Right in the middle of all the modern performance cars rolling along today’s roads, one vehicle keeps catching the eye: the Golf 1 GTi. It is the original hot hatch, the “wolf in sheep’s clothing”, which with its compact dimensions and surprising performance ushered in a new era of vehicle development. And this cult classic you can now build in your own workshop, with our new gift set “50 Years VW Golf 1 GTi” in 1:24 scale, including paints, glue and brush.
Buy the Golf GTi 50 Years Anniversary Model Kit in the Revell Shop
Why is the Golf 1 GTi such a legend?
Before we look at the kit in detail, it is worth taking a step back to the original: the Golf 1 GTi celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2026, and this is not a marketing slogan but a genuine milestone. In 1975, Volkswagen presented the Golf GTI at the IAA in Frankfurt, and the reaction was enthusiastic. Inside a Mars‑Red body sat a 1.6‑litre fuel‑injected engine with 110 hp, packaged in a compact car with a kerb weight of only around 810 kilograms.
By the standards of the time, that was a small sensation: an everyday car that offered sporty performance without astronomical fuel consumption or an even more astronomical price. The technical basis came from Audi, the engine was taken from the Audi family and installed in the Golf, with the result that in practice the GTi was significantly faster than many vehicles that cost twice as much.
For us as model builders this is fascinating, because the Golf 1 GTi embodies exactly this interplay of simplicity, efficiency and performance: no overloaded technology, no overkill of driver‑assistance systems, but a clear focus on driving fun. When you hold the kit in your hands, you are not just building a car, you are building a philosophy: the idea that sportiness does not have to be expensive, but rather clever.
Buy the Golf GTi 50 Years Anniversary Model Kit in the Revell Shop
The Revell kit in 1:24 scale
With the gift set “50 Years VW Golf 1 GTi” we bring the Golf 1 GTi directly onto your workbench in 1:24 scale, with 121 individual parts and a difficulty level we rate as Level 4. This means: the kit is not an entry‑level set for absolute beginners, but neither is it a pro‑level project for veterans. It is aimed at model builders who enjoy details and are not afraid to spend a few hours on bodywork, chassis and engine compartment.
The box contains everything you need to get started straight away: the plastic kit itself, an illustrated, multilingual instruction manual, a brush, Revell Aqua Color basic paints and the Contacta Professional Mini glue. For many of you this is a real advantage, especially if you are giving the set as a gift: the recipients get a kit where they can simply cut open the box the next day and start building, without first having to buy paints and glue.
Two variants – standard GTi or TV‑ad version
A special highlight of our set is the choice you have when building. You can decide whether to build the classic standard‑series GTi or the special version from the famous historical VW TV commercial. Both variants use the same basic kit, but thanks to different parts and details a completely different look appears on your shelf.
The standard version focuses on the typical features of the first GTi: the chrome trim parts painted in black, the red trim strip on the radiator grille, the larger front spoiler and the sporty bumpers.
If you choose the TV‑ad variant, you are essentially building a “vehicle from the world of advertising”, an interpretation that shows the Golf 1 GTi in a particularly dynamic, almost iconic look. For many model builders this option is exciting because you are not just building a car, but preserving a moment from automotive history.
Left‑ or right‑hand drive, 10 countries with license plates
Our gift set is deliberately designed to be international. You can build the Golf 1 GTi either as left‑hand or right‑hand drive, which makes it attractive for model builders from all over Europe. Whether you feel at home in Germany, Great Britain, France or Sweden, the kit adapts to your preferences.
Even more exciting is the range of decals: with the waterslide decal sheet you can apply license plates from a total of ten different countries. These include Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Italy, Denmark and Sweden. For many of you this means you are not just building a car, but placing a piece of home or a travel memory on your desk. Perhaps you imagine your model rolling through the streets of your home town, or how you used to travel with your family to holiday destinations, lying across the back seat on the way south.
Buy the Golf GTi 50 Years Anniversary Model Kit in the Revell Shop
Engine, interior and details – where driving fun begins
For model builders a car is not just bodywork, but above all interior. Under the movable bonnet of our Golf 1 GTi hides a multi‑part engine that recreates the legendary 1.6‑litre four‑cylinder that once taught the competition to be afraid. The details are designed so that you do not just “glue the engine together”, but can regard it as an independent component, as the heart of the model.
Inside the cabin you will find everything that characterises the Golf 1 GTi: the sporty seats with the typical tartan fabric, the dashboard with clear instruments and of course the gear knob in golf‑ball design. For many of you this gear knob is a small symbol: a detail that immediately makes it clear that you are not building just any Golf, but a GTi. When you take it into your hand, you may briefly feel transported back to the 1970s, to a time when driving fun was more important than driver‑assistance systems and touchscreens.
The Golf 1 GTi in film and television
The Golf 1 GTi is not only an icon on the road, but also in film, television and pop culture. On platforms such as IMCDb you will find a long list of productions in which the Golf I GTi appears, from TV series through films to animation and anime projects. In series such as “The Bill” or “Alarm für Cobra 11 – Die Autobahnpolizei” the Golf 1 GTi appears again and again, often as an unmistakable everyday sports car that shares the screen with police cars and other vehicles.
The Golf 1 GTi also appears in films such as “Doctor Strange” or “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch”. Sometimes only briefly in the background, but always as a characteristic detail that immediately reminds viewers of the 1970s and 1980s. For model builders this is exciting because when building you are not only recreating a car, but a vehicle that is already anchored in popular culture. Perhaps you imagine your model riding along in one of these scenes, as an unobtrusive background element that is still part of a larger story.
Why this set is the perfect gift for car fans
Our gift set “50 Years VW Golf 1 GTi” is not only a kit, but a gift with character. It appeals to car fans who have petrol in their veins, but also to model builders who enjoy details and the history of the automotive industry. The fact that paints, glue and brush are already included makes it an ideal present for fathers, grandfathers or friends who have long been into modelling or who are just discovering it.
For many of you the Golf 1 GTi is not just a car, but a piece of personal history. Perhaps you drove it yourself, saw it at a relative’s house or dreamed of it in your youth. With our kit you can preserve these memories in the form of a model, as a testament to a time when driving fun was still simple, yet no less intense.
Technical data and contents at a glance
Finally, once again the key specifications of our gift set “50 Years VW Golf 1 GTi” in 1:24 scale: the kit comprises 121 individual parts, is suitable for model builders from 12 years of age and offers a length of around 154 millimetres, a width of 72 millimetres and a height of 58 millimetres. The contents consist of the plastic model kit, an illustrated, multilingual instruction manual, a waterslide decal sheet with license plates from ten countries, Revell Aqua Color basic paints, a brush and the Contacta Professional Mini glue.
If you are wondering whether this set is right for you, the answer is simple: yes, if you enjoy cars, details and the history of the Golf 1 GTi. With our gift set you can celebrate 50 years of driving fun, not only in your mind, but with your own hands.
Grab these 50 years of driving fun! Order the VW Golf 1 GTi gift set now and build the classic for your display cabinet.
Buy the Golf GTi 50 Years Anniversary Model Kit in the Revell Shop