- Volkswagen started Golf production exactly 50 years ago today
- Over 37 million Golfs have been built in the past five decades
- The Golf is Volkswagen’s best-selling vehicle of all time
The world changed exactly 50 years ago as the Volkswagen Golf went into production on March 29, 1974. While the model was intended to be a Beetle successor, few could have guessed it would become one of the most popular vehicles ever made.
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As the company noted, the Golf would eventually become the most successful Volkswagen as well as the best-selling European car of all time. More than 37 million units have been built in the past five decades and “over 2,000 people around the world have opted to buy a new Golf every single day over the last 50 years.”
20 million Golfs have been built in Wolfsburg, Germany alone. The remaining 17 million units were made in Belgium, Brazil, China, Malaysia, Mexico, Slovakia and South Africa. Volkswagen says this means the Golf is a true “world car” and it’s hard to argue with that.
While production began 50 years ago, the Golf didn’t arrive at dealerships until July of 1974. When it did, it was a radical departure as it eschewed the Beetle’s soft curves and rear-mounted engine. However, the model was an instant hit and that demand pushed Volkswagen to build one million units by October of 1976.
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Following the initial success, the Golf lineup expanded to include a diesel-powered Golf D in 1976. That same year saw the introduction of the Golf GTI, which has become an icon in its own right. A Golf Cabriolet followed in 1979, while a GTD was introduced in 1982. The variants proved popular and helped Volkswagen to sell a total of 6.9 million units by 1983.
The Golf Mk2 followed in 1983 and was a “further development” of the original. Despite this, the second-generation model introduced a handful of notable features including anti-lock brakes and an all-wheel drive system.
More: Facelifted VW Golf Debuts With Buttons, More Power And Massive PHEV Range Boost
Six more generations would follow with the latest arriving in 2019. However, the Golf was recently given a facelift as part of its 50th anniversary celebration. While it comes with a ChatGPT chatbot and features that were inconceivable fifty years ago, the car’s lineage is clear.
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