It feels surreal to think that a car from 1998 is now considered a classic. The Volkswagen Jetta GLI from that era seems like it was just rolling off the factory floor yesterday. Seeing one today is like stepping back into the late 90s, a potent reminder of how much car design and technology have evolved in the intervening years.
The 1998 Jetta GLI embodies an era of automotive design where straight lines and sharp angles reigned supreme. This boxy silhouette, with its decidedly rectangular features like the rearview mirror, stands in stark contrast to the aerodynamic curves and flowing lines that define modern car aesthetics. It’s the quintessential “three-box” design, a functional and straightforward approach that prioritized practicality over stylistic flair. One might even joke that the designers at VW simply declared, “Let’s build a sedan,” and proceeded with no-nonsense efficiency. This unpretentious design philosophy is a far cry from today’s automotive landscape, where manufacturers often employ teams of top stylists to sculpt even mainstream sedans like a Toyota Camry.
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Stepping inside the 1998 Jetta GLI GLX is an equally nostalgic experience. Even in 1998, Volkswagen interiors were known for their functional, no-frills approach. However, this Jetta truly highlights how accustomed we’ve become to the opulent features of contemporary cars. We now expect amenities like chrome accents, ambient lighting, and advanced connectivity, not to mention seats and steering columns that offer an almost limitless range of adjustments.
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The interior of this 1998 GLI offers none of these modern luxuries. Instead, you’re met with a solid expanse of black dashboard, punctuated by large, easily accessible physical dials and a slender steering wheel that lacks telescoping functionality. Firing up the VR6 engine is a subtle reminder of its European engineering. Turning the key, the engine comes to life with a smooth and refined rumble, a discreet yet powerful presence that’s distinctly Volkswagen. In that moment, the desire to have a Big Shiny Tunes CD ready to play in the period-correct Bose sound system becomes almost overwhelming, perfectly setting the mood for a drive in this 90s time capsule.
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Grasping the somewhat loose shifter, a quirky detail emerges – a sticker beside it providing instructions on how to operate a manual transmission, complete with a comically poor French translation. It’s a detail so anachronistic, one half-expects to find instructions on how to start the car after the anticipated Y2K bug. Checking blind spots requires a physical turn of the head – no blind spot monitoring systems here. With a clear road ahead and a press of the light clutch pedal, the Jetta GLI moves forward, a boxy, unassuming green car from a bygone era, blending into traffic without drawing any undue attention, a subtle nod to a simpler automotive time.
