The Scirocco Mk1 is coming up on fifty years old now, and most of the ones still on the road have already been through at least one seat swap by the time they land with us. The original chairs were thin even when new: some side bolster, a lot of vinyl, and not much holding a driver in place once the car is doing what a Mk1 does well, which is turn in sharply and change direction on a whim. Fifty years of use has usually finished the job the factory started, with the foam gone soft and the frame tired underneath.
Because this is a genuine classic rather than a modern hot hatch, the frame route on a Mk1 wants a bit more thought than picking whatever bolts into a newer Volkswagen. We stock two fitting routes for it, a Cobra subframe and a Planted Technology bracket, and between them they cover every seat in this guide, including one built with cars this age specifically in mind.
We stock a fitting frame for the Mk1 from two of the three brands we rate, and between them they cover every seat in this guide. A frame is the vehicle-specific base that bolts to the floor in place of the standard runners, and it sets your final seat height. On a car this old the factory floor mounting points are still the ones to use, which is exactly why a vehicle-specific frame earns its keep over a universal bracket. Which frame you buy decides which seats you can run, so this choice comes first.
Part SU-VW-SC1, £205.00 inc VAT. Pricing is for one subframe and fits one seat, so a pair means two in the basket. Cobra told us to always confirm which seat is going on it, since the subframe is made to fit Cobra seats directly and correct fitment is not guaranteed with other brands. Pairs with the Cobra 291mm runners and takes the Cobra Daytona, the Cobra Le Mans, the Corbeau Sportsman and the Corbeau Sportline RRS Low Base.
Part SB088-4871, £222.60 inc VAT a side, RHD driver and passenger listed separately. A flat base that takes any seat in this guide, paired with runners matching that seat's pattern, which is the only route we sell for the Sparco GT on this car.
Every reclining seat we sell bolts down through a base mount pattern, and on this car there is one pattern to know and one exception. Cobra recliners use 291mm x 330mm, which is what the Cobra subframe is built around. The Corbeau Sportsman and the Corbeau Sportline RRS Low Base are drilled for both 291mm and 345mm, which is why they bolt to the Cobra subframe directly as well as the Planted bracket. The Sparco GT uses 345mm x 271mm on its own, which does not line up with the Cobra subframe, so the Planted bracket with a matching Sparco runner is the only route we sell it on for this car.
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Cobra subframe | Planted bracket |
|---|---|---|---|
| Corbeau Sportsman | 291 or 345 | Fits | Fits |
| Cobra Daytona | 291 x 330 | Fits | Fits |
| Cobra Le Mans | 291 x 330 | Fits | Fits |
| Corbeau Sportline RRS Low Base | 291 or 345 | Fits | Fits |
| Sparco GT | 345 x 271 | No | Fits |
The Sportsman is the one seat in this guide we only put in genuine classic and vintage cars, and the Mk1 is exactly the kind of car it was built for. It reads as period-correct rather than track-day aggressive, so it does not fight the rest of the interior the way a deep modern bucket can in a car this age. It is drilled for both bolt patterns, so it goes on the Cobra subframe directly or the Planted bracket with either runner, which makes it a safe first pick if you are not fully decided on your frame yet.
The Daytona is the cheapest way into a Cobra recliner for this car, and it is a hard seat to be the wrong shape for. Cobra list it for all waist sizes across two published ranges and for drivers of any height, which matches what we see on the counter for a car that gets driven by more than one person in the household. It bolts straight to the Cobra subframe, so if you know you are going Cobra on the frame this is the seat that gets you there for the least outlay.
The Le Mans is the seat I point people at when the Mk1 does the odd track day rather than staying purely on the road. The bolsters at the shoulders and thighs run deeper than the Daytona’s, so your body stays put mid-corner instead of sliding across the seat. It is also built to order through Cobra’s Signature range, meaning spacer fabric, vinyl or leather, contrast stitching, and heating or lumbar if you want them, which suits an owner who wants the car finished exactly to their own spec rather than off the shelf.
The RRS Low Base is the seat to pick if you want more support than the Sportsman without giving up the flexibility of a dual-pattern base. It is drilled for both 291mm and 345mm, so it bolts to the Cobra subframe as easily as the Planted bracket, and the low base version buys back headroom that matters more on a coupe this old than people expect. The backrest is Corbeau’s sculpted Sportline shape, a step up in support from the Sportsman, and it comes in cloth, leather or vinyl with an integrated headrest built in.
The GT is Sparco’s retro-shaped recliner, and it is the seat we reach for on classic and retro builds precisely because the design suits the era rather than fighting it. On the Mk1 it only goes on through the Planted bracket, since the Cobra subframe does not match its 345mm pattern. Sparco publish a narrower fit range on this one than the rest of the lineup, 32 to 36 inch waist and under six foot, so it suits a slighter driver best, or pair it with the Daytona or the RRS Low Base above if a second driver needs the wider fit. It is also available in the Houndstooth edition (233145, £682.10 inc VAT) if you want the retro trim to match the retro shape.
