Golf

The launch of the Golf, such an important car the for Volkswagen, took place in Munich in 1974 and was greeted with widespread approval from the market. The CEOs who followed President Rudolf Leidling, the one who approved the project, were able to build on the success of the Golf over the years with a vast range of engines and trim levels, winning over millions of users worldwide.

The car that emerged from the Golf project was the complete opposite - maybe deliberately so - of Ferdinand Porsche's Beetle: it had a front engine, front-wheel drive configuration rather than the "everything at the rear" design of the 1927 car, while the engine itself had four in-line cylinders and liquid cooling rather than four air-cooled opposed cylinders; the technical cornerstones of the marque were therefore set aside once and forever.

It was a very compact fastback sedan with squared-off formal elements. Inside, there was ample space for the driver and front passenger. Giorgetto Giugiaro sketched out a fastback body, but one with the vertical alignment emphasized. Important features were low weight, good handling, a tailgate that wrapped around at the sides, and a rear window slightly recessed within the side posts. The rear overhang was kept short and the complete rear end with its reinforcements was vertically oriented, so that the car had a sporty, dynamic look.

The angular styling of the Golf created something of a stir, leaving old-school designers open-mouthed, but it did manage to establish a reputation as a lively, innovative car that caught everyone's imagination and pointed the way to a new direction in the design of small hatchback cars. The Golf project was one of the most important in Giugiaro’s career.

The first generation Golf, the only one designed by Giugiaro, went out of production in 1983 with a total of 6.99 million cars having been produced. The following generations of the Golf have today sold over 21 million units. This was performance that had never been matched in the automotive world and it continues today with the seventh generation.