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European success story
© VolkswagenThe Volkswagen Golf is Europe’s most successful car, with more than 37 million vehicles sold over eight generations. To mark 50 years since the first Golf rolled off the production line in Wolfsburg, VW is giving the current car a ‘birthday update’. Ahead of its reveal, here is a potted history of the Volkswagen Golf.
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Volkswagen K70
© VolkswagenThe Golf wasn’t Volkswagen’s first front-wheel-drive car with a water-cooled engine. That honour belongs to the K70, a four-door saloon developed by NSU. It became a Volkswagen following the company’s acquisition of NSU, but sales were slow before production ended in 1975 and it made way for the Passat. A year earlier, Volkswagen had launched the Golf.
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EA266 and EA276
© VolkswagenFor various reasons, Volkswagen was preparing itself for a water-cooled future, saying goodbye to the era of air-cooled models. The Golf wasn’t a direct replacement for the Beetle – the latter would live on for many years – but VW needed something practical, cheaper to build, easier to service and more in-tune with market forces. Before the Golf (project EA337), VW toyed with the Porsche-designed EA266 prototype and the EA276, the latter being the final stage before Giorgetto Giugiaro’s masterpiece.
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Mk1 Volkswagen Golf
© VolkswagenThe first Golf rolled off the production line in Wolfsburg on 29 March 1974, with sales starting in May. That said, we’d have to wait until early 1975 for the first right-hand-drive versions, with UK sales initially restricted to the 1.1-litre engine; the 1.5-litre Golf would arrive later in the year. It was greeted with a rather muted response, with CAR magazine complaining about a ‘poor finish’ and ‘persistent rattles’. Armed with a crystal ball, the mag had ‘the feeling that VW are teetering on the verge of an outstanding car’.
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Mk1 Volkswagen Golf GTI
© Motoring ResearchAs history will recall, any early niggles were soon ironed out, with the Golf going on to become one of the most successful cars of the 1970s. Indeed, some 6.99 million units were built, including all derivatives such as the Cabriolet, Caddy and Jetta – an average of 0.87 million cars a year. It also spawned the Golf GTI, which popularised the concept of the hot hatchback and inspired countless imitators.
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Mk1 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet
© VolkswagenStrict American safety regulations meant that many people were predicting the demise of the convertible, but Volkswagen had other ideas. Indeed, the success of the Karmann-built Beetle drop-top gave it the confidence – not to mention the external knowhow – to create a soft-top version of the Golf. It arrived in 1979 after more than two years of development, with production continuing until 1993, meaning it was sold alongside the Mk2 Golf.
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Volkswagen Citi Golf
© VolkswagenNot everybody was keen to say goodbye to the Mk1 Golf. Since 1978, Volkswagen of South Africa (VWSA) had been producing its own version using 57 percent local content, so it favoured retaining the original model. The result was the Citi Golf, complete with bold colour schemes and a simple specification. It evolved over the years and developed a cult following, before production ended in 2009 after 377,484 cars had been built.
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Mk2 Volkswagen Golf
© VolkswagenThe Mk2 Golf was 27mm longer, 55mm wider and 5mm taller than the outgoing model, with its new, more aerodynamic shape reducing drag by around 17 percent. There was more space for families, along with a number of class firsts, including a catalytic converter, ABS and power steering. VW also made it easier (and therefore cheaper) to build, improved the rustproofing and, once again, set the standards for other manufacturers to follow.
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Mk2 Volkswagen Golf GTI
© VolkswagenThe Mk2 was another success story, with a total of 6.3 million cars built before production ended in 1991, making it one of the most popular family cars of the 1980s. It also spawned one of the must-have hot hatches of the decade, even if some rivals – particularly the Peugeot 205 GTI – had arguably shown the Golf GTI a clean pair of heels. The Mk2 Golf GTI was previewed in 1983, with a 1.8-litre engine carried over from the Mk1. Weighed down by a heavier body, it’s fair to say it lost a little of its magic and sparkle, but it remained a brilliant hot hatch.
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Mk2 Volkswagen Golf GTI 16v
© VolkswagenThe fizz was restored with the arrival of the Golf GTI 16v. VW had earlier ruled out the prospect of turbocharging the Golf, with an engineer saying: “If we were ever to use forced induction, it would be with mechanical supercharging, not turbocharging.” The 16v went on sale in Europe in 1985, arriving here in 1986, with Autocar labelling the engine ‘lusty’, before saying the car would ‘take some beating’. Motor agreed, saying: ‘It is capable, seamless, mature: strong on all-round ability and long-term desirability. All told, it’s still the best.’
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Mk2 Volkswagen Golf Country
© VolkswagenFor the first time, the Golf could be ordered with a four-wheel-system, with the Golf Syncro debuting at the 1985 Frankfurt Motor Show. Five years later, Volkswagen launched the Golf Country and invested millions of deutschmarks in a new production facility at Steyr-Daimler-Puch in Austria. Highlights included a 18cm increase in ride height, sump guard, bull bars, a boot-mounted spare wheel, ‘Country’ decals, alloys and special seats. Just 7,735 were built before VW pulled the plug.
