Someone discovered the final manual VW GTI at a dealership in Montana.

      Jamie Orr via TikTok

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      The final manual transmission Volkswagen GTI exited without the fanfare it warranted. The last stick-shift GTI ever made was sold rather quietly at a dealership in Montana—no grand celebration at the assembly line, no confetti, and no announcement from Wolfsburg. It was treated as just another GTI, but fortunately, it was purchased by one of the most passionate Volkswagen enthusiasts in America.

      Jamie Orr is a devoted fan of Volkswagen. He has imported some impressive models exclusive to the European market and even crafted his own Harlequin Atlas. If that’s not sufficient, he’s the one who started buying Volkswagen ketchup directly from the factory in Wolfsburg, bringing it back to the U.S., and turning them into trophies for car show winners. Orr’s enthusiasm for both VW and ketchup led to VW giving away bottles of ketchup to American fans for the first time last year. Therefore, if anyone deserves to own the final manual GTI in America, it’s him.

      @xjamiexoe The last manual Golf GTI, the final GTI 380. ♬ original sound – Jamie Orr

      After several months of communication with VW, Orr managed to trace the car to Missoula Volkswagen in Montana. It wasn’t a special order; the last manual GTI was simply a normal dealership allocation, available for anyone. He made the long drive from his home in Pennsylvania to claim it. While I have nothing against Missoula, Montana—I’m sure it’s a wonderful place—it hardly seems like a fitting conclusion for the last manual version of such a historically significant car.

      Last year, VW announced a special edition GTI available only in North America to mark the discontinuation of manual transmissions on this side of the Atlantic. It’s called the VW Golf GTI 380, and it exclusively features a three-pedal gearbox, 19-inch black wheels from the Golf R 20th Anniversary edition, standard adaptive dampers, and summer performance tires. If you selected S or SE trim, you received VW’s signature plaid seats, while the Autobahn trim included leather. More notably, it came with a golf ball shift knob, as all GTIs should. Unfortunately, VW didn’t even paint the last one in an eye-catching color—it’s just black.

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      It’s disappointing to see the last American manual GTI fade away like this. It truly deserved a farewell as it rolled off the assembly line. There should have at least been a press release. This is the Volkswagen GTI we’re talking about, one of the most iconic hot hatches in history, if not the greatest.

      At least it has gone to an owner who will truly appreciate it.

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