New Car Design 2012: Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

Launched originally in May 1974, the Golf has been the best-selling car in Germany and the best-selling German car abroat for over 30 years, despite increasing competition. Those involved with the Volkswagen Golf quickly come across a key question: How does a car become a bestseller? Volkswagen has always succeeded when the brand has given expression to people's dreams. The beetle dream has been followed, to date, by five generations of the bestselling Golf which has sold in its millions. It has always been an engine of progress, democratising the future of the motocar with features such as ABS, airbags, highly secure bodywork and ESP fitted as standard. Whether it is a question of the clean, thrifty turbo-diesel with a particle filter or the latest TSI petrol engines which immediately won international awards and are seen as a particularly visionary development in the automobile sector, in-house innovations by Volkswagen have always kept the Golf out in front. The fact is that the Golf epitomises Volkswagen and the image of the brand and is the most popular car in its class. So far, over 25 million have been built. Over time, the Golf has become such a part of everyday life that even the 'Golf Generation' was named after it. This generation was driven around in their drivers license in one, drove one to school, college and to the drive-in cinema with their girlfriends and later drove one on holiday. Quite simply, the Golf is right for any occasion and the Golf phenomenon continues to break boundaries.