1983 Volkswagen Golf RallyeBack in the 1980s, Steve Smith's love for Golf was ignited – back in the day, his older brother bought a 1983 MK1 Golf, which made Steve fall in love with the vehicle's performance presence.

Slowly, the two brothers started collecting vehicles and by 1999 they owned a total of five GTI models. Today, Steve's collection includes 17 VW vehicles, many of which are Golfs. At the moment, Steve's most treasured is a dark blue 1989 Golf Rallye.

In the late 1980s, VW created the Rallye lineup to compete at the 1990 motorsport competition in Brussels, Belgium. The model was largely distinctive from other Golf models due to the box-flared wheel arches and rectangular projector headlamps. In terms of the drivetrain system, the vehicle adopts a four-wheel-drive platform and cable-shifted gearbox with a G60-supercharged power unit, generating 160hp.

What makes Steve's vehicle special, however, is that it is a part of a limited production lineup – there are only 5000 units sold. Also, there were only two units officially sent to the US for testing.

1983 Volkswagen Golf Rallye

While Smith enjoys owning one of the rarest VW Golf vehicles in the US, he says that owning such a vehicle brings tons of responsibilities, but also rewarding experiences.

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I love showing it to people who may not have heard of the Rallye but can immediately tell it's a Golf and are curious, he said.  And the people who do realize how rare it is always come up to talk to me about it. It creates a great connection between us Volkswagen fans.

Although 17 vehicles sound like a good number for a collection, Smith has already laid eyes on a new Golf model: the limited-edition MK2 with a G60-supercharged engine.

1983 Volkswagen Golf Rallye

1983 Volkswagen Golf Rallye

Source: VW