My 89 jetta in highschool had the same gear positioning. Even though R was back and to the right, you still had to push down on the shifter for it to lock into position.
That car was fun, the sun roof was manual, similar to the old manual window handles. Everyone always got a kick out of that. Previous owner did a work around for the fuel pump so there was a switch next to the ingnition that needed to be on before starting the car. Build in security. End of life, the interior was still in immaculate shape, but everything from the axles, shafts and tierods were all rusted out. Classic, RIP Jetty.