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Mk2 Volkswagen Golf GTI G60 and G60 Limited
© VolkswagenTrue to its word, VW shunned turbocharging in favour of supercharging. First came the supercharged versions of the Polo, followed by the Passat and Corrado. The big-bumpered Golf GTI G60 arrived in 1990, with a G-Lader supercharger boosting power to 160hp. Later, VW launched the four-wheel-drive G60 Limited, complete with tweaked engine, electronic differential lock and understated styling. Just 71 were built, all left-hand drive.
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Mk2 Volkswagen Golf Rallye
© VolkswagenNot every go-faster version of the Golf was a success. Built for Group A homologation purposes, the Golf Rallye was a wide-arched blend of the Golf G60 and Golf Syncro, with a 1.8-litre supercharged engine mated to a permanent four-wheel-drive system. The weight of the 4WD setup made the Rallye 230kg heavier than a standard Golf GTI, so it was barely quicker than its cheaper and better looking sibling. On the plus side, these things are brilliant in all weathers.
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Mk3 Volkswagen Golf
© VolkswagenThe launch of the third-generation Golf heralded a new era of safety for what had become Europe’s favourite family car. Optional front airbags arrived in 1992, with ABS brakes becoming a standard feature in 1996. Volkswagen said the Mk3 was 30 percent more rigid than the Mk2, with fewer parts making it simpler and cheaper to build. Unfortunately, the improved crash protection meant that the weight increased (again), robbing the Golf of its previously excellent handling.
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Mk3 Volkswagen Golf VR6
© VolkswagenIf the four-cylinder Mk3 Golfs were underwhelming, there were no such issues with the six-cylinder Golf VR6. First seen in the Passat, the 2.8-litre VR6 engine took the Golf out of the hot hatch race and into battle with the BMW 325i, a car it undercut by around £4,000. In tests, Autocar & Motor found that it could hit 60mph in 7.1 seconds, before maxing out at 138mph. The magazine said: ‘The Golf VR6 is faster, more economical, more fun to drive… more refined in several key ways… [and] the first of a new breed.’
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Mk3 Volkswagen Golf GTI
© VolkswagenWhich is good, because the Mk3 Golf GTI was a disappointment. In a group test with the Fiat Tipo 16v, Nissan Sunny GTi and Ford Escort XR3i, CAR magazine found that the Golf GTI was the slowest to 60mph and, despite labelling it ‘sweet, poised, a paragon of quality’, said it had fallen too far behind its rivals in terms of performance. The arrival of the 16-valve version helped, but the Mk3 Golf GTI won’t be remembered for delivering the excitement of the earlier versions.
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Mk3 Volkswagen Golf Estate
© VolkswagenIn other ways, the Mk3 Golf was a thoroughly good family car. It was the first Golf to be available with cruise control, a catalytic converter for diesel engines, direct injection diesels and side airbags. It was also the first Golf to be offered as an estate, with VW adding an additional 32cm behind the rear wheels. The estate actually outlasted the hatchback by two years, with production moving to Karmann when the Mk3 Golf made way for the Mk4.
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Mk3 Volkswagen Golf Cabriolet
© VolkswagenHaving skipped a generation, the Mk3 Golf also spawned an all-new Cabriolet version. It arrived at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show, with Karmann retaining the use of a rollover bar to meet strict US safety legislation. Once again, the cars were built in Osnabrück, and, from 1996, in Mexico, where drop-tops were produced for the US market. Top-spec Cabriolets came with an electric roof, cruise control and heated seats. The car was facelifted in 1998, with styling inspired by the Mk4 Golf.
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Mk3 Volkswagen Golf Ecomatic
© VolkswagenProduction of the Mk3 ended in 1997. By that time, a total of 4.83 million cars had been built, which equates to 0.81 million a year. Launched in 1993, the Golf Ecomatic contributed little to that tally, but it showcased a stop-start system long before the tech became commonplace. Its 1.9-litre diesel engine would shut down in traffic or when travelling downhill, with Volkswagen claiming it could deliver 57.6mpg combined while reducing CO2 emissions by 22 percent.
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Mk4 Volkswagen Golf
© VolkswagenThe launch of the Mk4 Golf was significant in many ways, not least because it ushered in a new platform-sharing strategy for the family hatchback. The A4 platform debuted on the Audi A3, but was also used by the Golf, Skoda Octavia, Seat Leon and Toledo, Audi TT and Volkswagen Bora and Beetle. For VW’s chairman, Ferdinand Piëch, the Mk4 needed to forge a reputation as the best in its class, which is why perceived quality went up a notch or two. It’s just a shame that the Ford Focus showed VW how a family hatch should feel from behind the wheel.
