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Origins of an icon
The Golf was born out of Volkswagen’s search at the time for a successor to its most successful Volkswagen to date, the Beetle.
With high expectations, the new vehicle needed to be stylish and dynamic, but also comfortable and safe, not to mention spacious, yet compact. A tough brief and no easy task to meet it.
The responsibility to design the new Golf was given to renowned car designer Giorgetto Giugiaro and he would later look back and consider the Mk1 Golf as the most important design of his career. Its design reflected his signature ‘folded-paper’ style, emphasising sharp corners and flat planes. A completely new style at the time.
Depending on which version of the legend you believe, the Mk1 Golf was named after the German word for the gulf stream current, golfstrom. Given that Volkswagen Group had form at the time for naming its cars after wind systems – (Mediterranean wind), Passat (trade wind) and Jetta (jet stream) – the wind naming theory seems credible.
Starting an automotive revolution
When the Golf was first unveiled in 1974, it heralded the start of an automotive revolution. Unlike the Beetle, it had a front-wheel drive and a large boot lid with a folding rear seat backrest which meant the overall concept of the car was variable. Other key features included two transmission options, a four-speed manual, and a three-speed automatic gearbox.
The Golf quickly became a true “Volkswagen” and the first million units were sold as early as 1976. If it was named after a wind system it could not have been more apt as the Golf blew the market apart, taking on and surpassing the popular models of the time such as the Allegro, Cortina and Escort.
Within a year of being launched, it was the 14th best-selling car in Britain and runner–up in the 1975 European Car of the Year. It was, however, only just getting started as the compact car grew to become the most successful European car in history and the best-selling Volkswagen of all time.
Fast forward to the GTI era
From a motoring marvel, the best was still yet to come. Away from the official factory endorsed programme that unleashed the Mk1 Golf, an unofficial sport version had been secretly developed.
The Mk1’s sporty little brother, the GTI, was conceptualised and built by a Volkswagen elite team of engineering, suspension, chassis and marketing experts, who combined to produce a car that secured legendary status as the leader of the ‘hot hatch’ pack.
When first presented at the 1975 International Motor Show, the industry was astonished to see 110 horsepower built into such a discreet package. The sporty hatchwith injection technology and a kerb weight of just 810 kilograms offered incredible performance at the time, with a top speed of 182 km/h and acceleration for 0mph to 100km/h in just 9.0 seconds.
Following its launch, it soon became a cult classic among car enthusiasts, helping to establish the ‘GTI Class’ it was named after as the first and most successful model of a sporty compact car. Right through to this day, the three letters still hold a magical significance to the enthusiast community.
A supercharged future
Since its launch in 1974, the iconic Golf has sold more than 37 million cars across eight generations of the vehicle.
In 2024, the Golf’s 50th anniversary year, we now see the evolutionary development of the eighth Golf generation, with impressive visually refined features, new assist systems and powertrains, and next-generation infotainment systems and software in the face-lifted model.
This includes an intelligent IDA voice assistant with ChatGPT integration and a new Park Assist Pro for remote parking using a smartphone that fits nicely into this smart picture.
The new plug-in hybrid offers extra power, an electric range of around 100km and new LED headlights. An illuminated Volkswagen badge is also available as an option for the first time with the 2024 model.
The Golf 2024 is a pinnacle of Volkswagen engineering, a proud legacy, and a testament to every Golf that has led us to this moment in time. It’s the start of another 50 years of automotive excellence, with further chapters to be added to the story of a true motoring icon.
