In 1974, Volkswagen was in trouble. Its biggest seller was the Beetle, a car which could trace its roots back to the 1930s.
VW desperately needed to find a replacement for the antediluvian People's Car or risk financial ruin. So VW's engineers set about creating the Golf.
In every way, the Golf was thoroughly modern. VW decided to put the water-cooled engine in the front and a hatchback on the rear. Unlike the Beetle, the Golf was a car which had a realistic chance of beating the competition, and over the next thirty years it would become the second-biggest selling car ever made.
VW is now one of the biggest car manufacturers in the world, owning Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, Ducati and Audi. And it's all because of the Golf.
Indeed, if it hadn't have been for the Golf, we might never have had the Bugatti Veyron, the Lamborghini Gallardo or the Bentley Continental GT.
So, to celebrate what is arguably one of the most important cars ever made, we're taking a look back at the development of the legendary VW Golf.
Mk1 (1974-1983)
The original Golf was revealed in May 1974. It immediately created a sensation and by October 1976, a million Golfs had rolled off the production line.
Mk2 (1983-1992)
The Golf grew in 1983 with the introduction of the Mk2. The new car was longer and wider than its predecessor and featured a range of new Audi engines. Golf connoisseurs rate the Mk2 Golf GTi 16v as the greatest Golf ever made.
Mk3 (1992-1997)
The Mk3 was a radical departure from the Mk2. It grew again in comparison to its predecessor, and some critics pointed out that the Mk3's extra weight blunted the car's performance and dulled its handling. However, the public loved it and the Mk3 still went on to win the 1992 European Car of the Year award.
Mk4 (1997-2003)
Although it looks similar to its predecessor, the Mk4 was the car which pushed the Golf upmarket -- it looked great, and the interior in particular looked like it came from a much larger and more expensive car. However, the charm of the original Golf had largely been lost, and when the Ford Focus came along in 1998, it was clear that VW needed to up its game.
Mk5 (2003-2009)
With the Mk5, the VW Golf once again became one of the best handling cars in its class. However, VW couldn't seem to be able to nail both handling and quality, and the Mk5 was criticised for problems with its build quality. The Mk5 GTi, on the other hand, was the best GTi since the Mk2 and re-established the VW name in the hot hatch market.
Mk6 (2009-2012)
A vast improvement over the Mk5, the Golf 6 featured vastly improved build quality and subtle exterior restyling. The shortest-lived of all the Golfs, it will bow out after just three years to make way for the Mk7.
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