The original hot hatch celebrates five decades of existence next year, but we are not so sure it will live to be one hundred, or even 55, for that matter. So, maybe now it's the ripe time to secure a collectible.
Just as the Army Jeep paved the way for sport utility vehicles and the Ford Mustang for pony cars, the Volkswagen Golf became the epitome of small family cars, also known as compact hatchbacks, when it was introduced in 1974 as a front-engine and front-wheel drive replacement for the air-cooled, rear-engined, rear-wheel drive Volkswagen Beetle.
It quickly became Volkswagen's best-selling nameplate, surpassing its iconic Beetle predecessor, and consistently ranks among the top-delivered models in the entire world. It was offered in a variety of body styles, including three- and five-door hatchbacks, a Variant station wagon, a Convertible, and a sedan. However, in 1976, Volkswagen introduced the "compact dream car," the introductory model to the hot hatchback category: the Golf GTI.
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