Volkswagen celebrates the 50th birthday of the Golf in 2024. A name that has been emblazoned on 37 million vehicles to date. But the path to becoming a bestseller was by no means predetermined. VW didn't just pull a rabbit out of the hat, but had a number of rabbit hutches in the form of various concepts. One is now on public display.
Work on a successor to the VW Beetle had already begun in Wolfsburg at the end of the 1960s. Several studies were created, including the EA 266 (development contract) with a mid-engine, in which Porsche played a leading role. At this time, there were many indications that the EA 266 would go into series production as the heir to the Beetle.
Gallery: VW EA 276 (1969) and VW Golf I (1974)
However, the cumbersome maintenance of the engine, tricky driving behaviour at the limits, cost factors and, last but not least, a change of boss at the top of the company brought the project to an abrupt end in 1971. Leopard tanks flattened almost all of the 50 pre-series vehicles, and the pilot series was supposedly about to begin. Loss for VW: a three-digit Deutsche mark million sum.
The EA 276 from 1969 already showed many features of the later successful model, such as front engine with front-wheel drive, hatchback with large tailgate or twist beam axle. Under the bonnet, however, was still the familiar Beetle boxer with air cooling; the focus was on reliability and low development costs. However, the days of this technology were numbered. However, the first VW Gol for Brazil in 1981 was based on a similar concept and had a Beetle engine under the bonnet at the front.
The design of the EA 276 was still quite rudimentary, which is why VW sought help from Italy. After a tour of the 1970 Turin Motor Show, Giorgetto Giugiaro (Italdesign) was recruited, who was responsible for various interesting innovations. He was given the task of designing the EA 337, which (with a few compromises) became the Golf.
To mark the start of the anniversary year, the VW brand will be exhibiting the Golf I at the Bremen Classic Motorshow, thus commemorating the start of the automotive revolution in 1974. The trade fair presentation will be complemented by the unique EA 276 study - the Golf's predecessor, which was developed in Wolfsburg. The brilliant yellow production Golf and the orange-red study will be on display in Hall 5 at Stand D10 from 2 to 4 February.
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