VW Golf – fab at 40

Volkswagen is celebrating the 40th birthday of its most successful car – the Golf.

More than 30 million Golfs have been sold and it’s currently on its seventh pioneering generation.

Golf Mk I

The first series production Golf rolled off the assembly line in Wolfsburg on 29 March 1974. Designed by Giorgio Giugiaro and Volkswagen Design, it was a successor to the legendary Beetle, which sold more than 21.5 million worldwide. The Mk 1 won over the market to such an extent that by October 1976 one million had been produced. The iconic first Golf GTI came along in 1976), followed by Golf D (naturally aspirated diesel engine) in the same year and the Golf GTD (turbodiesel) in 1982 – breakthroughs for diesel cars in the compact sector. The best-selling Golf Cabriolet first appeared in 1979.

Golf Mk 2
More space for passengers came with the launch of the Gold Mk II in August 1983 which went on to feature a regulated catalytic converter in 1984, an anti-lock braking system (ABS) in 1986, then power-steering. In 1986, syncro was introduced, opening up the option of all-wheel drive in the Golf class.

Golf Mk 3

August 1991 saw the launch of the third generation Golf, heralding a new era of safety. It was the first of the series to have front airbags, starting in 1992, while advances in the area of car body construction also resulted in significantly improved crash safety. In addition, numerous other technological milestones of the model range are linked to the third Golf. Many new features made their debut in this new Golf: the first six cylinder engine (VR6), cruise control, oxidation catalytic converter for diesel engines (1991) and the first direct injection diesel engines (TDI in 1993). Likewise, ABS became a standard feature on all Golf models in 1996. In 1993, Volkswagen had also introduced a new convertible based on the Golf Mk III, a new all-wheel drive model (syncro II) and the first Golf Variant (an estate).

Golf Mk 4
Launched in October 1997, the Mk 4 became the first all-wheel-drive Golf in 1998 – the Golf 4MOTION. The first direct-injection engine (FSI) and the debut of the standard head airbag (window airbags) followed in 2002. Also in 2002, Volkswagen launched the R32, with a top speed of 155 mph. It was this top model of the range that in 2003 was the first to debut with the revolutionary dual-clutch gearbox (DSG).

Golf Mk 5

The Mk 5, unveiled in 2003, was all about comfort, dynamic performance and security features. On request, the Golf was now also available for the first time with side airbags – together with the six standard airbags (front, side front and window) there were thus eight protective air buffers on board. In comfort as well as dynamic performance, the Golf Mk 5 scored in numerous areas, including: its new four-link rear suspension, seven-speed DSG, bi-xenon headlights, panoramic sliding sunroof, plus the world’s first twincharger (in the 2006 TSI), combining turbo and supercharger. In 2006, the Golf Plus made its debut; in 2007, the CrossGolf, a new Estate and the fuel-efficient Golf BlueMotion (62.8 mpg).

Gold Mk 6

The sixth generation of the car launched in 2008 and a new Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet was presented at the 2011 Geneva International Motor Show – VW called it “a new chapter of a global success story”. Fuel economy was the name of the game with the second Golf BlueMotion boasting a combined fuel consumption of 74.3 mpg and 99 g/km of CO2. New assistance systems, such as Light Assist automatic main beam management and Park Assist, made the sixth generation the most advanced Golf to date.

Golf Mk 7

On September 4 2012, Volkswagen celebrated the world premiere of the seventh generation Golf. The weight of the new Golf was reduced by up to 100 kg, “thereby reversing the often cited upward weight spiral” says VW. Fuel economy was also improved by up to 23% with the new Golf TDI BlueMotion capable of 88.3mpg which is 85 g/km of CO2. In 2014, Volkswagen launched the all-electric e-Golf and the new Golf GTE plug-in hybrid is launched later this year.

Fascinating facts

Other 1974 inventions which have stood the test of time alongside the Golf include:

• Rubik’s Cube
• Post-It notes (originally invented by accident in 1968)
• liposuction

And not only was 1974 the year the first Golf was produced, it was also the year
the Terracotta army was stumbled upon by a group of farmers who were digging a
water well, President Nixon resigned, and Lord Lucan disappeared.