Techzle celebrates its 30th anniversary and that is why we look back every week on this week’s edition in 1990. As of today, Techzle 34 is in the shops with a trio test of the SsangYong Tivoli, Suzuki Vitara and Skoda Kamiq and we meet the new Golf GTI, but what exactly was in Techzle 34 thirty years ago?
News
There was and does not exist a convertible of the previous and the current Volkswagen Golf, but in 1990 a new Golf Cabrio dominated the news in the 34th Techzle ever made. Based on virtually camouflage-free espionage photos, we had the new homeless Gulf drawn in advance. The similarities have turned out to be very striking, except for the somewhat special, raised tailgate. Remarkably, the closed Golf 3 was also a secret at the time, because it only followed in the autumn of 1991, the convertible took another two years before it made its Dutch appearance. Mazda also had news in the form of the facelifted 323 Estate and Audi introduced a new top model: the V8 Lang!
Tests
Pack it: the Renault 21 and Mitsubishi Galant are both middle class with a large trunk. However, which one offers the most space? The 21 ultimately wins on luggage space, but the Japanese turns out to be smoother. Although the Volkswagen Golf GTI can count on a large following, the Opel Kadett GSi also has a large enthusiast group behind it. For a comparison test, a Kadett GSi 16V meets its rally brother: a GSi 16V Group A. “The powerhouse and the fast rascal”. Many enthusiasts would probably have loved to be present at that test day. Speaking of the Golf: in the occasion part the market for used Golfs is highlighted. From defects to target prices!
Reports
Safety systems, crumple zones, airbags: every car is full of them now, but thirty years ago those safety cards were shuffled very differently. The German ADAC crashed a Tipo, Escort, Kadett, Vectra, Renault 19, Corolla and Golf to see how safe they really were. With today’s knowledge, the photos almost give you goosebumps: the cars folded like harmonicas. The Tipo turned out to be the least safe, the Vectra scored the best. In addition, the traffic congestion at North Holland tunnels is highlighted and we get to see which cars are all used at Schiphol: from the ambulance bus and drinking water trucks to the moving stairs.
Advertisement
On the Techzle newsroom, this car makes the heart beat faster for many editors: the Daihatsu Applause! What exactly did Daihatsu mean with seventeen valves while under the hood was a four-cylinder sixteen-valve? The gigantic tailgate: number seventeen!
