The world's 30-millionth Golf has been built at the Volkswagen plant in Wolfsburg – a new production record for the most successful European car ever.
Production of the original Golf began in early 1974. Since then, statistically speaking, an average of more than 2,000 people have bought a new Golf every day for the past 39 years.
Prof Martin Winterkorn, chairman of the board of management of Volkswagen AG who officially accepted the Car of the Year 2013 award for the Golf, said: 'The history of the Golf is also the history of automotive progress. With technologies such as the safe front-wheel drive of the first Golf, the debut of the TDI in the third Golf, electronic stability control and the dual-clutch gearbox of the fourth Golf and the standard automatic post-collision braking system of the new generation, this car has continued to democratise progress. An optimum of safety, comfort and driving fun are no longer a question of money thanks to the Golf. And so our best seller lives up to the Volkswagen name.'
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