Celebrating 50 Years of Volkswagen’s Iconic Golf: A Journey Through the Past and Future of Automotive History

The German car company, Volkswagen, is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Golf on Friday. Over the past five decades, more than 37 million units of this iconic vehicle have been sold worldwide. According to Volkswagen, an average of 2,000 people choose a new Golf every day.

The Golf was introduced as a replacement for the Beetle in March 1974 and has since become one of Volkswagen’s most popular models. Today, it is still manufactured in Wolfsburg, where Volkswagen’s historic headquarters is located, as well as in other production sites across Germany and seven other countries. To commemorate this special occasion, a special exhibition will open in Wolfsburg to showcase the 50 years of the Golf’s existence.

Throughout its history, eight generations of the Golf have been introduced, with the latest being the Golf 8 presented in 2019. This model is available as a plug-in hybrid with a fully electric range of 100 kilometers. It also features voice control and an automated conversation partner based on artificial intelligence.

In recent years, the Golf has remained a top-selling Volkswagen model in Germany. In 2023, it was once again the best-selling model in Germany with over 81,000 cars sold. Additionally, nearly a fifth of all cars registered in Germany last year were Golfs according to Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA). As we celebrate this milestone anniversary for one of the most iconic cars in history it’s clear that its popularity continues to endure through time.