Background and Identifications
The Volkswagen (VW) Golf is a series of compact cars manufactured by Volkswagen, a German automaker. The VW Golf has been manufactured since 1974 and sold internationally across eight generations. The Golf includes various body configurations and various names. For example, some generations of the Golf were known as VW Rabbits in the United States and Canada, and as the VW Caribe in Mexico.
The first VW Golf (MK1, or first-generation) was a front-wheel drive, front-engined replacement for the VW Beetle, one of Volkswagen’s most iconic automobiles. The Golf is Volkswagen’s top-selling automobile model and is one of the world’s top three best-selling car models. As of June 2013, over thirty million VW Golf automobiles had been manufactured and sold worldwide. The VW Golf is one of three car models to have been voted the European Car of the Year twice in history, in 1992 and 2013. In 2018, the Volkswagen Golf GTI was placed in Car and Driver’s 10 Best Cars for the 12th consecutive year.
Volkswagen Golf vehicles were one of the models involved in the 2015 Volkswagen emissions scandal. Volkswagen installed a software program in diesel vehicles that altered their vehicles’ emissions controls during testing.
VW Golf vehicles were originally three-door hatchbacks, though other variants include five-door hatchbacks and convertibles. Most VW Golf vehicles include the VW emblem, which depicts a ‘V’ placed on top of a ‘W’, enclosed by a circle. Golf models also include the Golf emblem, which depicts the model name “Golf” in capital letters on the rear end of the vehicles.