This was almost the first Volkswagen Golf

Volkswagen Golf

In Wolfsburg in the late 1960s, the urge for innovation bubbled within Volkswagen. The legendary Beetle was now ancient and in need of a contemporary successor. Several study models were built, including the EA 276. EA is short for Entwicklungsauftrag, or “development contract.

Apart from its size, tailgate and angular taillights, the concept model does not bear much resemblance to the final production model. Moreover, under the hood was still the Beetle’s familiar, albeit obsolete, air-cooled boxer engine. This time, though, in the front of the car. Thus, development costs remained low and reliability was guaranteed.

A year later, in 1970, Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro was brought in to further develop the concept. This led to the creation of the Golf 1, which entered the market in 1974. Giugiaro was impressed with the EA 276’s square headlights, but they proved too expensive to put into production. Thus, the first Golf finally got its iconic face with round headlights. Want to learn more about the history of the Gulf? Then read on here: