The heir to the throne VW Golf
07/07/2018
When the VW Golf set out to conquer the world in 1974, it did not primarily have to measure itself against its competitors from other manufacturers, i.e. the Alfasud, Austin Allegro, Fiat 127/128, Ford Escort, Opel Kadett, Renault 5/6 or Simca 1100, but above all against the indestructible VW Beetle.
However, it outperformed the VW Beetle in almost every test criterion, as revealed in an early test by Auto Motor und Sport magazine in August 1974 .
Today, 44 years later, some things that were still completely normal back then are surprising. For example, the cheapest Golf cost DM 7995, which would be just over EUR 4000 today, but the equipment did not include disc brakes, a brake booster, steel belted tires (cross-ply tires were then fitted), a laminated glass windscreen, a heated rear window or headrests for the front seats. Even if you opted for the DM 9370 LS (with 70 hp and luxury equipment), headrests and rear window heating, for example, were still subject to an extra charge.
Nevertheless, the S variant offered a level of temperament that only a Porsche 1600 Super could offer a few years earlier. The standard sprint from 0 to 100 km/h was achieved in just 12.8 seconds, while the Beetle 1303 LS took 19.5 seconds. And with a top speed of exactly 160 km/h, the Golf S/LS not only outpaced the Beetle (142.3 km/h) but also nominally more powerful rivals such as the Simca 1100 Special (156.5 km/h), without even needing more fuel. The initially most powerful Golf consumed 10.2 liters of regular gasoline per 100 km, while the Beetle ran 12.2 liters through the carburetor.
It is interesting to note that tester Westrup criticized the steering for being too direct, while the lack of knee room in the rear is certainly understandable.
Overall, however, Klaus Westrup's conclusion was certainly correct, which is why it is quoted here:
" The Volkswagen factory has high hopes for the new Golf, and these hopes are - as was evident after extensive handling of the new VW - thoroughly justified. For the public, the latest Wolfsburg product represents an important addition to the range: Anyone who wants to buy in the price range between 8000 and 9000 marks in the future will also have to consider whether the next car should not be a Golf. There is a lot to be said for such a decision: never before has there been such a practical and useful Volkswagen."
