[Car History] When it comes to its classic models, I’m afraid there is no one who doesn’t know the name except the familiar ones. The Beatles laid a solid foundation for the Volkswagen brand, and Dave became the spiritual and material double pillar of the Volkswagen Group. Just like the popular saying that "with golf (), there will be all models of the public", golf has become synonymous with the public. Since its birth in 1974, after 39 years of development, today’s golf has evolved into the seventh generation. Although most people have already memorized the history of golf, it doesn’t prevent you from revisiting the legendary development history of this Volkswagen classic model again, and maybe you can gain something new.

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The background of golf: replacing the exhausted Beetle (Volkswagen EA-276 prototype)

　　Although the Beetle has brought great honor and benefits to the public, it has not changed much since it was officially born in 1938. At the end of 1960s, the sales volume of the Beetle dropped sharply. Volkswagen knew that the exhausted Beetle could not meet the people’s demand for the "national car" in terms of technology and the utilization of the interior space, and the successor to develop the "national car" was officially put on the agenda. In 1969, two prototypes, EA-266 and EA-276, were born one after another. Because EA-266 was placed in the lower rear seat, it was quickly eliminated by the noise and smell from the engine, while EA-276 with layout was successfully promoted. The car was equipped with a 1.5-liter horizontally opposed four-cylinder engine with 44 horsepower, and its square shape was probably not very pleasing. This is the prototype of Volkswagen Golf.

Note: Many people mistakenly think that the name of Golf comes from Golf. In fact, the naming method of Golf follows the consistent style of Volkswagen, that is, many of its models are named after the wind, as we know, Santana and others, and Golf comes from a warm current in the Gulf of Mexico.

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The First Generation Golf Mk1(Typ 17)——1974-1983
Classic, the first "hatchback"

　　In May 1974, the first generation of golf officially entered people’s sight. Compared with the slightly rigid shape of EA-276 prototype, the "origami" design concept put forward by Italian car designer Giorgetto endowed the first generation of golf with an indelible classic shape. Maybe you don’t like its square-headed, square-brained shape, but when you look at it again today, you will find that this simple line is so intriguing. The whole plastic air intake grille is inlaid with two round headlights, and the front bumper hanging on the front of the car is shaped like a chopstick. Although it is a new "national car", chrome decoration is still full of air intake grille, bumper edge and body waist line. (Click to enter the biography of Giorgetto, the master of automobile design)

　　The first generation golf adopted the same hatchback shape as the prototype EA-276, and the concept of "hatchback" was first applied by golf and introduced into the field of automobile design. Compared with the prototype, the angle of the trunk cover of golf is more inclined. "Chopsticks" are always a pair, not one. Except for the turn signals on both sides of the front bumper, the front and rear bumpers are strikingly similar in size and shape, and the prominent wheel eyebrows make their simple shape have a sense of hierarchy. The first generation of golf is divided into two types: two-door hatchback and four-door hatchback. Taking the golf hatchback version as an example, its vehicle size is 3705mm long, 1610mm wide, 1395mm high and 2400mm high, and its weight is only 790kg.

　　The interior design of the first generation golf seems a bit too simple as its modeling. The Volkswagen "Wolfsburg" logo was placed in the center of the two-spoke steering wheel. The left side of the double-barrel instrument panel was not a tachometer, but a "disguised" clock. The water temperature and fuel gauge were located at 12 o’clock and 6 o’clock respectively, and the right side was a speedometer. The only thing that can make people shine in the car is the silver plaque on the center console. A large area under the T-shaped area of the center console has been ruthlessly wasted. Interestingly, the gear sign is placed above the cigarette lighter near the co-pilot’s side. For beginners, this design will inevitably make people crazy.

　　The first generation of golf adopts the structure of front and back half. Compared with the previous "national car" Beetle, golf has been greatly improved in maneuverability and practicality. The configuration of the first generation golf can only be considered enough. All you can see in the car are simple and practical configurations such as radio, air conditioner and hand-cranked window. In addition, Volkswagen also equipped the first generation of golf with front wheel disc brake system and rear wheel drum brake system. These configurations may not be worth mentioning at present, but as the successor of the Beatles, the overall quality of golf is still satisfactory.

　　In terms of power, the first-generation golf, which was originally launched, was only equipped with a 1.1-liter inline four-cylinder engine, with a maximum of 50 horsepower and a maximum of 78 N m. Since then, Volkswagen has successively launched golf models with 1.3 liters, 1.5 liters, 1.6 liters, 1.7 liters, 1.5 liters and 1.6 liters. Among them, the 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder gasoline engine has a maximum power of 86 HP (63kW)/5600rpm and a maximum torque of 127 N m/3200 rpm, which is matched with the engine at 4, 5 and 3 speeds.

　　In March, 1975, the first generation of sports golf model-Golf GTI appeared, and it was officially listed in June, 1976. The first generation of GTI also has two models, three-door and five-door hatchback, for consumers to choose from. The original intention of GTI is to let consumers enjoy driving even if they buy economical cars. In order to be different from ordinary golf, GTI, as a sports model, has made some optimization in appearance details, the most obvious of which is a circle of red decorative lines on the periphery of the front air intake grille, with a black Volkswagen logo in the center, the "GTI" on the side is particularly conspicuous, and the front and rear bumpers are also chrome-plated. At the same time, the plastic black spoiler under the front of the car complements the black wheel eyebrows, which further highlights the exclusive sense of GTI.

