Hey Old Timer, the Volkswagen Golf Is Now AARP Eligible

• For 50 years, Volkswagen has been churning out the Golf, an industry sweetheart of a hatchback.

• Launched in 1974, the Golf succeeded the Beetle in a big way and has gone on to be Volkswagen's best-selling model ever.

• While we only get performance-oriented versions in the US, European buyers can expect a big refresh for the Golf coming shortly.

There's a reason the Volkswagen Golf is one of the most eminent hatchbacks in automotive history. From economical, long-range base models and front-wheel-drive performance benchmarking GTIs to elongated station wagons and supercar speed AWD hot hatches, the Golf has gone through many iterations since its launch in 1974.

That's right, the Volkswagen Golf is now 50 years old. Beyond AARP eligibility, the Volkswagen Golf seemingly won't receive any special treatment here in the US. In part, that's because North America only gets the hottest versions of the Golf family—the Golf GTI and Golf R—but turning half a century old is still worth celebrating.

But first, a little history. Built as a successor to the original Beetle, Volkswagen wanted to try something new with the Golf, ushering in its now-standard drivetrain formula of front-engine, front-wheel drive. And it needed to carry more of your, well, stuff, too.

Originally designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro (who also designed models like the DMC DeLorean and Lotus Esprit), the Golf emphasized his straight-line styling philosophy at the time and is often cited as his most successful commercial design. After all, Volkswagen says it sold 6.99 million units of the first-generation Golf family between 1974 and 1983.

The first million of these units were sold by 1976, a mere two years after its launch in the spring of 1974. The company has sold over 37 million Golf and Golf derivatives as of 2024, marking a relatively successful 50-year run and making it the best-selling Volkswagen of all time.

That's not particularly hard to believe even here in the US, where Golfs are prolific as first cars, young family cars, and relatively reliable commuter cars, too. While we no longer get base model Golfs here in the US, the last generation of non-GTI Golfs started at $24,190 in 2021. In 2017, the starting sticker price was as low as $20,715.

Just because the Golf has always been reasonably affordable (even in GTI trim) doesn't mean that it's lacking in fun. Even a base model Golf is a worthy backroad, autocross, and track-day partner. However, over the years, we got the chance to explore the upper echelons of German hot hatch enjoyment here at Autoweek.

We crowned the sizzling hot Golf R trim as the Ultimate Golf in 2022 and our reasoning has as much to do with our time on a frozen lake back in 2014 as it does with the torquey drivetrain and refined interior. Generations may change, but safely sliding around a snow-fluffed lake in northern Sweden in a family-ready hatchback is hard to beat. And a few years ago, we enjoyed seat time in an original 1984 VW Rabbit GTI.

Better yet, Autoweek enjoyed a 2020 VW GTI long-termer, allowing our West Coast Editor Mark Vaughn to relish in the joys of dynamic driving while running his pandemic-limited errands. Soon enough, there will be an electric replacement to the gasoline-powered GTI we all know and love—just don't expect it to have a manual transmission.

For our readers outside of North America, you can watch for an overhaul in the Golf lineup this year. From a new face and updated powertrains to next-generation infotainment, the Golfs that will live on in Europe will have a world premiere in just a few weeks.

The folks in Wolfsburg want to keep the origin story of the Golf alive, too. To do so, the Volkswagen Classic team is bringing a series of Golf models to the Salon Rétromobile in Paris. An original EA 276 concept car will also be on display to provide the full perspective of a 50-year production timeline.

Have you ever owned a Volkswagen Golf? If so, please tell us about it in the comments below.