50 years of Golf production: Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg celebrates its bestseller

Over 20 million Golf produced at main plant to date - more than half of all models built
Ceremony in Hall 12 focuses on Golf production employees
Minister President Stephan Weil: “Since 1974, the Golf has made a significant contribution to the stability and growth of Volkswagen and industry in Lower Saxony.”

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 Golf is more than just a car: it’s a cult! I’m an absolute fan of the Golf and have myself been driving one for several years. For many people in Lower Saxony, the Golf is a piece of home and something they can identify with. Just like the VW Beetle was in the past, the Golf has been a symbol of mobility and freedom for decades. Since 1974, the Golf has made a significant contribution to the stability and growth of Volkswagen and industry in Lower Saxony”, Weil underlined. Prior to the ceremony, the Minister President was joined by Daniela Cavallo, Thomas Schäfer, Production Board Member Christian Vollmer and Group Chief Human Resources Officer Gunnar Kilian on a tour of Golf production. Plant Manager Rainer Fessel explained how manual tasks performed by employees to apply the underseal are supported by AI.

During the event, Volkswagen CEO Thomas Schäfer underscored the significance of the Golf for the Volkswagen brand. “The Golf is at the heart of the VW brand and has stood for affordable mobility at the highest technical level for half a century. It is the Germans’ favorite car, it has shaped a whole generation, created a new vehicle class and established itself as an international bestseller in over 70 countries with more than 37 million units sold. We love the Golf!” Schäfer said, and added that the Golf would transition to the electric future. “The electric era model will retain all the characteristics of a genuine Golf as regards design, innovation, high utility and quality.”

“50 years ago, the Golf stood for a fresh start and a new beginning as the Beetle era came to an end, today it is a symbol of continuity, reliability and innovation. As someone born in Wolfsburg, for me it is also a symbol of my home in Lower Saxony. Young or old, tradespeople, technical workers or professors – the Golf is a hit in all walks of life and unites society across generations. At the same time, our bestseller from Wolfsburg epitomizes what makes VW so successful: innovation, teamwork, passion and dedicated colleagues. Our VW family worldwide can be proud of this achievement,” said Daniela Cavallo, Chair of the General and Group Works Council of Volkswagen AG.

The ceremony that was accompanied by music from the Volkswagen Big Band focused on employees at the Wolfsburg plant. Nicola Benenati, for example, has worked in Golf production for 45 years and has therefore been involved in building all eight generations. And Roland Walter, who 40 years ago witnessed the production start of the second-generation Golf in the newly-built Hall 54, talked with Viktoria Schoke, forewoman-in-training in Hall 12, about how production has changed during the last five decades. More than half of the 37 million Golf sold worldwide in the last 50 years were produced at the brand headquarters: over 20 million in total.

Employees unveiled a very special Golf during the ceremony. Trainees presented a new Golf 8 they had decorated with a collage of employee images. This one-of-a-kind model now forms part of the plant’s internal fleet.

About the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg

The heart of the Volkswagen brand is located on the Mittelland Canal between Hanover and Magdeburg: the Wolfsburg plant is the headquarters of Volkswagen Passenger Cars and the world’s largest single car manufacturing complex. The plant has a workforce of some 70,000 employees. The factory halls take up a surface area of some 1.6 square kilometers. Over 48 million vehicles have been built in Wolfsburg to date – more than in any other automotive plant in the world. With a production volume of over 20 million vehicles, the Golf is the most-built model at the plant. Second place goes to the Beetle, with almost 12 million units produced in Wolfsburg between 1945 and 1975. In addition to the Golf and Golf Variant, the Touran and Tiguan are also currently built in Wolfsburg. They will be joined by the Tayron at the end of the year.

Current pictures from Golf production at the Wolfsburg plant can be found here