Volkswagen Golf news - Are you still here? - 2009

Ladies and gentlemen, raise your glasses to the VW MkI Golf, which has finally ceased production after... 35 years.

Now, we know what you're thinking. You're thinking that we've had quite a few Golfs since the MkI. Five, approximately, and therefore TopGear.com is rather late in toasting the death of the original Golf.

But you're wrong. Since 1984, the MkI Golf has been continuously built at VW's Port Elizabeth factory in South Africa as the CitiGolf, with more than half a million cars exported to developing countries at a cost, in today's rates, of around £7,000.

But this autumn, finally, VW decided to cease production of the MkI in South Africa.

Safety, unsurprisingly, was a factor in the decision: you'll recall that a handful of safety features have reached most production cars since 1974. Like, er, crash protection. And airbags. (Airbags, admittedly, did make it to the CitiGolf... but not until 2008.)

So, after more than a third of a century, that's it: the MkI Golf is dead. Roll on the MkII. Oh...