Both frames bolt to the Mk1’s factory seat mounting points, so there is no drilling on a standard floor. Torque the floor bolts properly and check seat belt buckle clearance before you drive, because a sport seat often sits the buckle somewhere new. If you are ordering the Cobra subframe separately from a seat, tell Cobra which seat is going on it in the checkout comments box, since fitment is only guaranteed when they know the pairing. Between seat and frame go the sliding runners, and they follow the same pattern logic as the frames. The Cobra subframe is priced and sold per seat position, fits one seat, so a pair needs two in the basket, and the Planted bracket is listed the same way with RHD driver and passenger sold separately.
| Your seat | Runners to order | Works on |
|---|---|---|
| Corbeau Sportsman or RRS Low Base | Corbeau 291mm runners on the Cobra subframe, or Corbeau 345mm runners on the Planted bracket, £117.60 a pair | Cobra subframe or Planted bracket |
| Cobra Daytona or Le Mans | Cobra 291 sliding runners, £117.60 a pair | Cobra subframe or Planted bracket |
| Sparco GT | Sparco sliding runner kit, £78.00 a pair | Planted bracket only |
The Mk1 covers the Scirocco built between 1974 and 1981, the three-door coupe with the pop-out rear windows. If your car is the later square-edged Mk2 or the 2008-on Mk3 hot hatch, neither frame in this guide applies, since both are built specifically for the Mk1’s floor and mounting points. Check your registration date if you are not certain which generation you have.
| Seat | Bolt pattern | Waist | Height | Weight | Price inc VAT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Corbeau Sportsman | 291 or 345 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | £468.00 |
| Cobra Daytona | 291 x 330 | 32 to 38in | All heights | 13.5kg | £599.00 |
| Cobra Le Mans | 291 x 330 | 32 to 38in | All heights | 13.4kg | £619.00 |
| Corbeau Sportline RRS Low Base | 291 or 345 | 32 to 38in | All heights | Not published | £498.00 |
| Sparco GT | 345 x 271 | 32 to 36in | Under 6ft | Not published | £505.90 |
Prices include VAT and were correct on 15 August 2026. Where a weight says not published, the manufacturer does not give one and we will not guess it. Waist and height figures are the manufacturers’ published fitment ranges; if you are on a boundary, ask us before ordering.
Not on a standard floor. Both the Cobra subframe and the Planted bracket bolt to the factory seat mounting points. Torque the floor bolts properly and check the seat belt buckle clearance before you drive, because a sport seat often sits the buckle somewhere new.
No. The Cobra subframe is built around the 291mm x 330mm pattern, and the Sparco GT uses 345mm x 271mm on its own. If you want the GT in the car, go straight for the Planted bracket with the Sparco sliding runner kit.
Every seat in this guide is listed by its manufacturer as 4 point compatible, with belt slots in the backrest. If you are planning harnesses, tell us when you order and we will make sure the whole setup works together.
The Cobra subframe is sold individually and fits one seat, so a pair means two in the basket. The Planted bracket is listed the same way in practice, with RHD driver and passenger sold separately. If anything on a listing is unclear, ask before ordering.
The Mk1 covers cars built between 1974 and 1981, the original three-door coupe. If your car is the square-edged Mk2 or the 2008-on Mk3 hot hatch, neither frame in this guide fits, since both are made specifically for the Mk1's floor and mounting points. Check your registration date if you are not sure which generation you have.
If it were my money: the Sportsman on the Cobra subframe for a car staying true to its age, because it looks right in the car and keeps both frame routes open if you change your mind later. The Daytona if budget matters more than looking period-correct, since it is the cheapest way onto the Cobra subframe. The Le Mans if the Mk1 does regular track evenings and you want the bolstering and the trim built to your own spec. The RRS Low Base if you are taller than the Mk1’s roofline is comfortable with. And the Sparco GT only if you or the usual driver fit its narrower range, paired with one of the wider-fitting seats above if two people share the car.
Every combination above uses parts that bolt straight to the Mk1’s factory mounting points. If you are between two of these seats, or between sizes, get in touch with your height and waist measurement and we will talk it through before you spend anything.
The five reclining sport seats we rate for the BMW 3 Series [E30], with the Planted Technology bracket and Sparco or Recaro runner routes that bolt each one straight to the factory floor mounting points.
All eight Corbeau Tartan reclining sport seats, with the dimensions off the Corbeau drawings, why every price is a pair, and which one suits which car.
All four Corbeau Tartan classic bucket seats, with the dimensions off the Corbeau drawings, the Standard against Wide choice, and why the GT8 is a different proposition.
Five reclining sport seats for the Vauxhall Astra Mk4 and the Sparco sub-frame that fits each one to the factory floor mounting points without drilling.
The five reclining sport seats we rate for the Seat Cordoba Mk2, with the single Cobra direct-fit subframe that bolts to the factory mounting points, runner included, and suits every seat in this guide on the 291mm pattern.
The five reclining sport seats we rate for the Mini R56, with the Sparco and Recaro frame routes that bolt each one straight to the factory mounting points.
