The very heart of the Volkswagen brand, the Golf hatchback is turning 50 years old this year.
To celebrate, not only will the Wolfburg based manufacturer be showing off all eight generations at various events in Europe, including the “Salon Rétromobile” show in Paris and the Bremen Classic Motorshow, but it will also be launching a facelifted version of the current Golf 8.
This so-called Golf “8.5” will reportedly gain a more user-friendly cabin, while the GTI version is also rumoured to have more power and an improved chassis - read more on that here.
“In the anniversary year 2024, Volkswagen will present the evolutionary development of the eighth Golf generation. It will impress with visually refined features, new assist systems and powertrains, and also next-generation infotainment systems and software,” Volkswagen said.
“The world premiere of the new Golf1 is just a few weeks away, with pre-sales scheduled for spring 2024.”
Volkswagen boss Thomas Schafer has already indicated that the current Golf will be the last internal combustion engined model, but the nameplate looks set to live on as a future electric model, likely adopting the ID.Golf name.
ALSO READ: Fully electric Volkswagen Golf GTI confirmed for 2026
The Golf is Volkswagen’s best-selling car of all time, with 37 million units having found homes around the globe.
The Golf 1 was first presented to the world in 1974 as a revolutionary replacement for the rear-engined Beetle.
Featuring a space-efficient front-wheel drive architecture, hatchback boot, folding seats and a somewhat endearing design by Giorgetto Giugiaro, it became an instant hit, and by 1976 Volkswagen had already sold the first million units.
South Africans had to wait until 1978 to meet the first-generation Golf, but it stuck around until 2009 as the Citi Golf.
The Citi, with its bright red, yellow and blue colours, was introduced in 1984 to keep VWSA’s presence alive in the entry market as the second-generation Golf took a step upmarket.
The Citi, gaining various improvements along the way including a new dashboard from the Skoda Fabia, outlived the Golf 3 and Golf 4 models on the Kariega (Uitenhage) assembly line in the Eastern Cape and was the last Golf model to be produced locally as generations five to eight were fully imported.
“No matter which generation – the secret of success was and still is the sum of all its characteristics. This is because the Golf has always been a perfect companion for everyday life, embodying versatility, functionality, reliability and quality,” Volkswagen said.
“With each new model generation, state-of-the-art technologies, safety concepts and convenience features have been incorporated into the compact class. The Volkswagen Golf has thus democratised not just technologies such as the monitored catalytic converter and anti-lock braking system, but also airbags, cruise control and electronic assist systems.”