JETTA MK2

About the Jetta Mk2

The Mk2 Jetta arrived in 1984 and became the car that sold VW in America. Bigger than the Mk1, better built, and available with a 16-valve 1.8 making 123 hp that was genuinely quick in a car this light. The base 1.6 was the sensible choice. The diesel was the economy champion. The GLI 16V was the enthusiast's car, with sport suspension, BBS wheels, and a close-ratio five-speed that was one of the best gearboxes VW ever made. The interior was clean, functional, and German in the way that mattered. The Mk2 Jetta was the car that taught Americans that sedans could be fun to drive without being expensive. VW sold hundreds of thousands. The Mk2 platform lasted into the mid-'90s because it worked.