1978 Volkswagen Passat Estate B1 [Typ 33]

1978 Volkswagen Passat Estate B1 [Typ 33] in Loophole, Movie, 1981 IMDb

Class: Cars, Wagon — Model origin: DE — Made for: GB

1978 Volkswagen Passat Estate B1 [Typ 33]

Pos: 00:14:34 [*] Background vehicle

Comments about this vehicle

AuthorMessage

130rapid PL

2026-08-08 13:57

dsl wrote @humungus - can you get a better shot of the "VW Passat" estate in the Reliant Scimitar pic - might be a more exotic Audi 80 estate which would interest our Rochdale correspondent.


humungus wrote ^ That's the only view, I'm afraid. The camera never moves. Here's the full size crop if it helps any:
[Image: 305718t001434.jpg]


dsl wrote Smells Audi to me - more trinkets than I'd expect for a Passat, although I'm not expert on them.
80 Estate launched in UK June 75 as GL, 1470cc. Sept 75 upgraded to 1588cc, Sept 76 wrapround bigger bumpers and renamed GLS, discontinued Aug 78. This looks like R plate = 1976-77. I'd put this as first bumper 75-76
:hello: walter - can you confirm??


walter wrote
Wow that's quite hard to tell - they looked identical from this view, the only way to find out which one is might be the colour. I've got the 1976 brochure (the one with the US bumpers), I can't remember if there are the available colours, I'll check.

130rapid PL

2026-08-08 14:01

Added because of could be very posh & not common trim.
It has Passat GLi alloys, sometimes seen on early high-end Audi 80 B2, not yet on B1.
GLi was available as Variant.

-- Last edit: 2026-08-08 14:27:18

walter IT

2026-08-08 14:08

Those alloys could be found in the Audi too: Link to "encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com" Obviously taken directly from its twin from Wolfsburg.

130rapid PL

2026-08-08 14:09

So I was looking for too little. Black side mirror?

130rapid PL

2026-08-08 14:17

[Image: vw-or-audi.jpg]

walter IT

2026-08-08 14:22

Good call. Seems that the plastic one only came with the '76 model (bigger bumpers), the older one had it chromed: https://i.ebayimg.com/images/g/IagAAOSwhl1mWGEb/s-l1600.webp This is definitely the early one. Passat then?

Lateef NO

2026-08-08 14:49

At the risk of stating the obvious; that thick plastic bumper identifies it as a '78+ Passat. The equivalent Audi still used the skinny wraparound bumper.

dsl SX

2026-08-08 14:54

Can't trace Passat GLi as a UK version, or even GL without the i. Given that the 80 estate was just a re-badged Passat special exclusively for GB (and apparently ZA), it might be logical to expect that when 80 estate stopped here, a luxury Passat estate slotted into the gap. 80 estate (by now GLS) stopped in Aug 78. We got the Passat GLS saloon from Oct 76 and estate from Nov 76, so there was nearly 2 years overlap. There was also a Passat LX saloon (apparently based on GLS with more interior upgrades imported in limited numbers from April 77, but no LX estate.

So if a general scenario that the extinction of the 80 estate here led to a replacement luxury Passat estate appearing, it's not a clean swap-over, with a period of parallel duplication instead. Must have been fun for UK showroom salesmen to explain to eager customers ...

zodiac SE

2026-08-08 16:11

Also at risk of stating the obvious, but those alloys were also available as optional extras.

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