First RHD Corrado Built

[RED RADO WP 0]

Greetings from South Africa, I have a very special corrado, number 000125 off the production line.
Manufactured and first registered in 1988, this originally G60 model was the only Corrado imported into Africa, by VW
This was the factory/media car until the managing director at the time (Peter Searle) purchased the car for his wife.
She drove it until her passing and it was then left to her son who sold it in 1998 to previous owner.
The G60 motor gave problems and South Africa never had the MK2 G60, so rebuilding the charger each time was not an easy task as spares and knowledge was not on the continent.
The VW Motorsport team then replaced the G60 motor with a 2.0 16V motor at the VW Uitenhage factory in Port Elizabeth.

This is more likely than not, the oldest Corrado on this forum and also listed as the first built on the corrado-database.

 

[fendervg 30]

Welcome to the forum - what a great piece of history - are you tempted to put a G60 engine back in for originality?

[RED RADO WP 0]

Not 

Just now, fendervg said:

Welcome to the forum - what a great piece of history - are you tempted to put a G60 engine back in for originality?

Not really, seeing that this is the only 2.0 16V built by VW in a VW factory.
Also G60 parts are not available on our continent, not even second hand.
I have a friend who has an imported US G60 LHD and he is not having the best time trying to revive her.

[Keyo 47]

great early car ! 

I know of a Corrado that was a left hand drive  g60 uk car and is white - it  was one of the first here and is owned by a lady that family use to own gsf car parts that was called euro something at the time . The car was wrapped from new and placed in her garage that is on a multimillionaire estate in Sutton Coldfield - to this day the car is untouched with only 400 miles on the clock . 

[fendervg 30]

Fair enough - yes, it can be very hard to source parts, especially if not available locally.

At least in the UK all late post facelift 16V engines were the 2.0 version, the early ones were 1.8 - there were also a couple of specially built 16V G60 supercharged ones.

The car looks great in red with the Sebring wheels.

[RED RADO WP 0]

Do you know what the engine codes were for the UK 2.0?
I have an AAL motor which is basically a 9A

[fendervg 30]

UK 2.0 16V was a 9A engine code

[Dox 22]

1 hour ago, Keyo said:

great early car ! 

I know of a Corrado that was a left hand drive  g60 uk car and is white - it  was one of the first here and is owned by a lady that family use to own gsf car parts that was called euro something at the time . The car was wrapped from new and placed in her garage that is on a multimillionaire estate in Sutton Coldfield - to this day the car is untouched with only 400 miles on the clock . 

History

GSF Car Parts really began back in the 1970s. Today’s business brought together in April 2000 by the German & Swedish Management Team stems from a number of long standing car parts specialists such as Vee Wee, Autocavan, Andyspares, and URO Automotive.

Since the formation of GSF Car Parts in 2000, the company has developed a parts and distribution portfolio to create the UK’s largest independent parts supplier. Today, GSF Car Parts employs over 1000 people covering all of the UK as well as Ireland. We operate over 70 stores and over 400 GSF delivery vans.

Key Developments

1977 - Stan West, founder and owner of GSF Car Parts started business in one half of a tumbledown shed in a corner of a Battersea salvage yard. He called his business VeeWee.

1981 - Wholesale suppliers Kontinental Auto Werke (KAW) buys VeeWee and Stan joins the Management team.

1987 - German and Swedish is established by Stan and his business partner, Maurice Forde.

2000 - The company acquires Andyspares, adding French car parts to the range and is renamed German Swedish and French.

2000 - GSF also acquires Autocavan and URO automotive.

2003 - Hans Motors joins GSF Car Parts and sells all makes parts to other factors.

2005 - GSF adds an all makes range of parts to its specialist inventory and becomes GSF Car Parts.

2006 - TDCS is bought by GSF Car Parts enabling industry-leading diagnostic equipment sales.

2009 - GSF Car Parts complete several branch refurbishments and upgrade the whole company's stock criteria.

2010 - GSF Car Parts sign up with several leading garage equipment providers and offer a market leading garage equipment solution to support the existing diagnostics business.

2010 - GSF Banbury, Leeds East (Regional Distribution Centre), Worcester, Letchworth and Kettering are opened.

2011 - GSF Bristol (Regional Distribution Centre), Middlesbrough, Gloucester, Bedford and Rochdale are opened.

2012 - GSF Barnstaple, Finchley, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Milton Keynes, Torquay and Basingstoke, Harlow and Taunton are opened.

2013 - GSF Sittingbourne and GSF Tottenham are opened.

2015 - GSF Car Parts is acquired by the Parts Alliance Group, the UK & Ireland’s largest alliance of automotive parts distributors.

