore it, or enjoy it in the manner it was meant to be?
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Comments
Crickets!!
While it might not look like much, these are rare and sought after. It will be difficult at best to find another example for less than 10 grand. For the ask, you get an ultra rare vehicle you aren’t afraid to modify to taste AND have fun with out in the wild.
Crickets?
No, WIN WIN!
Steyr-Daimler-Puch also produced a vehicle called the Haflinger. It featured portal axles to increase ground clearance, and these worked brilliantly. My father had one of these as a company vehicle when he worked in a rugged and remote location here in Tasmania. The little Haflinger was absolutely unstoppable. I don’t know if this car has the portal axles, but if our experience with the Haflinger is any indication then this would be very competent off-road.
Definitely a neat car but I’d hate to be stuck at the Bugtussle Service Station and Old Country Diner with a simple breakdown that required parts to get back on the road.
Here’s the archived listing http://www.craigslistadsaver.com/view.php?name=VWGolfCountry
Ubercool!
Parts availability is definitely something to consider, but I do like this car. I’ve found myself on some backroads in a car that just shouldn’t have been there. An Altima, for example, just doesn’t have the clearance or 4wd, that something like this has.
I like it. VW with attitude.
Something is potentially fishy here folks. This car is listed on several Craigslists in different states: Virginia, New Jersey, South Carolina… Was listed on ebay and withdrawn. Honestly, would someone sell one of these super rare cars for only $4,500?
so.. contacted the guy… sounds like some sort of scam… says
“Thank you for your interest in my 1991 Volkswagen Golf Country, the price is $4,500.
It’s in perfect condition, always garaged, no known problems, everything works as it should. Title is clear.
I’m selling the car for this price because I’m a sergeant in the United States Army and I’ve been sent to United Kingdom, Europe due to the refugees and migrants problem and I’ll stay here (in United Kingdom) for at least 1 year, so it has to go, unfortunately.
At the moment, the car is in storage in North Dakota, I was forced to put it in private storage because of a bad buyer, he told me that he had the money and when I shipped the car he said his loan hasn’t been approved, so, if you need a loan, good luck buying another one.
Let me know if you’re interested so I can send you more pictures and explain you how we can make this deal. I’m responsible for shipping, delivery and handling to your location in any U.S. state.
Of course you can choose not to buy the car if you do not like it. If is not as presented, would be within your rights to refuse the deal.”
i asked him for the vin number… see where this goes, frustrating
We haven’t deployed any one to the UK to deal with their immigration issues.
This is a total scam. I get sick of these jackwagons posing as service members to pull this crap.
This happens quite a bit when I call about “Too good to be true” deals on motorcycles. Deployment is a common one, called away on business is another. You’re best off just flagging the ad and moving on, otherwise you can look forward to wasting your time and having your number on a robocall list, especially if you left your name.
The thing that always tips me off on car scams, among other things, is they always offer Free Shipping.
This is, literally, word for word, the same shtick I get when I sell a car on CL, just in reverse as this “person” is the seller, not the buyer. “I’m in the military, deployed in [insert favorite foreign country here], and want to buy the car for my [insert favorite family member here] as a surprise. I will pay your asking price plus an extra $500 if you withdraw your ad now. My driver will arrive with a certified check and you can hand over the title to him.” Blah blah blah. Never, ever fall for this b.s. please.
looks like pulled from an old ebay auction
quick google image search pulls up
http://topclassiccarsforsale.com/volkswagen/446874-volkswagen-volkswagon-vw-golf-country-syncro-rally-overland-adventure-bilstein.html
http://smclassiccars.com/volkswagen/479568-volkswagen-volkswagon-vw-golf-country-syncro-rally-overland-adventure-bilstein.html
darn scammers!!
It may be legit, but I bet if you continued down the road with that correspondence, you would eventually be asked for a deposit and then find out you haven’t been corresponding with the owner…. an owner who probably doesn’t even know it’s being advertised for sale.
total scam… here’s the old ebay listing
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1991-Volkswagen-Golf-Country-/142780341657
Interesting, had one similar to that the other year. Car was in ‘sealed’ storage, send money and I’ll have it shipped. I told the seller no way without seeing a title, validating it and seeing the vehicle. Seller was in Florida, but the car mysteriously moved to storage around New York. No problem I told him, I’ll be there in the morning (possible via my job). Boy did he back-peddle on that one. Himed and hawed all over the place on why I couldn’t see the car till I’d paid for it and then he’d ship it and I could look it over. Told him I’d send him a check (no intentions of that) and funny thing, he never got back to me on it.
I have seen this a few times in real estate as well. Some scammer advertises a place for rent (that is already being advertised for rent or sale) and there is always some urgent situation why you must send a deposit without seeing it. It bolsters the legitimacy because there are real ads everywhere. If the scammer’s ad catches them first and the rental prospect is naive enough, the scammer catches a fish….
Super rare……if it runs it’s a steal at that price!
I wonder if the guy selling it is a Nigerian Prince.
i know it is a scam, just letting everyone know… bit frustrating to say the least… yeah going thru the typical… at the shippres, you get it shipped at that price and can return it if dont like it … ah well
Yeah, I saw one of those scams on a mint Land Cruiser on CL once, low price and location was obscure. Smelled fishy……
Scammers are getting good…this was a well-written ad, and I am usually quite good at spotting a scam! Looks like lots of the language was stolen from the old eBay auction so it appeared very legit at first.
Where can I get bull bars for this car or any other VW Golfs?