　　Volkswagen has rendered the sporty atmosphere of the first generation GTI interior to the extreme. The monotonous two-spoke steering wheel on the regular version was replaced by a three-spoke competitive steering wheel with the logo of Wolfsburg. What about the clock on the left side of the original dashboard? For GTI, which pursues sports, the tachometer is more pragmatic. In order not to destroy the overall color of the interior, the silver center console panel has also been changed to black. Before, the sealed part under the center console was changed into a storage space. The oil temperature gauge on the left side below also reminds you at all times that this is a sporty car, and the forgotten clock is placed on the right side of the oil temperature gauge. The most exciting thing for fans is the Golf ball-shaped stopper. Is this to match the name of Golf? Who cares! What fans are after is an excellent feel.

　　A sporty appearance alone is definitely not enough for fans to pay for it willingly. The first generation GTI is equipped with a 1.6-liter inline four-cylinder naturally aspirated fuel injection engine, with a maximum power of 110 HP (81 kW)/6,100 rpm and a maximum torque of 140 N m/5,000 rpm. For a GTI weighing only 810kg, its acceleration time of 0-100km/h is only 9.2. Low vehicle weight, solid chassis and strong power make GTI known as "". With the success of the first generation of golf GTI, other manufacturers have also launched their own "small steel cannon" models, and golf has once again become the leader of the new trend in the industry.

　　The original intention of Volkswagen to launch golf GTI is only to participate in the competition. Volkswagen originally planned to produce 5,000 golf GTIs to meet the qualification of production cars stipulated by the competition. I never thought that the first generation of golf GTI would be sought after by fans as soon as it was launched, so Volkswagen continued to increase production to meet the market demand for this "small steel gun". Since its birth in 1975, the first generation of golf GTI has produced about 530,000 sets, which has since established GTI’s unshakable position.

　　As the sales of the first generation of golf are rising, it has increased the confidence of the public in developing new models. In 1979, the golf convertible version derived from the first generation of golf was officially unveiled. The birth of the golf convertible made people realize that the original economical car can be so romantic. The first-generation golf convertible version uses a soft-top convertible that can be folded manually, and the horizontal position of B-pillar can effectively increase the strength of the whole vehicle. Volkswagen has made some modifications to the front and rear bumpers of the first-generation golf convertible version, and the black plastic decoration added to the rear license plate position makes the rear of the car look less monotonous.

　　In 1975, Volkswagen introduced the first generation of Golf to the North American market and assembled it in the Volkswagen westmorland factory in the United States. The American version was named Rabbit instead of Golf. In order to comply with safety regulations, Rabbit has adopted an "extended" bumper, which is also a major feature of European models entering the North American market. Due to the use of soft suspension and too cheap materials, the quality of Rabbit is extremely unstable, which also makes the German public angry. In 1980, North American Volkswagen introduced a modified model of Rabbit, which changed the original round headlights into a square style, while the convertible version of Rabbit still used round headlights.

　　In 1981, Volkswagen launched the Rabbit version, a derivative model of Rabbit. The car adopts a double-door design, and the wheelbase is lengthened and then equipped with a rear cargo compartment. If you are used to the ordinary version of the car and look at the pickup version, you will find it very different. The dimensions of the Rabbit pickup truck version are 4380mm long, 1640mm wide, 1490mm high and 2625mm wheelbase. In 1983, Volkswagen introduced Rabbit GTI. Unlike Golf GTI, Rabbit GTI equipped with a 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder engine has only 91 horsepower (67kW), which obviously does not meet the definition of "small steel gun". Rabbit GTI exported to Canada is all made in Germany, equipped with a 110 HP (82kW) 1.8-liter inline four-cylinder engine.

　　In 1983, Volkswagen introduced the first generation of small modified golf models. The most striking feature of the modified golf is the "four-eye" headlights, which are more full in taillight style and more in line with the trend at that time. Interestingly, the first generation of golf convertible was not modified until 1988. Except for the four-round headlights, the new bumper with the same color as the car body is more full, and the application of side skirts makes the visual effect of the whole car lower. Many improvements have made the modified golf convertible look energetic.

　　Compared with the North American version of golf, the South African version of golf-Volkswagen Citi is even more "wonderful". The car has three power combinations, namely 86 horsepower 1.4 liters, 102 horsepower 1.6 liters and 124 horsepower 1.8 liters in-line four-cylinder engines. From 1984 to 2009, it was officially discontinued. After repeated "face-lifting" production, although the interior design of Volkswagen Citi keeps pace with the times, its appearance will always maintain the original essence of the first generation of golf, and the Rabbit pickup truck model in North America market was named Caddy for production in South Africa. During the 25-year production cycle, a total of 377,484 Volkswagen Citi rolled off the production line. In Mexico, the first generation of golf was named Caribe for sale. From its birth in 1974 to its discontinuation in 1983 (Citi didn’t discontinue production until 2009), the first generation of golf sold a total of 6,780,050 sets worldwide. Such impressive sales laid a solid foundation for its future development, and the new "national car" also gained a firm foothold.

