Volkswagen Golf Mk1
| Volkswagen Golf Mk1 (17) | |
|---|---|
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| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Volkswagen |
| Also called | Volkswagen Rabbit Volkswagen Caribe Volkswagen CitiGolf Volkswagen Cabriolet |
| Production | 6.8 million units 1974–1983 1976-1985 (Yugoslavia) 1979-1993 (Cabriolet) |
| Assembly |
Melbourne, Australia Brussels, Belgium Wolfsburg, Germany New Stanton, Pennsylvania, United States Uitenhage, South Africa Shah Alam, Malaysia Puebla, Puebla, Mexico TAS Sarajevo, Yugoslavia Vogošća, Yugoslavia |
| Designer | Giorgetto Giugiaro |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Small family car (C) |
| Body style | 2-door convertible 3-door hatchback 5-door hatchback 2-door coupe utility (pickup) |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Platform | Volkswagen Group A1 platform |
| Related |
Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Caddy, Volkswagen Scirocco, Volkswagen Citi Golf |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine |
All markets except USA/CDN/Japan Gasoline engines: 1.1L 50 PS (37 kW) I4 1.3L 60 PS (44 kW; 59 hp) I4 1.5L 70 PS (51 kW; 69 hp) I4 1.6L 75 PS (55 kW; 74 hp) I4 1.6L 110 PS (81 kW; 108 hp) I4 (GTI, engine code: EG) 1.8L 112 PS (82 kW; 110 hp) I4 (GTI/GLI, engine code: DX Diesel engines: 1.5L 50 PS (37 kW; 49 hp) I4 1.6L 54 PS (40 kW; 53 hp) I4 1.6L 70 PS (51 kW; 69 hp) I4 TD USA/CDN/Japan: 1.6L 60 hp (45 kW) I4 (Pickup) 1.5L 70 hp (52 kW) I4 (MY 1975) 1.6L 71 hp (53 kW) I4 (MY 1976) 1.6L 78 hp (58 kW) I4 (MY 1977) 1.5L 71 hp (53 kW) I4 (MY 1978/79) 1.5L 62 hp (46 kW) I4 (MY 1980) 1.6L 76 hp (57 kW) I4 (MY 1980) 1.7L 74 hp (55 kW) I4 (MY 1981/82) 1.7L 65 hp (48 kW) I4 (MY 1983/84) 1.8L 90 hp (67 kW) I4 (GTI MY 1983/84) Diesel engines: 1.5L 48 hp (36 kW) I4 (MY 1978-80) 1.6L 52 hp (39 kW) I4 (MY 1981-84) 1.6L 68 hp (51 kW) I4 (MY 1983-84) |
| Transmission | 4-speed/5-speed manual, 3-speed automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,400 mm (94.5 in), Pickup: 2,625 mm (103.3 in) |
| Length | 3,705 mm (145.9 in), later 3,815 mm (150.2 in), USA 155.3 in (3,945 mm), Pickup: 4,380 mm (172.4 in) |
| Width | 1,610 mm (63.4 in), later 1,630 mm (64.2 in), Pickup: 1,640 mm (64.6 in) |
| Height | saloon: 1,395 mm (54.9 in), Cabrio: 1,412 mm (55.6 in), Pickup: 1,490 mm (58.7 in) |
| Curb weight | 790 kg (1,741.7 lb) −970 kg (2,138.5 lb), USA 1,750 lb (790 kg) −2,145 lb (973 kg) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Volkswagen Beetle |
| Successor | Volkswagen Golf Mk2 |
The Volkswagen Golf Mk1 is a small family car, the first generation of the Volkswagen Golf and the successor to the Volkswagen Beetle. Presented in May 1974, it was intended by Volkswagen as a modern front-wheel-drive, hatchback replacement for the aging Beetle.
Like its predecessor (the Volkswagen Beetle) the Volkswagen Golf Mk1 has proven to be influential. The Golf was one of the first widely successful front-wheel drive hatchbacks. In the USA, the Morris Mini, Honda N360 and Fiat 128 saw only limited success. It was the Rabbit, along with the Honda Civic, that sparked American interest in front-wheel drive compacts. The Golf was introduced to Japan in 1975, and was imported by Yanase dealerships in Japan. Its exterior dimensions and engine displacement were in compliance with Japanese Government dimension regulations, which helped sales.
Replacing the Beetle was a vital goal for Volkswagen's continued survival. By the early 1970s, the company had fallen into financial difficulties and Beetle sales began to decline sharply. Water-cooled, front-engine, front or rear-wheel drive small cars began enjoying customer loyalty, notable examples being the Citroen GS, Ford Escort and Fiat 128, as well as the Renault 6 hatchback.
The solution had arrived with Auto Union. They had attracted a small following with their technologically advanced Audi front-wheel drive medium sedans. Volkswagen had acquired the Ingolstadt-based company in 1964 from Daimler-Benz. Audi's expertise in water-cooled engines and front-wheel drive would be essential in developing a new generation of Volkswagens. The Audi technology in the Golf would regain for Volkswagen the engineering lead over rear-drive cars that Ferdinand Porsche had bestowed on the original Beetle over its large conventional peers. The small Golf had to succeed in replacing the high-volume Volkswagen coupe. The upmarket Dasher/Passat would be VW's first front-wheel-drive car, and it was relatively well received for its lower volume market, where it competed mostly alongside the rear-wheel drive saloons like the Ford Cortina, although there are already some front-wheel drive cars and even hatchbacks like the Austin Maxi and Renault 16 in this market sector. The Golf would adopt an efficient "two-box" layout with a steep hatch rather than a formal trunk, which would be later added in the Jetta. The water-cooled engine would be mounted transversely in the front. Work on the Golf began in 1969, shortly after Kurt Lotz became head of Volkswagen.
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Wikipedia