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Volkswagen Golf Celebrates 50 Years With Best Car Of The Half Century Title
The Volkswagen Golf has been honoured as the 'Best Car of the Half Century' at the Best Cars of the Year – The New Car World Championships. This accolade was celebrated at the British Motor Show, where the latest version of this iconic model was showcased. Visitors had a chance to see the improved Golf and participate in the voting process.
This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Volkswagen Golf, which has sold over 37 million units across eight generations. The Golf remains Volkswagen’s best-selling car, surpassing even the legendary Beetle in sales. Since its debut in 1974, it has become synonymous with its class and expanded its appeal through versions like the Cabriolet, R, and GTI.
Mike Rutherford, an automotive journalist who founded these awards, praised Volkswagen's achievement. He stated, "Some manufacturers are barely able to keep their ‘most important’ models in production for five years. The fact that Volkswagen has been successfully building and selling petrol, diesel, pure-electric and hybrid versions of the Golf around the world for 50 years really does say it all."
The judging panel for these awards includes independent car designers, engineers, auto industry leaders, motorsport personalities, journalists, broadcasters, media professionals, vehicle retailers, automotive consultants, motor club chiefs and motoring event organisers. John Oates from Hall and Oates also voted for the Golf.
Rutherford further commented on his personal experience with the Golf: "Since the very early 1980s when I bought my first brand new Mk I version, I’ve purchased countless Golfs or run them as company cars. With some justification, it was often described as all the car you’ll ever need. And that’s as true today as it ever was."
Volkswagen's Global Presence
In 2023 alone, Volkswagen registered 162,087 new passenger vehicles in the UK according to SMMT data. This accounted for an 8.52% market share—an increase of 0.35% from last year—making Volkswagen the UK's best-selling new-car brand for three consecutive years.
The Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand operates globally with production facilities in 29 locations across 12 countries and employs around 170,000 people. In 2023, Volkswagen delivered approximately 4.87 million vehicles worldwide including popular models like Polo, T-Roc, T-Cross, Golf, Tiguan and Passat along with successful all-electric ID models.
Volkswagen handed over about 394,000 all-electric vehicles to customers globally in 2023. With its ACCELERATE strategy aimed at becoming a leading brand for sustainable mobility.
The Best Cars of the Year (Best COTY) - The New Car World Championships is a not-for-profit organisation with regional offices in Japan and South Korea besides its UK base.
Volkswagen Press Team contacts include Mike Orford (07467 442062), Rob Punshon (07775 311931), Grant McPherson (07774 684222), Trevor Rickwood (07407 826649) and Nicki Divey (07802 248310). Their office is located at Yeomans Drive Blakelands Milton Keynes MK14 5AN.
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