It's hard to believe that the VW Golf has been on the roads for 50 years, a testament to how well the little car has been successfully face-lifted and remodelled through the years. The first series-production Golf rolled off the production line in Wolfsburg in March 1974 and was available at dealerships from May in the same year. Fifty years, and more than 35 million vehicles later, and the VW Golf is still going strong.
Naturally, when you think of the VW Golf, one particular model springs to mind. Whilst the VR6 and latterly "R" models may be quicker, it's the GTI that stands out as the poster-child Golf.
There were no plans to create a sporty version of the Golf, however a number of staff members at Volkswagen created and maintained the project for over a year, until in 1975 the "Sport Golf" was given the green light. They just needed a name. The name chosen was "Grand Touring Injection", or more simply, "GTI". An icon was born.
There was just one last little touch that was needed before the vehicle went on sale in 1976, and that was to replace the gear knob with a golf ball. Simple, but effective.