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Mk4 Volkswagen Golf GTI
© VolkswagenThe Mk4 Golf wasn’t necessarily better than the opposition, but by focusing on the ‘touchy-feely’ aspects of a car, VW ensured it felt a class above the mainstream. The late Ferdinand Piëch deserves enormous credit for that. Unfortunately, the Mk4 Golf GTI was even more lacklustre than the Mk3, although the 25th Anniversary edition put right some of the wrongs. The V5 and V6 variants were also good.
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Mk4 Volkswagen Golf R32
© VolkswagenThe Mk4 also spawned the Golf R32, which was, at the time, the most powerful Golf to date. Making its debut at the 2001 Essen Motor Show, ahead of its official launch at the 2002 Madrid Motor Show, the R32 featured suitably aggressive styling, a 3.2-litre V6 engine producing 240hp, 4Motion four-wheel drive and twin exhausts. It could hit 60mph in 6.6 seconds, before maxing out at 153mph.
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Mk5 Volkswagen Golf
© VolkswagenIn many ways, the Mk5 was a return to form for the Golf. New four-link rear suspension and electro-mechanical power steering made even the standard models better to drive, while the laser-welded bodywork delivered a 35 percent increase in torsional rigidity. Stung by the brilliance of the Focus, VW had to raise its game, which is why the Mk5 was such a revelation. Some 3.4 million Mk5s were built at a rate of 0.68 million cars a year.
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Mk5 Volkswagen Golf GTI
© VolkswagenVW knew it had dropped the (Golf) ball with the Mk3 and Mk4 GTIs, so it left nothing to chance with the Mk5. Launched in prototype form at the 2003 Frankfurt Motor Show, the production version arrived at the end of 2004, with power sourced from a 197hp 2.0-litre turbocharged engine mated to a slick six-speed gearbox (a DSG automatic was also available). Crucially, VW remembered that the GTI had to look good, inside and out, so the Mk5 showcased several subtle nods to the Mk1.
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Mk5 Volkswagen Golf R32
© VolkswagenIf the Mk4 R32 was good, the Mk5 version was even better. It helped that it was sitting on a superior chassis, but VW also added an extra 10hp to the mix, with torque delivered further down the rev range. Yes, the Haldex four-wheel-drive system made it heavier than the regular GTI, but it could hit 62mph half a second faster and its performance was available in all weathers.
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Mk6 Volkswagen Golf
© VolkswagenThe Mk6 Golf takes us out of the realms of Retro Motor, so you’ll forgive us if we take a whistle-stop tour of what’s happened since its arrival in 2008. Volkswagen said that 60 percent of the components were new, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it was little more than a light revamp. That said, only the roof was carried over from the Mk5, while the dashboard was raised up and coated in softer plastics. The Golf Plus and estate versions were just facelifted Mk5 models, but the Golf Cabriolet was all-new. We also saw the arrival of a new Golf R.
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Mk7 Volkswagen Golf
© VolkswagenThe Mk7 could be peak Golf. Launched at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, the new Golf was 100kg lighter than its predecessor, more aerodynamic and available with a choice of rear suspension: multi-link or torsion beam. A proper handbrake was ditched in favour of an electric button, while a range of efficient engines delivered impressive fuel economy. The R range continued and included the first Golf Cabriolet variant, while the GTI remained the best all-rounder in the hot hatch field.
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Mk7 Volkswagen e-Golf and GTE
© VolkswagenMoving with the times, the Mk7 spawned the GTE plug-in hybrid and the all-electric e-Golf. Fully charged, the GTE could deliver up to 31 miles of range while achieving an official 166.2mpg. Early versions of the e-Golf offered a modest 124 miles of range, but an enhanced battery pack saw this increase to 186 miles. Today, the e-Golf has been axed in favour of VW’s range of ID electric vehicles.
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Mk7.5 Volkswagen Golf
© VolkswagenWe’re leaving this here as a bookmark, because we think the facelifted Mk7 Golf – also known as the Mk7.5 – will be remembered as the last great model before VW became obsessed with digital screens and haptic feedback. Subjectively, it’s been all downhill from here.
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Mk8 Volkswagen Golf
© VolkswagenVolkswagen calls the interior of the Mk8 Golf a ‘digitalised dashboard’, with the view dominated by a 10-inch central screen and digital driver display. It looks good, but is far less intuitive to use than the physical buttons of old. That said, the Golf still feels like the benchmark in the family hatchback class.
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Mk8.5 Volkswagen Golf
© VolkswagenThe new Mk8.5 Golf, which is now here in the UK, showcases new front end styling, 3D light graphics on the rear light clusters and, for the first time, an illuminated VW badge on the front. A new digital voice assistance incorporates ChatGPT technology, as previewed at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It’s a whole new (Golf) ball game.
50 years of the Volkswagen Golf
To celebrate five decades of the Volkswagen Golf, here’s a brief rundown of the story so far.
Home 50 years of the Volkswagen Golf
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