Volkswagen celebrates Golf's 50th birthday

The Volkswagen Golf turns 50 years old today, the Mk1 having entered production on 29 March 1974.

Since then, the company has made more than 37 million examples of the Golf, which means it's the third best-selling car of all time.

It has existed in a multitude of different forms, ranging from the original hatchback to a drop-top and the Jetta saloon variant.

The first-generation Golf, designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, landed in the UK in October 1974. It was met with critical acclaim, with Autocar’s January 1975 road test stating that “there is no comparison between the Golf and the Beetle”.

We went on: “The Golf is quicker, roomier, more stable, better-handling and more economical.” It wasn’t perfect, though. Testers noted that it had a questionable driving position, poor brake feel under high loads and a harsh ride.

Nonetheless, our summary was positive: “The Golf is certainly a very strong contender in its class: it would be more so at a more modest price, but even so Volkswagen (GB) are clearly right in anticipating that it will increase their market share in 1975 and become their biggest seller.”

And so it proved, as it took only two and a half years for VW to produce its millionth Golf, hitting the milestone in October 1976.

That same year, the now-revered GTI joined the line-up. Its 1.6-litre powerplant swapped carburation for mechanical fuel injection, bumping power to 108bhp. Chassis changes included the fitment of stiff anti-roll bars, Bilstein dampers and a 20mm drop in ride height. Wheel-arch extensions, a red stripe around the grille and – initially, at least – a choice of either red or metallic silver paint completed the package.