Which iconic car did the Volkswagen Golf replace?

The Volkswagen Golf replaced the Volkswagen Beetle. The changeover marked one of the most important technical shifts in Volkswagen’s history: the Beetle used a rear-mounted, air-cooled engine and rear-wheel drive, while the first Golf used a front-mounted, water-cooled engine and front-wheel drive.

Volkswagen introduced the Golf in Europe in May 1974 as a modern compact hatchback. Its efficient two-box shape, transverse engine layout and front-wheel-drive packaging suited changing European tastes better than the older Beetle design. Giorgetto Giugiaro of Italdesign created the sharp-edged original styling.

The Beetle did not vanish everywhere immediately. Production continued in several countries, including Mexico, long after the Golf had become Volkswagen’s main compact model. The Jetta was related to the Golf as a saloon, while the Polo was a smaller model; neither was the iconic car the Golf originally replaced.