2017 - The Parts Alliance Group which includes GSF Car Parts is purchased by Uni-Select Inc. a North American Automotive aftermarket distributor.

2018 - New GSF branches opened including Woodford, Colchester and Andover.

[Keyo 47]

1 minute ago, Dox said:

History

GSF Car Parts really began back in the 1970s. Today’s business brought together in April 2000 by the German & Swedish Management Team stems from a number of long standing car parts specialists such as Vee Wee, Autocavan, Andyspares, and URO Automotive.

Since the formation of GSF Car Parts in 2000, the company has developed a parts and distribution portfolio to create the UK’s largest independent parts supplier. Today, GSF Car Parts employs over 1000 people covering all of the UK as well as Ireland. We operate over 70 stores and over 400 GSF delivery vans.

Key Developments

1977 - Stan West, founder and owner of GSF Car Parts started business in one half of a tumbledown shed in a corner of a Battersea salvage yard. He called his business VeeWee.

1981 - Wholesale suppliers Kontinental Auto Werke (KAW) buys VeeWee and Stan joins the Management team.

1987 - German and Swedish is established by Stan and his business partner, Maurice Forde.

2000 - The company acquires Andyspares, adding French car parts to the range and is renamed German Swedish and French.

2000 - GSF also acquires Autocavan and URO automotive.

2003 - Hans Motors joins GSF Car Parts and sells all makes parts to other factors.

2005 - GSF adds an all makes range of parts to its specialist inventory and becomes GSF Car Parts.

2006 - TDCS is bought by GSF Car Parts enabling industry-leading diagnostic equipment sales.

2009 - GSF Car Parts complete several branch refurbishments and upgrade the whole company's stock criteria.

2010 - GSF Car Parts sign up with several leading garage equipment providers and offer a market leading garage equipment solution to support the existing diagnostics business.

2010 - GSF Banbury, Leeds East (Regional Distribution Centre), Worcester, Letchworth and Kettering are opened.

2011 - GSF Bristol (Regional Distribution Centre), Middlesbrough, Gloucester, Bedford and Rochdale are opened.

2012 - GSF Barnstaple, Finchley, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Milton Keynes, Torquay and Basingstoke, Harlow and Taunton are opened.

2013 - GSF Sittingbourne and GSF Tottenham are opened.

2015 - GSF Car Parts is acquired by the Parts Alliance Group, the UK & Ireland’s largest alliance of automotive parts distributors.

2017 - The Parts Alliance Group which includes GSF Car Parts is purchased by Uni-Select Inc. a North American Automotive aftermarket distributor.

2018 - New GSF branches opened including Woodford, Colchester and Andover.

Itw what ever the company use be called at the current GSF carparts on the castle vale estate - think it was euro something (not euro cars ) 

[Dox 22]

4 minutes ago, Keyo said:

Itw what ever the company use be called at the current GSF carparts on the castle vale estate - think it was euro something (not euro cars ) 

I wracking my brains now

Autovolks Solihull , next door to vw maindealers

Volksbits also around there

 

might take a while lol

[Dox 22]

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/03618273

[Keyo 47]

4 minutes ago, Dox said:

https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/03618273

Thats it looks like the family moved up to Brum from London as one of the founding partners  (the lady )company director address is in Birmingham - Ive been told they actually went to Germany to collect the car and it was basically the first one or two to be in the country. Ive never set eyes on the car but have have been told by a 40 year VW servicing manager the car exists and now the story has some evidence towards what he told me. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by Keyo

[Dox 22]

Think it was Uro (no E)

[Keyo 47]

Just now, Dox said:

Think it was Uro (no E)

Yep that was it im just passing on the story I was told buy my local Vag service manager 40 year time served employee of VW - and his story about the lady owner from that car company off castle vale and how the car was wrapped and preserved and still sits there today just the way it arrived all those decades back. Think it must be that Maurice lady.   

[Keyo 47]

Just to add another story I have been told by the mobile smart repair I use- he reckons he has been to a retired previous company owner of a chain of retirement homes that had 8 or 10 Corrado all in low mileage in different colours and is obsessed by them- never uses them - also in the Midlands but he wont tell me anymore- these rare gems are still hiding in places I guess.  

[Dox 22]

1 minute ago, Keyo said:

Yep that was it im just passing on the story I was told buy my local Vag service manager 40 year time served employee of VW - and his story about the lady owner from that car company off castle vale and how the car was wrapped and preserved and still sits there today just the way it arrived all those decades back. Think it must be that Maurice lady.   

I used to go to Furbers salvage dealer near Whitchurch, he’d go all sorts stashed away.

