40 years of Volkswagen Golf: an overview
Posted on 28-03-2014 at 20:17 by maru – 47 Comments”
Tomorrow is he 40 years. With more than 30 million units in this time the dealer have left, the Golf is not only the most successful model of Volkswagen, but also the most successful European car ever.
In addition to a cool design was the Wave always the appropriate model for Volkswagen to bring their technological innovations to introduce. Think of it as ABS, ESC, XDS, 4MOTION, adaptive cruise control, City Emergency Brake, aanhangerstabilisatie, automatic braking after a collision), automatic air conditioning, Dynaudio sound system, touchscreen with proximity sensor and LED-illumination. This will undoubtedly have contributed to his popularity, but also the rugged design came in all the phases of his existence, always at the right time.
Golf I
Join us on a journey back in time. March 29, 1974 to be exact, when the very first Golf in Wolfsburg, the band was rolling. After a long reign of the Beetle, it was time that a new wind was blowing in the German automobile industry: a transversal engine mounted in the nose and front wheel drive. The Golf had a big name to pursue, but in the first generation, it became clear that this certainly would be well. The millionth copy was already in October 1976 and sold. In total there were more than 21.5 million units of the Golf I built, of which the Golf GTI (from 1976) and the cabriolet (1979) iconic appearances would be.
Golf II
After the success of the Golf I, it was finally time for a new generation in the life to call. This was larger because of a better layout, but only really became interesting when the safety was improved with the introduction of ABS in 1986, along with power steering and all-wheel drive.
Golf III
Where the Wave II a beginning made, lifted the Wave III from August 1991 safety to a new level. The body offered more protection in case of accidents, which, since 1992, was expanded with airbags in the front. ABS was standard on all Golf models in 1996. A good move, because the harder you drive, the longer the braking distance. Speed was not a problem when the six-cylinder VR6 engine found its way to the Gulf, but also the first diesel engines with direct injection should not be underestimated. Mecha with your Golf Variant (1993)!
Golf IV
The design of the Golf IV cast (under the direction of Hartmut Warkuß) in 1998, his gaze on the future, while Electronic Stability Control (ESC, standard from 1999) to ensure that there is no terrible accidents take happened. Also the first four-wheel drive Golf with a Haldex clutch-the Golf 4MOTION, was introduced. In 2002, she then finally, the first petrol engine with direct injection (FSI), among others, in the rapid R32. This jack-with a top speed of 250 km/h 2003 and was the first DSG gearbox.
Golf V
Where the first fair play revolved, was the passenger in the Golf V (2003) all a bit more comfortable. However, the torsional rigidity by 35 percent improved. Surrounded by eight airbags, the passenger is well protected, if he, for example, the world’s first twincharger (in the 2006 TSI), against a tree, parking. And fun for the leaserijders: in 2007, the Golf BlueMotion (4.5 liters per 100 kilometers) has been introduced.
Golf VI
Between 2008 and July 2012, there were a whopping 2.85 million Ripples of the sixth generation produced. The car was safer and got more TSI and TDI engines, with the BlueMotion is an absolute gem in the field of consumption: only 3.8 L/100 km or 99 g/km of CO2. With assistance systems such as Light Assist and the Park Assist was the driver made easy.
Golf VII
That brings us to the current generation Golf, number 7 in the list. On 4 september 2012 he experienced been premiered and showed, with his 100 kilos lighter body, more Golf than ever. Yet it was all more fuel efficient, especially with the electric e-Golf2 and the new Golf GTE3 plug-in hybrid this fall.
Who knows what is still more to come in the next 40 years? Hydrogen? Gravimetric fields? Antimatter? Keeps the Golf in the holes, because we’ll be in this car all.