Changing the venerable Beetle was a frightening activity for Volkswagen. The model experimented with dozens of prototypes, many alternative drivetrain layouts, and quite a few approaches to design starting from evolutionary to revolutionary. The tip end result was the primary Golf, which entered manufacturing in Wolfsburg, Germany, on March 29, 1974. In hindsight, the little hatchback was precisely the fitting automotive on the proper time.
The shift from the Beetle to the Golf was seismic; the Golf’s four-cylinder engine was transversally mounted up entrance and water-cooled. It was light-years forward of its predecessor by way of ergonomics because of a comparatively spacious inside, a usable trunk and a hatch, and its boxy, Giugiaro-penned silhouette introduced it in step with the design traits of the Seventies. And but, the Golf did not squash the Beetle: the Beetle lived on in some European markets into the Nineteen Eighties, and it remained in steady manufacturing with minor modifications in Puebla, Mexico, till 2003.
Volkswagen did not set the template for the town automotive as we all know it in the present day. Lesser-known fashions, such because the Autobianchi Primula (1964) and the Simca 1100 (1967), provided a transversally-mounted engine and a sensible hatch earlier than executives gave the Golf the proverbial inexperienced mild for manufacturing. The model deserves credit score for enhancing and popularizing the idea, nonetheless. Equally, Volkswagen did not invent the new hatch: Autobianchi’s A112 Abarth ticked each the “sizzling” and the “hatch” bins when it got here out in 1971, about two years after the common A112. With that mentioned, the unique Golf GTI helped democratize the concept that a humble economic system automotive may additionally go like hell round a monitor.
Golf deliveries started in July 1974, and Volkswagen rapidly expanded the vary. Past the aforementioned GTI, which made its debut in 1976, the lineup grew to incorporate a diesel-powered mannequin launched that very same 12 months, a two-door convertible launched in 1979, and the sporty GTD variant launched in 1982. Motorists rapidly took discover; Volkswagen constructed the 1 millionth first-generation Golf in October 1976. Whereas the hatchback physique model bought extraordinarily nicely in most European markets, the Golf additionally spawned the Jetta for individuals who most well-liked a sedan.
America acquired the Golf with out getting the Golf. Gross sales in the USA began for the 1975 mannequin 12 months, however Volkswagen gave the Beetle’s successor the Rabbit nameplate. At launch, patrons may select a two-door hatchback or a four-door hatchback. Energy initially got here from a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 70 horsepower and 81 pound-feet of torque, although the 1976 mannequin 12 months introduced a 1.6-liter 4. The 1975 Rabbit carried a base worth of $3,330, in comparison with $2,999 for a base Beetle (these figures characterize round $19,300 and $17,300, respectively, in 2024). Rabbit manufacturing in Westmoreland, Pennsylvania, started in 1978, and it was became a small pickup known as Caddy.
The second-generation Golf took the torch in 1983. It stood out from its predecessor with a comprehensively up to date design, however it remained immediately recognizable as a Golf. Volkswagen bought an excellent broader vary of fashions this time round: it notably provided four-wheel-drive (known as Syncro) for the primary time in 1986, launched a homologation particular known as Rallye in 1989, and collaborated with Steyr-Daimler-Puch to create the off-road-ready Nation in 1990. The second-generation Golf hogged the highlight, each in Volkswagen showrooms and on the new-car market, however its predecessor wasn’t able to name it a day but. It stayed in manufacturing because the Citi Golf in South Africa till 2009.
Quick-forward to 2024, and the Golf is nicely into its eighth era. Volkswagen has constructed roughly 37 million models of the Golf since March 29, 1974, and its historic Wolfsburg plant has produced about 20 million of these. The mannequin has been certainly one of Europe’s best-sellers for many years.
Just like the Beetle, the Golf step by step transcended its standing as a type of transportation and earned a spot in common tradition. In Europe, practically everybody has a Golf-related story. I can let you know a few of mine: One in all my earliest recollections is my aunt choosing up my household from a practice station in her light-blue second-generation diesel mannequin. I used to be 3 years outdated. About 30 years later, and after over a decade of dabbling in air-cooled Volkswagens, I grew to become a Golf proprietor for the primary time after I bought a non-running 1990 CL two-door mannequin as a mission automotive.
Pleased birthday, Golf!