More than 36 million have been sold since 1974, and it has long since surpassed its predecessor, the first people’s car, as the best-selling European car of all time. It continues to be built at a rate of up to 2000 cars per day, and through many challenges it has survived and flourished, and will likely continue to do so for the foreseeable future.

It's a design which, like the Porsche 911, has evolved over time while retaining the essential character of the original. The importance of the Golf to Volkswagen cannot be underestimated, and as such it will see a rejuvenation, rather than reinvention, for the electric era ahead of us.

But first, let’s look at the story from the start: