--- title: "Someone Found the Last Manual VW GTI Sitting at a Montana Dealer" date: "2025-04-02" modified: "2025-04-02" authors: - name: "Nico DeMattia" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/nico-demattia" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/someone-found-the-last-manual-vw-gti-sitting-at-a-montana-dealer" categories: - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Volkswagen News" tags: - "GTI" - "sports car" - "Volkswagen" --- # Someone Found the Last Manual VW GTI Sitting at a Montana Dealer ![]() *\Jamie Orr via TikTok\* The manual transmission [Volkswagen]() GTI went out with a fizzle instead of the bang it deserved. The [last stick-shift GTI]() ever built was just sold unceremoniously at a dealership in Montana—no dramatic assembly line celebration, no confetti, not even an announcement from Wolfsburg. It was treated like any other GTI allocation, but thankfully, it was bought by one of the most devoted Volkswagen fans in America. Jamie Orr loves Dubs. He's imported some sick Euro-market-only models and even made his own Harlequin Atlas. If that's not enough, he's also the one who started buying bottles of [Volkswagen ketchup]() from the factory in Wolfsburg, bringing them back to the United States, and making trophies out of them for car show winners. It was because of Orr's enthusiasm and ketchup commitment that VW gave away bottles of ketchup to American enthusiasts for the first time ever last year. What I'm getting at is: If anyone should own the final manual GTI in America, it's Orr. > [@xjamiexoe]() The final manual Golf GTi, the final GTi 380. > [♬ original sound - Jamie Orr]() After months of back and forth between Orr and VW, he eventually tracked the car down to Missoula Volkswagen in Montana. It wasn't special-ordered; instead, the final manual GTI was just a normal dealership allocation, available for anyone to buy. So, he drove hundreds of miles from his home in Pennsylvania to snag it. Nothing against Missoula, Montana—I'm sure it's a lovely place, filled with lovely people—but that doesn't seem like a fitting end to the last manual version of one of the most important cars of all time. Last year, VW announced a special edition GTI exclusive to North America that would mark the end of manuals on this side of the Atlantic. It's called the VW Golf GTI 380, and it came exclusively with a three-pedal gearbox, the 19-inch black wheels from the Golf R 20th Anniversary edition, standard adaptive dampers, and summer performance tires. If you spec'd S or SE trim, you got VW's signature plaid seats, but leather came on the Autobahn trim. More importantly, it came with a golf ball shift knob, as all GTIs should. Unfortunately, VW didn't even paint the last one in a cool color. It's just black. It's a bummer to see the last American manual GTI just fizzle out like that. It should have been celebrated as it left the assembly line. There should have been at least a press release. It's the *Volkswagen GTI* for cryin' out loud, one of the greatest hot hatches, if not *the greatest* hot hatch, in history. At least it went to an owner who will appreciate it. *Got tips? Send 'em to tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Nico is a writer and reviewer from New Jersey who probably thinks he’s a lot funnier than he actually is. His love of cars began when he was just a kid playing Gran Turismo 3, grinding out enough race wins with a Mazda Miata to save up for an in-game RUF 911. That passion for small, lightweight sports cars drove his desire to learn more about the industry, get his hands on as many cars as he could, and bring those experiences to life on the page. He cut his teeth writing about BMWs, Volkswagens, and Audis, mostly, and has owned far too many of each. He’s on his fourth 3 Series sedan, but all of his old, cheap German cars have forced him to learn more about car maintenance than his mechanical capability can handle. Too many late nights have been spent scrambling to get a car running by morning so he could get to work. For some reason, he never seems to learn that old Bimmers probably aren’t the best daily drivers. But he loves more than just old German cars. He’ll gladly drive and discuss anything with four (or even three) wheels. Cars aren’t his only passions, though. Nico is also a big nerd and loves movies, video games, comic books, and cares far too much about the New York Giants. So don’t be surprised if you see football references or dumb, obscure movie quotes in any of his car reviews. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()