Volkswagen Scirocco
| Volkswagen Scirocco | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Volkswagen |
| Production | 1974–1992 2008–present |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Sport compact (S) |
| Layout | Front-engine, front-wheel-drive |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor |
Volkswagen Corrado Volkswagen Karmann Ghia |
| First generation | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Production | 1974–1981 (504,153 units) |
| Assembly | Osnabrück, Germany (Karmann) |
| Designer | Giorgetto Giugiaro |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 3-door 2+2 coupé |
| Platform | Volkswagen Group A1 platform |
| Related |
Volkswagen Golf Volkswagen Jetta |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1.1 L I4 (petrol) 1.3 L I4 (petrol) 1.5 L I4 (petrol) 1.6 L I4 (petrol) 1.7 L I4 (petrol) |
| Transmission | 4/5-speed manual 3-speed automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,400 mm (94.5 in) |
| Length | 3,880 mm (152.8 in) |
| Width | 1,625 mm (64.0 in) |
| Height | 1,310 mm (51.6 in) |
| Second generation | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Production | 1981–1992 (291,497 units) |
| Assembly | Osnabrück, Germany (Karmann) |
| Designer | Herbert Schäfer |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 3-door coupé |
| Platform | Volkswagen Group A1 platform |
| Related |
Volkswagen Golf Volkswagen Jetta |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1.3 L I4 (petrol) 1.5 L I4 (petrol) 1.6 L I4 (petrol) 1.7 L I4 (petrol) 1.8 L I4 (petrol) |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual 5-speed manual 3-speed automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,400 mm (94.5 in) |
| Length | 4,210 mm (165.7 in) |
| Width | 1,645 mm (64.8 in) |
| Height | 1,305 mm (51.4 in) |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Volkswagen Corrado |
| Third generation | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Overview | |
| Production | 2008–present |
| Assembly | Palmela, Portugal (AutoEuropa) |
| Designer |
Walter de Silva Marc Lichte |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 3-door hatchback |
| Platform | Volkswagen Group A5 platform |
| Related |
Volkswagen Golf Mk5 Volkswagen Eos SEAT León Mk2 |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1.4 L I4 (petrol) 2.0 L I4 (petrol) 2.0 L I4 (diesel) |
| Transmission | 6-speed manual 6-speed automatic (DSG) 7-speed automatic (DSG) |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,578 mm (101.5 in) |
| Length | 4,256 mm (167.6 in) |
| Width | 1,810 mm (71.3 in) |
| Height | 1,404 mm (55.3 in) |
| Curb weight | 1,298 kg (2,862 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Volkswagen Corrado |
The Volkswagen Scirocco is a sport compact coupe produced by the German manufacturer Volkswagen, undergoing two generations of development between 1974 and 1992 and reintroduced in a third generation in August 2008.
The Scirocco shares its name with the Mediterranean wind Sirocco. Volkswagen makes numerous references in marketing literature to this. As an example, their 1975 print advertisement states: "Scirocco. A hot new car from Volkswagen. As fast and powerful as the desert wind it's named after." A Volkswagen brochure for the second generation Scirocco states: "Named after a fierce desert wind, the Scirocco's front wheel drive and transverse engine contribute to its tracking ability at all speeds."
Volkswagen began work on the car during the early 1970s as the replacement for the aging Karmann Ghia coupe, and designated it the Typ 53 internally. Although the platform of the Golf (Rabbit) was used to underpin the new Scirocco, almost every part of the car was re-engineered in favour of a sportier new styling (penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro) which was sleeker and sportier than that of the Golf.
Launched six months before the Golf, in order to resolve any teething troubles before production of the high volume hatchback started, the Scirocco went on sale in Europe in 1974 and in North America in 1975. Type 1 models featured a range of four-cylinder engines with displacements from 1.1 to 1.6 litres, with a 1.7 also offered in North America, all featuring a single-overhead camshaft and two valves per cylinder.
The design of the vehicle combined with the lack of US D.O.T. approved rectangular headlights, made it necessary to have four round headlights, two for low beam use and two for high beam use for all the cars imported to USA. However, the European "TS" version, for which 85 PS of maximum power was listed, was easily distinguishable from the less powerful "L" and "S" (50 and 70 PS) versions which came with just two rectangular headlights. An automatic transmission option was added in January 1975. Automatic transmission-equipped Sciroccos were generally rare outside of North America.
The Scirocco was sold in Japan at Yanase dealerships that specialize in North American and European vehicles with right hand drive starting in 1976, initially offering the TS trim package with the 1.4L engine and a 4-speed manual transmission. In 1977, the GTE and LS were offered with the 1.5L engine and the fuel injection technology from Bosch. The GTE was available with either the 4-speed manual transmission or the 3-speed automatic, while the LS offered the automatic only. Sales of the Scirocco continued for this entire generation to Japanese buyers, and it was in compliance with Japanese Government dimension regulations which helped sales. The engines offered to Japanese buyers were the smaller displacement versions to reduce the annual Japanese road tax obligation.
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Wikipedia