India, Dec. 31 -- Volkswagen is set to celebrate 50 years of the Golf GTI in 2026, and for car enthusiasts, this milestone hits close to home. The GTI story began in 1976 in Germany as a limited run of just 5,000 units, but the response rewrote the plan almost instantly. More than 50,000 units sold in the first year alone, proving there was strong demand for a car that mixed performance with daily usability. Production of the first-generation model later reached 461,690 units worldwide. With 109bhp, a top speed of 182km/h and a 0-100km/h time of 9.0 seconds, the early Golf GTI showed how accessible performance could fit into everyday driving without compromise.

The original Volkswagen Golf GTI also made sense from an ownership point of v...