50 years of Golf

Wolfsburg and the Golf – a perfect combination for 50 years. Mass production of the first model generation began at Volkswagen’s main plant in spring 1974. This Monday, the company celebrated the anniversary with a ceremony under the motto “50 years of Golf production”. The guests gathered in Hall 12 of the Wolfsburg plant included employees from Golf production along with the brand Board of Management led by CEO Thomas Schäfer, representatives from the Group Board of Management, the Chair of the General and Group Works Council Daniela Cavallo and other leading Works Council members, as well as numerous representatives from the world of politics. Minister President Stephan Weil paid tribute to the outstanding achievements of the Volkswagen workforce and the economic significance of the Golf for the State of Lower Saxony and Germany as an industrial powerhouse.

The race gets underway with a world premiere. Germany’s largest motorsport event has already provided its first memorable moment: on Friday, as part of the legendary Nürburgring 24 Hours, the new Golf GTI Clubsport was presented to numerous fans. The sporty, optimised version of the classic model stands out thanks to its sharper exterior design, an enhanced interior, impressive performance data and high-end sports suspension.

The countdown for Germany’s largest motorsport event has started: the legendary ADAC 24-hour race will start at the Nürburgring on 1 June, with more than 200,000 spectators expected. This time, the event will also be a stage for the most successful European car of all time: the Golf. Volkswagen is celebrating the icon’s 50th birthday at the Nürburgring. And this celebration will be quite impressive: Volkswagen is presenting the new Golf GTI Clubsport with powerful drive and high-end sports suspension to visitors as a world premiere. The second highlight is the participation of the Golf GTI Clubsport 24h in the 24-hour race. The one-off GTI with an output of 256 kW / 348 PS will be driven by motorsport stars such as Benny Leuchter (Germany) and Johan Kristoffersson (Sweden). The starting number of the GTI race car powered by alternative fuel: the number 50, of course – a birthday gift from the organiser for half a century of the Golf success story. In addition, as a tribute to the more than 37 million Golf vehicles built to date, three classic Golf GTIs will take part in the ADAC 24h Classic race.