2024 Volkswagen Golf Edition 50 debuts - brand shows ultra-rare EA 276 development study concept

This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Volkswagen Golf, and to celebrate the occasion, the German carmaker is offering Edition 50 versions based on the latest Golf Mk8.5 facelift – pre-sales of the model has already started in Europe.

The Edition 50 builds upon the Style trim level by adding 18-inch ‘Leeds’ alloy wheels, tinted rear windows, an illuminated horizontal radiator grille strip, an illuminated Volkswagen logo as well as ‘50’ badges on the B-pillars.

Inside, you’ll find Edition 50 logo on the front sill panel mouldings as well as the bottom steering wheel trim. These are accompanied by pedal caps in brushed stainless steel and a black headliner. The equipment list also gets a bump to include the Discover infotainment system with navigation, keyless entry and start, the IDA voice assistant, selectable driver profiles and an anti-theft alarm.

Volkswagen says the Edition 50 can be ordered with different powertrains, with the starting point being a 1.5 TSI engine serving up 150 PS (148 or 110 kW) that is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox. This configuration costs 36,820 (RM190,176) before options, which include a powered panoramic sunroof, IQ.Light matrix LED headlamps and a head-up display.

In addition to revealing the Golf Edition 50, Volkswagen also wheeled out previous generations of the Golf and reflected on the model’s birth. The story of the Golf began at the end of the 1960s when Volkswagen was planning for a successor to the hugely successful Beetle. Several studies were created, and in 1969, the development order (Entwicklungsauftrag in German or EA) 266 went to then Porsche KG.

The result was a prototype with a self-supporting body, large boot lid and a mid-engine layout, the last of which saw the water-cooled powerplant be placed under the rear bench seat. This wasn’t great in terms of access for repair and maintenance work, but the EA 266 concept was capable of an impressive (at the time) top speed of 187 km/h. Ultimately, the project was cancelled in October 1971, with around 50 units built, not many surviving.

Another concept created was the EA 276 in 1969, which incorporated many features that would be found on the Golf, including a front-engine layout with front-wheel drive, hatchback shape with a large boot lid, a torsion beam axle and a fuel tank located under the rear bench seat.

The concept from Wolfsburg was powered by the Beetle’s boxer engine with air cooling, as Volkswagen was concerned with reliability and low development costs at the time – the original Gol first introduced in Brazil had this engine. However, the days of water-cooled engines were numbered, and this concept never proceeded to series production. It is incredibly rare, with Volkswagen saying it built just a single, not fully functional vehicle, which is pictured in the Golf Mk1 gallery below.

In the years after the EA 276 until 1971, development in Ingolstadt under Rudolf Leiding – who was responsible for the Audi 100 and 80 – set the decisive course for the future Golf. The Audi models Leiding was responsible for had water-cooled inline-four engines, and this drive concept was implemented into the EA 337. Giorgetto Giugiaro, who also created the Passat and the Scirocco, was recruited to finalise the design of the EA 337, which would eventually become the Golf Mk1 in 1974.

The Golf made its public debut at the IAA International Motor Show in Frankfurt in 1975 and would be produced to the tune of 6.9 million units. Subsequent generations of the Golf gained new technologies, body styles and drive configurations, with each selling in the millions. This includes the Golf Mk8, which would have crossed the million-unit mark this year, contributing to a total of over more than 37 million Golfs sold.

GALLERY: 2024 Volkswagen Golf Edition 50