100,000th Volkswagen Golf Sold in Australia

[phaeton]

The Volkswagen brand has just reached a significant milestone on the Australian market with the sale of the 100,000th Golf since the initial model introduction. The celebratory new Golf 118TSI was handed over to its proud owner, Mark Hall, by Solitaire Volkswagen Hawthorn in Adelaide.

Judging by the humble beginnings of the MkI in 1976, which then was assembled locally in Clayton, Victoria, nobody could have preempted the significance of this truly iconic model. Wheels Magazine recognized the significance of the Golf when it was named Wheel’s Car of the Year in 1976 - 4,429 Golfs were sold that year.


The first ever Golf MkI to be registered in Australia still is in the hands of its original owner, who himself was part of Volkswagen’s history. Mr Dirk Goudberg was employed as Quality Control Manager at the Volkswagen plant in Clayton, Victoria, from 1958 until 1976. His vehicle was amongst the first six Golfs to be exported to Australia in individual components to be assembled locally. The vehicle itself was completed locally in late 1974 and registered in 1975 as the first Golf in Australia.

In 1983 the Golf MkII replaced the ‘original’ Golf with global production of 6.3 million MkII Golfs between 1983 and 1991. The Golf MkIII went on sale in 1994 and for the first time since the MkI a diesel variant in the Golf range returned to the Australian market in 1996. 1998 saw the introduction of the Golf MkIV.

2004 was marked by the 500,000th Volkswagen sold in Australia as well as the Golf MkV release in Australia. The MkV was awarded a range of significant awards by the Australian motoring media in its days. The Golf GTI was awarded the NRMA ‘Best Car Awards’ for Best Sports Car in 2007 while just missing out winning the second year in a row when it was marginally beaten by the Golf R32 in 2008. 2008 also saw the Golf GTI win the‘DRIVE Car of the Year Award’ for the third consecutive year.

To date, the Golf has turned out to be a selling success with more than 26 million Golfs produced globally since the initial days of the Golf MkI.

The next chapter in the Golf’s journey has only just begun with the introduction of the new Golf into the Australian market in March 2009. This model is regarded as the most economical, safe and refined Golf yet and promises to be another Volkswagen success story in the making. In its short time on the market, it has already been honoured as the “2009 World Car of the Year”.

Golf Timeline
1976: The Golf Mk I is released onto the market in March and is assembled in Clayton, Victoria. The Golf is named Wheels Magazine’s Car of the Year. 4,429 Golfs are sold in the first year.
1977: The locally assembled Golf Mk I is replaced by fully imported German GLS.
1978: The Diesel GLS is added to the range. In the early 80’s sales drop as the Australian dollar hits imported car prices. Models are cut and imports are stopped. The last 3 Golf GLDs are sold in early 1982.
1974-83: Globally 6.8 million Mk I Golfs were produced.
1990: The Golf Cabriolet and Golf GTI 8V are officially launched. Both have the 1781cc engine, in 70 kW form for the Cabrio and 77 kW for the GTI. 107 Golf Mk II are sold in 1990, 289 in 1991.
1992: Mk II models are discontinued awaiting Mk III release in 1993.
1993: Due to the European delay in introducing the Mk III Golf Cabrio, the local distributor imports 360 Mk1Golf Cabriolets.
1983-91: Globally 6.3 million Mk II Golf’s were produced.
1994: The Golf Mk III is released in Australia, in two versions, a base 85 kW 2.0-litre GL hatchback and the 128 kW 2.8-litre VR6, auto or manual. 459 Golfs and 217 VR6s are sold.
1995: The Golf Mk III Cabrio is released. 1,283 Golfs, 227 VR6s, 272 Golf Cabriolets are sold in 1995.
1996: The Golf Diesel returns to Australia, for the first time since 1981.
1996: The budget Golf CL is also introduced, with a 66 kW 1.8-litre engine.
1991-97: Globally 4.8 million Mk III Golfs were produced.
1998: The Golf IV is released. The updated ‘Mk 3½’ Golf Cabriolet is released. Still a Golf Mk III Cabrio, but with a new nose that matches the Golf IV, smoked taillights, sports seats and leather trim.
1999: The Golf GTI is released; the first GTI model sold in Australia since the Mk II 8V in 1992. 2,807 Golfs and 253 Cabrios are sold.
2000: A limited edition ‘Rally’ version of the Golf is announced, in celebration of the Golf winning the Australian F2 Rally Championship in 1999.
2002: The Golf range is broadened with the release of the new entry-level 75 kW 1.6S
and 1.6SE models.
2003: 12,357 Volkswagens are sold including 6,457 Golfs and 10 Cabrios. A special version of the Golf, called the Generation, is released to celebrate Volkswagen’s 50 years in Australia.
1997-03: Globally 4.3 million Mk IV Golfs were produced.
2004: The 500,000th Australian Volkswagen is sold in March. The latest generation of the Golf, the Mk V, is released in Australia. It is available in Trendline, Comfortline and Sportline versions. The engine choices are 1.6-litre, 2.0-litre FSI, 1.9-litre TDI and 2.0-litre TDI.
2005: Golf Mk V is released with a 147 kW 2.0-litre FSI turbo engine, and choice of 6-speed manual or 6-speed DSG auto gearboxes. Thanks to a very positive reaction from the local press, the GTI soon sells out. The waiting list grows to an unprecedented six months. 15,782 Volkswagens are sold including 9,311 Golfs.
2006: The Golf R32, the improved Mk V 184 kW 3.2-litre V6 R32, is released in Australia and comes with 6-speed manual or 6-speed DSG auto, and 4Motion 4WD as standard.
2007: The Golf GTI wins the prestigious NRMA ‘Best Car Awards’ for the Best Sports Car. Another new Golf is added to the range, the Golf GT. It has a small, turbo and supercharged 1.4-litre TSI petrol engine producing 125 kW and 240 Nm yet consumes only 7.7 L on the combined cycle. Over 10,000 Golfs are sold in Australia.
2008: The Golf R32 wins the Best Sports Car in the NRMA’s ‘Best Car Awards’, just beating last year’s winner, the Golf GTI. The Sydney Morning Herald’s ‘Drive Car of the Year Award’ goes to Golf GTI. A new turbo diesel version, the Golf GT Sport TDI is added to the range.
1974-09: To date more than 26 million Golfs have been produced.
2009: The New Golf is honoured as “2009 World Car of the Year” by a jury comprised of fifty-nine international automotive journalists from twenty-five countries from around the world.

Source with Hi Res photos http://www.ausmotive.com/2009/07/17/...00th-golf.html

[Aussie Volks Guy]

Good article mate - never knew that!

[Umai Naa!!]

Only 217 VR6s? Well I know that there are two in my local area. Sadly, neither of them come to us for servicing.

Good write-up, by the way

[phaeton]

Just a heads up this is a press release from VW Australia I did not write it