Volkswagen builds 30 millionth Golf

Volkswagen has confirmed the 30 millionth Golf rolled off the production line in Germany last week, making it the most successful European car in history.

The manufacturing milestone set a new production record for the German company, however the Golf is not the best-selling car of all time. It sits in third spot behind Ford's F-Series pick-up trucks (35 million) and the perennial Toyota Corolla (39 million).

Production of the VW Golf began in 1974 and since then the company says an average of 2000 Golfs have been purchased every day.

The 30 millionth vehicle that rolled off the production line in Wolfsburg was a VW Golf TDI BlueMotion, one of the most fuel efficient models in the range using a claimed 3.8L/100km.

As the company celebrates its production milestone in Germany, Volkswagen faced a crisis in Australia recently, forced to recall almost 26,000 cars built between June 2008 and September 2011. The recall also affected some Audi and Skoda vehicles.

Since the fourth generation Golf arrived in the late 1990s, the world's third-most popular car has drawn criticism for build quality issues and manufacturing defects, including for the DSG transmission which was the reason for the abovementioned recall (which also affected another 400,000 cars across Asia).

Nonetheless, Professor Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of Volkswagen AG, praised the maligned DSG for its contribution to the Golf's success.

"With technologies such as the safe front-wheel drive of the first Golf, the debut of the TDI in the third Golf, ESC (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," stated Winterkorn.

"The history of the Golf is also the history of automotive progress," said the VW boss.

Volkswagen has three vehicles in the best-selling cars of all time top-10 list, with Golf, Beetle and Passat. Ford is the only other car maker with three entrants in the list, with F-Series pick-up trucks, Escort and the Model T. Honda has two models, while GM and Toyota have one apiece:

World's top-10 selling cars:

1. Toyota Corolla: 39 million
2. Ford F-Series: 35.5 million
3. Volkswagen Golf: 29.5 million
4. Volkswagen Beetle: 24 million
5. Ford Escort: 20 million
6. Honda Civic: 19 million
7. Honda Accord: 18 million
8. Model T Ford: 16.5 million
9. Volkswagen Passat: 16.4 million
10. Chevrolet Impala: 14.5 million

*Sales figures are approximate