Successful automobiles around the world reach and pass milestones every now and then, but this is one pretty big landmark. Volkswagen recently celebrated the roll out of the 30 millionth Golf from its Wolfsburg facility in Germany. Since its debut in 1974, the Golf has had a mighty successful run around the world and more so in Europe, enabling the German car-maker to reach this milestone in just 39 years. To help us get a better perspective of this landmark, Volkswagen says that, statistically speaking, an average of over 2000 people have purchased a new Golf every day for the past 39 years. Do you want us to say anything more?
That this huge milestone came in the same year in which the Golf has been awarded the coveted "World Car of the Year" title would make it even sweeter for Volkswagen.
When the Golf was initially launched, it was a big moment for Volkswagen as this model was an indirect successor to the ultra-successful Beetle. Klaus Bischoff, Head of Design for the Volkswagen brand says, "It all began in 1974 with a revolution. The step from the Beetle to the Golf was revolutionary. A new vehicle layout was created with the conversion from an air-cooled rear engine to a water-cooled front engine and from rear-wheel drive to front-wheel drive. In terms of the car's styling, Volkswagen designers switched from round shapes to a rectangular design structure - based on the legendary design study by Giorgio Giugiaro."
Since then, the Golf has become a benchmark for the industry and for Volkswagen itself, as all competing cars and every other car that Volkswagen produced was pitted against it. Since its debut in 1974, the Golf has gone through seven full generation changes with each successive model raising the bar for the segment and placing the Golf firmly on top. For us though, the best part of Volkswagen Golf was its evolving design and styling that just kept improving over the last 39 years without ever taking a radical departure from the first generation model. The 30 millionth Golf was a TDI BlueMotion variant which, incidentally, happens to be the most fuel-efficient Golf ever built.
Speaking on this landmark, Prof. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG said, "The history of the Golf is also the history of automotive progress. With technologies such as the safe front-wheel drive of the first Golf, the debut of the TDI in the third Golf, ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and the dual clutch gearbox of the fourth Golf and the standard Automatic Post-Collision Braking System of the new generation, this car has continued to democratise progress. An optimum of safety, comfort and driving fun are no longer a question of money thanks to the Golf. And so our bestseller lives up to the Volkswagen name."
While all this is good to read and know, its a pity that we wouldn't be able to drive such a brilliant car on Indian roads anytime soon.
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