Think back – what was the car that got you hooked? For Road & Track Senior Editor Jason Cammisa, it was the Volkswagen Scirocco.->ke1517 Even though his chosen occupation frequently puts him at the helm of seven-figure exotics,->ke177 it’s this modest Veedub->ke94 that continually sets the benchmark for him: “The biggest surprise that people get is that I’ll leave a Bugatti Veyron->ke1112 Supersport or Porsche 918 Hybrid,->ke3629 and all I want to do is go home and drive my Scirocco,” he says. “It’s just that lovely combination of reliable enough, fast enough, modern enough, but raw – and it works as the perfect bar for me to judge modern cars against.”

Cammisa bought his Scirocco in college, and immediately picked up the wrenches to keep it running. “This car definitely changed the path of my life because it forced me to be a mechanic,” Cammisa confesses. “There was no way I would have been able to keep this car – I don’t think I still could have this car – if I had to pay somebody to work on it.”

Suffice it to say, despite whatever reliability issues it's had, the Scirocco continues to create smiles for Cammisa on a daily basis. For him, the car represents everything fun about a nippy front-wheel-drive platform, making it perfect for a day at the autocross or blast down a deserted back road. On paper, it’s only worth a few thousand dollars. To Cammisa, it’s “the most important thing in life.”

But there’s a problem. What happens several decades in the future when Cammisa’s pride and joy needs a part that’s been out of production since the '90s? “I hope that Volkswagen and every other car company listen to their enthusiast base and see this is special,” he says. “The relationship that we develop with these cars benefits them.”

Volkswagen Scirocco

Back in the 70s, Volkswagen->ke94 used the highly flexible A1 platform to create a variety of different vehicles. These included the Golf->ke164 hatchback,->ke304 Jetta->ke306 sedan,->ke142 and Cabriolet drop top.->ke144 However, there was also the Scirocco, the sportiest of the A1-based cars. The first generation hit U.S. shores in 1975, and came with a variety of four-cylinder engines, including the top-range 1.7-liter. The second generation was introduced in 1981, with the U.S.-spec vehicle donning significantly different equipment to meet safety and emissions standards. Production ended in 1992, but a third generation was introduced in 2008 and is still produced today.

Read our full review of the first Sciroccos here.