It’s no surprise that any self-respecting petrolhead wants to have a car collection of some sort. As such, a man named Steve Smith started a stockpile of Volkswagens that is 17 strong at the moment. Deutsche Auto Parts’ latest video takes a detailed look at his extensive VW supply.
Smith and his brother have a soft spot for the Mk 1 GTI, growing up in an era where they were incredibly popular – he says they accumulated five or six of them before moving to the states. After relocating stateside for work, he purchased a Mk 2 and the rest is history. Being a mechanical and electrical engineer by trade, Smith has a knack for modifying the cars himself.
While 17 may sound like quite a lot, many of the examples are shells to provide the necessary spare parts for his projects. However, there are still some very special vehicles in his collection.
One of the rarest vehicles is a MK2 Golf Rallye. Having bought it from Brad Beardow – owner and CEO of Fiften52 wheels – it remains one of the rarest VW Golf models in the United States. The German automaker only made around 5,000 of them in the late 80s and there are roughly 15 remaining on our side of the pond.
The wide-body kit on the Rallye sets it apart from any other Golf of the era. Somehow it manages to produce an exciting aesthetic without being too flashy – as we see all too often nowadays. Apart from the body panels, the only other distinguishing factor is the twin-screw supercharger which produces a very peculiar soundtrack.
Smith has plans to put some work into his pride and joy and transform it into a show car. Apparently he doesn’t drive it all that much, but we can’t wait to see the final results when all is said and done.