Since its beginnings in 1937, Volkswagen had built its name with the air-cooled Beetle and the VW Bus. By 1974 this exclusiveness ended with the release of their first water-cooled engine vehicle, the VW Golf. Seeking international appeal for their new vehicle, the Golf was marketed as the “Rabbit” in the United States and Canada and was called the “Caribe” in Mexico. The Golf’s popularity has since made it Volkswagen’s top selling vehicle model and the third greatest worldwide.
The Golf was designed as a front-wheel drive, three-door hatchback although a five-door model, the Varient, was also produced. other incarnations of the Golf include the convertible Golf, called Cabriolet and Cabrio, and the sedan model known variously as Jetta, Vento, and Bora. It is believed that the Golf GTI design was the origination of the informal automotive industry’s term “hot hatch” for the high-performance hatchback style. The VW Golf also came in a diesel engine style and the Volkswagen Caddy, which was a pickup style based on the Golf.
The Mk2 model of the Golf was released in 1984. This variation had a slightly larger wheelbase and greater interior and exterior dimensions that the original Mk1. It also came with four-wheel drive as the Golf Country. The Golf made another leap in 1991 with the release of the Mk3. It was slightly larger than the Mk2 but with the same wheelbase. Notable variations available in the Golf Mk3 were the first Turbocharged Direct Injection diesel engine and a 2.8 L. VR6 six-cylinder engines. The Mk3 won European Car of the year in 1992.
Since the 1990’s there have been 3 more versions of the Golf as well as the beginning production of an electric version of the VW Golf called the “CityStromer.”
