2024 IS THE YEAR OF THE GOLF AS THE 8-GENERATION-STRONG HOT HATCH TURNS 50.
The beating heart of the Volkswagen brand, the iconic Golf, powers into its golden jubilee in 2024 marking an impressive 50 years of hatchback awesomeness. It makes sense that the car is so revered thanks to over 37 million vehicles sold across eight generations, the Golf isn't just a bestseller—it's a boss on the road, leaving an indelible mark on global motoring. As the world gears up for this milestone celebration, Volkswagen isn't just reminiscing; they're unleashing the beast with the world premiere of the newest Golf incarnation at the end of January. Back in 1974, Volkswagen dropped a bombshell on the automotive scene with the first Golf, a great replacement for the equally iconic Beetle. Front-wheel drive, a game-changing overall concept with a spacious boot and a design crafted by the legendary Giorgetto Giugiaro marked the birth of a new era. Today, the Golf stands tall as the most successful European car, the best-selling Volkswagen ever, and a true icon in the automotive realm. Across eight generations the Golf has been a head-turner, blending versatility, functionality, reliability, and quality. From the powerful Golf GTI to the wind-in-your-hair Golf Cabriolet and the practical Golf Variant, each model has expanded its portfolio, delivering cutting-edge technologies, safety concepts, and convenience features to the compact class. The Golf has been a trailblazer, democratizing technologies such as the monitored catalytic converter, anti-lock braking system, airbags, cruise control, and even the powerful hybrid drives that make other cars green with envy.
In 2024, Volkswagen is dropping the mic with an evolution of the 8th-generation Golf that features visually refined features, new assist systems, powertrains that pack a punch, and next-gen infotainment systems that will redefine the game. The new Golf is poised to dominate the scene, with its world premiere just around the corner and pre-sales set to kick off in spring 2024. Celebrating the Golf's rich history, Volkswagen Classic is pulling out all the stops, showcasing historic Golf models from the Volkswagen collection throughout the anniversary year. From January 31 to February 4, 2024, Volkswagen fanatics will witness the various Golf generations, from the original Mk1 through to the Mk8 while owning the spotlight at the Salon Rétromobile show that’s held in Paris. Shortly after that, from February 2 to 4, 2024, fanatics catch a glimpse of the Golf I and the unique EA 276 concept car at the Bremen Classic Motorshow. The EA 276 is the predecessor of the Mk1 Golf, and as you can see it has some boxy lines and dimensions, which carried through to the Mk1 Golf in a slimmed-down and trimmed body. The EA 276 didn’t have the inline 4-cylinder that served as the base for the Mk1 Golf and that was used for many years, pretty much right up until 2009 here in SA, albeit an evolution of the powerplant. Powering the EA 276 was a 1.5 litre 4-cylinder in a boxer layout derived from the Beetle, and it pumped out a massive 33 kW of power that took the boxy car to a top speed of a monstrous 130 km/h. Not many know about this car, many hardened VW fans haven’t even heard about it. We’re sure some fanatics would bite someone in the face to own one. Imagine pulling up at VW Trefen with one.
Take a look at the YouTube video that Car Throttle put together a few years back when the Mk8 Volkswagen Golf was released. To show the car's pedigree, Alex Kersten and the Car Throttle crew (back before Alex went solo) delve into the history of the iconic hot hatch and how successful its been and how successful it continues to be: The Evolution Of The Volkswagen Golf | Car Throttle
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