VW Golf turns 40

To this very day, more than 30 million Golfs have been sold around the world. From day one, the Golf has reflected technological progress. The first production Golf rolled off the assembly line in Wolfsburg on March 29, 1974. It heralded a new era... transversely mounted, front engine and front-wheel drive.

As the successor to the legendary Beetle, of which over 21.5 million units were built, the Golf I designed by Giorgio Giugiaro and Volkswagen Design, had to live up to the immense expectations. It worked.

In 1976 the first Golf GTI heralded the introduction of greater dynamism in this class. The Golf Cabriolet, introduced in 1979, was at times the best-selling open topped car in the world. Successive Golfs have continued to lift the bar.

The 1983 Golf II introduced the catalytic converter, anti-lock brakes, power-steering and all-wheel drive. And, as far back as 1989, Volkswagen was already unveiling a prototype of this Golf with an electric drive system and another with a hybrid drive system.

Golf III in 1991 ushered in a new era of safety. The Golf III was the first of the series to have front airbags, while major advances in the area of construction resulted in significantly improved crash safety. Many new features made their debuts in this Golf: the first six cylinder engine (VR6), cruise control, the first direct injection diesel engines and side airbags.

Golf IV, 1997. With the debut of Electronic Stability Control in 1998 the car continued to democratise safety. The first direct-injection engine (FSI) and the debut of the standard head airbag followed in 2002 along with the R32 and a top speed of 250 km/h. It was in this model a year later that the revolutionary dual-clutch gearbox (DSG) debuted.

Golf V, 2003, boasted levels of comfort and dynamic performance that left many a competitor in its wake. It also saw the debut of the first turbocharged direct injection engine and the world's first twin charged engine, combining turbo and super charging. The Golf BlueMotion also made its debut with fuel consumption figures of 4.5 litres/100 km.

Golf VI, 2008 saw new assistance systems introduced such as Light Assist automatic main beam management, Park Assist, hill start assistant and technologies such as DCC dynamic chassis control. The current Golf, the Golf VII, made its entrance in September 2012. Weight was reduced by up to 100 kg and fuel economy improved by up to 23 per cent. Another innovation, automatic cylinder shut-off (ACT: active cylinder management) was also introduced.

Earlier this year Volkswagen electrified the compact class with the all-electric e-Golf with a range of around 190 kilometres. In addition, the new Golf GTE plug-in hybrid drive will soon be introduced with fuel consumption of 1.5 litres/100 km – 50km in all-electric mode. The future looks bright for the world's best selling car.