Golf turns 45 - on 29th March 1974, Volkswagen started making Europe's most successful car
Golf turns 45 - on 29th March 1974, Volkswagen started making Europe's most successful car
Back then, nobody at Volkswagen had any idea that the successor to the legendary Beetle would end up selling more than 35 million units all over the world – and still selling to this day.
Ralf Brandstätter, Chief Operating Officer of Volkswagen: “The Golf is at the very heart of our brand. It stands for progress and technology like no other car. For example, the Golf made safety technology affordable for millions of people for the first time. Thanks to this, it made its mark on an entire generation.” Brandstätter went on to emphasise: “For seven generations, the Golf has made a contribution to the development of Volkswagen as a brand and as a group – into one of the most important automotive producers in the world.”
As one of the compact models on the global market that
Important data on the debut of the Golf I:
29 March 1974: First Golf rolls off the assembly line – Start of series production
8 July 1974: Golf is available in showrooms of Volkswagen dealerships
5 August 1974: Delivery of the new Golf to customers begins
The 1974 Golf I
Design: 2-door and 4-door vehicles with
Interior: Five-seater, 300-litre luggage compartment, foldable rear bench seat
Engines: 1.1-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, 37 kW / 50 PS
1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, 51 kW / 70 PS
Drive: Front-wheel drive, four-speed manual gearbox, three-speed automatic available as an option
Maximum speed: 140 km/h (50 PS, manual gearbox)
160 km/h (70 PS, manual gearbox)
Models: Golf and Golf L (both 50 PS) Golf S and Golf LS (both 70 PS)