 

Car transplants near to me has a huge amount of classics he loans to tv production companies, money makes money

[Keyo 47]

Just now, Dox said:

I used to go to Furbers salvage dealer near Whitchurch, he’d go all sorts stashed away.

 

Car transplants near to me has a huge amount of classics he loans to tv production companies, money makes money

Yes for sure . 

[Keyo 47]

I just spoke to the service manager for the craic and he told me it is 100 percent true and too my shock told me from road up from me (1 min walk) there is another lady that has a corrado wrapped up in wool which I imagine means well looked after and has extremely low mileage VR and they have been servicing the car for 20 years - surprised she has never knocked my door for a chat.  it only comes out for a service he reckons. 

He also gave me the name of a vag breaker in the Midlands area that does not advertise that had shed loads of rado parts he reckons . I will investigate further. 

Edited June 25, 2021 by Keyo

[ger040 2]

If i remember top gear tested one of the first corrados to come to the uk - a silver g60 lhd on a f reg. Tif ? absolutely thrashing it.

[ger040 2]

3 hours ago, Keyo said:

Just to add another story I have been told by the mobile smart repair I use- he reckons he has been to a retired previous company owner of a chain of retirement homes that had 8 or 10 Corrado all in low mileage in different colours and is obsessed by them- never uses them - also in the Midlands but he wont tell me anymore- these rare gems are still hiding in places I guess.  

It would be really interesting to see these i bet they possibly still have the new car smell!!

Possibly these owners dont do social media or internet etc which you have to respect or just very private 

[ger040 2]

4 hours ago, Keyo said:

Itw what ever the company use be called at the current GSF carparts on the castle vale estate - think it was euro something (not euro cars ) 

 

4 hours ago, Dox said:

History

GSF Car Parts really began back in the 1970s. Today’s business brought together in April 2000 by the German & Swedish Management Team stems from a number of long standing car parts specialists such as Vee Wee, Autocavan, Andyspares, and URO Automotive.

Since the formation of GSF Car Parts in 2000, the company has developed a parts and distribution portfolio to create the UK’s largest independent parts supplier. Today, GSF Car Parts employs over 1000 people covering all of the UK as well as Ireland. We operate over 70 stores and over 400 GSF delivery vans.

Key Developments

1977 - Stan West, founder and owner of GSF Car Parts started business in one half of a tumbledown shed in a corner of a Battersea salvage yard. He called his business VeeWee.

1981 - Wholesale suppliers Kontinental Auto Werke (KAW) buys VeeWee and Stan joins the Management team.

1987 - German and Swedish is established by Stan and his business partner, Maurice Forde.

2000 - The company acquires Andyspares, adding French car parts to the range and is renamed German Swedish and French.

2000 - GSF also acquires Autocavan and URO automotive.

2003 - Hans Motors joins GSF Car Parts and sells all makes parts to other factors.

2005 - GSF adds an all makes range of parts to its specialist inventory and becomes GSF Car Parts.

2006 - TDCS is bought by GSF Car Parts enabling industry-leading diagnostic equipment sales.

2009 - GSF Car Parts complete several branch refurbishments and upgrade the whole company's stock criteria.

2010 - GSF Car Parts sign up with several leading garage equipment providers and offer a market leading garage equipment solution to support the existing diagnostics business.

2010 - GSF Banbury, Leeds East (Regional Distribution Centre), Worcester, Letchworth and Kettering are opened.

2011 - GSF Bristol (Regional Distribution Centre), Middlesbrough, Gloucester, Bedford and Rochdale are opened.

2012 - GSF Barnstaple, Finchley, Oxford, Shrewsbury, Milton Keynes, Torquay and Basingstoke, Harlow and Taunton are opened.

2013 - GSF Sittingbourne and GSF Tottenham are opened.

2015 - GSF Car Parts is acquired by the Parts Alliance Group, the UK & Ireland’s largest alliance of automotive parts distributors.

2017 - The Parts Alliance Group which includes GSF Car Parts is purchased by Uni-Select Inc. a North American Automotive aftermarket distributor.

2018 - New GSF branches opened including Woodford, Colchester and Andover.

I remember the Autocavan and Uro - They broke the vw dealer monopoly on parts as they sold a lot of genuine parts at half the price

[Keyo 47]

13 hours ago, ger040 said:

It would be really interesting to see these i bet they possibly still have the new car smell!!

Possibly these owners dont do social media or internet etc which you have to respect or just very private 

Im sure with the coming years as the cars outlive the owners and are passed on to none corrado enthusiast some of these cars will suddenly appear on the market- I would have no real interest in them myself as I like to use mine and some of these will belong in a an automotive museum or a collecter that does not use them .