# EA 266 - the Golf we didn't get



## techno (Oct 11, 2004)

VW was about to mass prodice a small mid-engined 4 seat hatchback to replace the Golf in 1974 but it was scapped at the last moment. The sole remaining prototype sits in the VW museum in Germany.
Does anyone have any information about this Golf we should have had?


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## the brit (Jun 23, 2003)

*Re: EA 266 - the Golf we didn't get (techno)*

Why would it replace the Golf in basically it's first year of production and how could a mid-engined *four* seater mid-engine'd car be anything even comparable to the mk1 Golf ???!?!? One rear seat either side of the engine, or am i missing something here ?


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## retro_rocket (Apr 17, 2002)

*Re: EA 266 - the Golf we didn't get (the brit)*

I think you're thinking of the EA276 concept. It was not designed to replace the Golf, since obviously it did not exist yet when it was designed, but rather an early prototype for the vehicle that would eventually become the Golf.


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## techno (Oct 11, 2004)

I goofed up. The EA 266 was the car designed by Porche in 1966 to replace the Beetle. It had a water cooled 1588cc in-line four laying on its side under the back seat and driving the back wheels through a 4 speed transaxle. Rear seat passengers sat on top of the engine bay. They are said to have built fifty prototypes, approved production and ordered the tooling under Kurt Lotz but, when Volkswagen ran out of money in 1972, they scrapped it at the last moment and "badge engineered" the Polo and Passat from Audi models and, reluctantly, new boss Rudolf Leiding was persuaded to re-work the EA 276 front-wheel drive prototype and release it as the Golf.
A handful of journalists are said to have driven the EA 266 in late 1975 and said it was sensational and much better than the Golf. Volkswagen had them sign non-publication agreements so they could not publish their driving impressions of the EA-266. There are supposed to have been mid-engined "Passats" and "Kombis" and even a mid-engined "Scirrocco" on the drawing boards. I've seen some German documents about this but but my translating ability is fairly poor. Anyone got any more info?


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## Kafer Wolf (Aug 1, 2002)

*Re: (techno)*

http://www.ltv-vwc.org.uk/W_Sp...2.htm
as long as you're in there, check out EA 79/1 too!


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## SN00PY (Mar 3, 2003)

*Re: (Kafer Wolf)*

I think thats where the MK1 polo came from


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