March 29, 1974. The first examples of the Volkswagen Golf left the Wolfsburg plant. The car manufacturer certainly could not have imagined that this car would become one of the most important in its history. To date, more than 37 million units have been produced.
Today, Volkswagen celebrates the 50th anniversary of this modelthe latest generation of which has recently undergone restyling.
The Golf, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Volkswagen Design, had to live up to expectations to continue the success of the Beetle, which sold more than 21.5 million units. Success was immediate, as already in October 1976, Golf production reached the one million unit mark.
Wolfsburg it has always been the main production plant for the Golf. To date, more than 20 million copies have been produced. The remaining cars (17 million) were produced at other factories in Germany, as well as in Belgium, Brazil, China, Malaysia, Mexico, Slovakia and South Africa. From 1974 to the present day, Volkswagen has launched 8 generations of Golf on the market.
The first generation Golf appeared in 1974. which immediately achieved an excellent success, considering that, as already mentioned, Volkswagen reached the milestone of one million cars produced in 1976. That same year, the first Golf GTI and Golf D appeared. In 1979, Volkswagen launched the Golf Cabriolet, the best-selling convertible in the world. However, in 1982 the Golf GTD appeared. Until 1983, a total of 6.9 million units of the first generation Golf were sold on all continents, including all derivatives.
The second generation appeared in 1983.. A total of 6.3 million were built before 1991. This series debuted technologies such as catalytic converter, ABS and all-wheel drive. With the advent of the third generation in August 1991., the automaker has significantly improved the Golf’s safety. This was the first generation to be equipped with front airbags since 1992. Significant advances in body design have also led to significant improvements in crash protection. Golf III sold 4.8 million units through 1997. Innovations introduced in this series include the first six-cylinder engine (VR6), the first cruise control and the first side airbags. For the first time, the Golf was also available as a station wagon.
In 1997, it was the turn of the fourth generation Golf. which led to the debut of ESP. In 2002, based on the fourth generation, Volkswagen also introduced the sportiest Golf ever: the R32 with a top speed of 250 km/h. In 2003, it was the first Volkswagen to be equipped with a DSG dual-clutch transmission. The Golf IV was replaced the same year after 4.9 million units had been built.
Thus, in 2003, the Golf V was born.. For the first time, up to eight airbags were also present. In addition, the Golf V, of which 3.4 million units were produced until 2008, could count on a new four-link rear suspension, bi-xenon headlights and the first 7-speed DSG gearbox.
Volkswagen then led to The sixth generation Golf debuted in 2008. of which 3.6 million units had been produced as of July 2012. A model that has achieved 5 Euro NCAP stars and received the prestigious World Car of the Year 2009 award. In terms of safety, the Golf VI can count on technologies such as Light Assist, Park Assist, Hill Start Assist and Adaptive Chassis Control (DCC). ).
In September 2012, Volkswagen introduced the seventh Golf.. Its weight has been reduced by 100 kg compared to the previous generation, so fuel consumption has also decreased by 23%. New technologies such as Automatic Post-Collision Braking, Adaptive Cruise Control and Front Assist, including City Brake Assist, round out the model’s lineup of driver assistance systems. In 2014, Volkswagen released the e-Golf, a 100% electric version. A total of 6.3 million Golf VIIs were produced up to 2019.
In the end, The current eighth generation Golf debuted in October 2019. which can also count on Mild Hybrid and Plug-in engines. Additionally, it may have ADAS systems such as Travel Assist. In 2024, there was a restyling that brought several new features, including ChatGPT to improve the voice assistant.
Source: HD Motori
Ashley Fitzgerald is an accomplished journalist in the field of technology. She currently works as a writer at 24 news breaker. With a deep understanding of the latest technology developments, Ashley’s writing provides readers with insightful analysis and unique perspectives on the industry.