VIDEO: Volkswagen Golf through the years, 1991 Mk3

November will see the arrival of the facelifted Volkswagen Golf Mk7, and ahead of that Wolfsburg is playing off the car’s heritage through a series of videos recapping the previous generations, which began with the Mk1 from 1974.

This time, it’s the turn of number three. The Golf Mk3 made its debut in 1991 and stayed on in the market until 1998, when the Mk4 took over the baton. The emphasis on design is big with this one; in the initial design stages – in 1987 – no less than nine different models are submitted to the board for review.

The final result is the wedged-shaped Typ 1H, which was a completely fresh take on things, with no detail, shape or radius taken from its predecessor. “In the first step from Golf MkI to MkII we made the car bigger, provided more powerful engines, and improved its handling. In the third generation, design now takes precedence. We have found a look that typifies the Golf: it radiates quality and safety,” said chief designer Herbert Schäfer at the time.

It’s also the first of the Golf series models to feature front airbags, starting from 1992. In the seven years it was around, sales of the Mk3 totaled 4.83 million units.

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