Volkswagen Golf - the most successful European car of all time

Video : Volkswagen Golf - the most successful car of all time.

Volkswagen Group recreates the legend.

In the late 1960s, Volkswagen was looking for a successor to its most successful Beetle, with high expectations that the new car would be dynamic, yet comfortable and safe; spacious yet compact. Engineers and designers from Volkswagen, Porsche and Audi got to work.

And more than 50 years ago, Volkswagen officially started series production of the Golf at its Wolfsburg, Germany plant. No one could have predicted that this compact car – the successor to the legendary Beetle – would become the most successful Volkswagen and the best-selling car in Europe of all time. The Golf reflected the spirit of the times and accompanied people all over the world .

Golf I and the EA 276 concept car, the predecessor of the Golf from 1969.

To date, more than 37 million cars have rolled off the production line since 1974. In mathematical terms, that means that every day, more than 2,000 people around the world have chosen to buy a new Golf over the past 50 years.

The Success Principle of Golf Legend

The new Golfs first hit dealerships in July 1974. While the rear-engined Beetle had dominated the market for decades, a new era had finally begun: with a front-engined design and a radically different layout thanks to a large tailgate and foldable rear seat backrests.

8 generations of Golf – 50 years of success and more than 37 million units produced.

The image of Volkswagen in the minds of customers changed – from the rounded Beetle to the angular Golf. The straight-line design created by Giorgetto Giugiaro helped Volkswagen to establish a new style principle, which was strongly inherited in the following models. In 1974, Volkswagen wrote about the new car with its large tailgate: “The Golf offers maximum space and safety. It is oriented towards practicality. The low beltline gives the driver a great all-round view and the sloping bonnet ensures that the road ahead is more visible. The rear window extends downwards, making reversing much easier.” And all this is still relevant today for every generation of Golf ever built.

The Golf quickly became a true “Volkswagen” icon with over 37 million units delivered to over 70 countries to date. This makes the compact car the most successful European car, the best-selling Volkswagen of all time.

Volkswagen Golf I design sketch. Giorgetto Giugiaro - the master of straight lines shaped the golden ratio from the very beginning.

The special thing that lies within the golden ratio of the design structure is the performance of the operating mechanism – hidden but which has created technical milestones for history. The concept of fuel economy was popularized by the „Formula E“, the four-valve engine that appeared in the second generation Golf, which provided the fastest car.

Not only the car itself, but also the fan community is what makes the Golf different and successful. This is the symbol that has created the largest fan base among VW cars. This diverse community is countless, including generations of families from classic car lovers who always see the Golf as a work of art to modern young families, dynamic young generations with a passion for speed or even famous racers.

The Golf on display for fans at the Nürburgring race, where the Golf GTI Clubsport 24h won the AT3 class.

Regardless of generation – the secret to success is the sum of all the features. This is because the Golf has always been the perfect companion for everyday life, embodying versatility, functionality, reliability and high quality. Over the decades, the product portfolio has expanded to include additional variants: Golf GTI, Golf Cabriolet or Golf Variant, among others. With each new model generation, Volkswagen has pioneered innovative technologies, safety standards and equipment features in the Golf segment. The Golf has thus “democratized” not only driver assistance technologies and anti-lock braking systems, but also airbags, cruise control and electronic assistance systems, as well as mild hybrid (MHEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrains.

The first Golf of the latest 8th generation started rolling off the assembly line at the Wolfsburg plant in April 2024.

Thomas Schäfer, CEO of Volkswagen, stressed the importance of the Golf to the Volkswagen brand. “The Golf is at the heart of the VW brand and has been the defining figure for half a century of the ‘affordable car at the highest technical level’. It is a car that Germans love, it has defined a generation, created a new car class and established itself as an international bestseller in more than 70 countries with more than 37 million units sold. We love the Golf!”

Source: https://khoahocdoisong.vn/volkswagen-golf-xe-chau-au-thanh-cong-nhat-moi-thoi-dai-post1554185.html