The cultural connotation and characteristics of Chinese modernization reflect the profound influence of China traditional culture on the modernization process. Comprehensive development, cultural self-confidence and innovation, and the integration of socialist core values make Chinese modernization not only have economic and technological modernity, but also have cultural depth and uniqueness, which not only helps China to cope with various challenges in the process of modernization, but also provides a solid cultural foundation for the all-round modernization of China society.

Cultural Foundation and Characteristics of Chinese Modernization

Chinese-style modernization is not only the modernization of economy and science and technology, but also a multi-dimensional comprehensive modernization process. This comprehensive development feature reflects the importance of China’s traditional culture to all-round development, and also highlights the uniqueness of Chinese-style modernization and the difference from the western model.

Emphasize comprehensive development. Chinese modernization emphasizes comprehensive development, which means not only economic and technological modernization, but also political, cultural and social modernization. This concept originated from the core idea of China’s traditional culture, and these values have been playing an important role in China society. Traditional culture emphasizes balance and harmony in all fields, reminding people to consider all aspects of society comprehensively to ensure social stability and prosperity. In the process of modernization, this comprehensive development concept is embodied in government policies. Political, economic, cultural, social and other fields must develop in harmony to achieve the goal of comprehensive modernization.

Strengthen cultural self-confidence and innovation. Chinese modernization advocates maintaining cultural self-confidence in the process of modernization. The root of this view can be traced back to the traditional culture of China, which emphasizes the importance of culture and confidence in one’s own culture. Chinese modernization emphasizes that while absorbing the essence of western culture, we should also stick to our own cultural foundation and maintain cultural self-confidence. Cultural self-confidence is not only respect for traditional culture, but also cultural innovation. Chinese modernization emphasizes the inheritance and innovation of traditional culture and encourages the creation of modern culture that integrates traditional elements.

Spread the core values of socialism. Chinese modernization emphasizes the spread and practice of socialist core values. Socialist core values include patriotism, collectivism, social fairness and justice and other important values, which have been strengthened and developed on the basis of China traditional culture. Socialist core values are not only the cultural heritage of China society, but also the moral and ideological pillar of Chinese modernization. In the process of Chinese-style modernization, socialist core values have been integrated into various fields, including education, media, law, etc., which is helpful to maintain national stability and social harmony and ensure that the modernization process is not only material development, but also accompanied by the promotion of culture and morality. Socialist core values emphasize civic responsibility and social responsibility, which is helpful to solve practical problems in development.

The value of excellent traditional culture to the development of Chinese modernization

Excellent traditional culture has a positive significance to the development of China, which not only enriches the cultural heritage of China, but also provides a solid cultural foundation for the stability and prosperity of China society. At the same time, China’s traditional culture has also played an important role in the international arena, establishing a positive international image for China and promoting cultural exchanges and cooperation.

Conducive to cultural inheritance and innovation. China’s excellent traditional culture is the essence of China’s history and culture, including Confucianism, Taoism, Legalism and other ideological systems, as well as China’s outstanding achievements in ancient literature, painting, music, philosophy and other fields. The inheritance of these traditional cultures provides valuable cultural resources for China society and has profound historical accumulation. The inheritance of traditional culture not only helps to maintain the continuity of culture, but also provides profound cultural reference for modern society. For example, values such as benevolence, filial piety and etiquette are helpful to build social trust and cohesion, and provide stability and cohesion for China society. At the same time, traditional culture also provides rich materials and inspiration for cultural innovation. China’s traditional art, literature, philosophy and other fields have profound connotations and unique forms of expression, which can provide reference and inspiration for modern cultural creation. Many modern cultural creations incorporate traditional elements, creating creative and cultural works, which not only helps to inherit traditional culture, but also enriches the diversity of modern culture.

It is conducive to enhancing cultural self-confidence and influence. The inheritance of traditional culture makes China have stronger cultural confidence and international influence on the international stage. China’s traditional culture has profound historical and philosophical connotations, which has aroused extensive interest of the international community. China’s ancient literature, philosophy, painting, calligraphy and other traditional art forms have always been studied and worshipped by international scholars and artists. This cultural self-confidence is not only reflected in the cultural field, but also extended to other fields, such as politics, economy and science and technology. China’s traditional culture emphasizes values such as modesty, self-discipline and harmony, which have also had a positive impact on international cooperation and contributed to the establishment and maintenance of stability and peace in the international community. By promoting its own culture, China has established a bridge of cultural exchange, established closer ties with other countries and enhanced its international influence.

It is conducive to promoting the harmonious development of modern society. The excellent ideas contained in excellent traditional culture emphasize the core values such as harmony, human relations and social responsibility. These values have had a far-reaching positive impact on the harmonious development of China society. Chinese traditional culture encourages people to pay attention to the maintenance of interpersonal relationships and social order. This will help reduce social contradictions and conflicts and promote social harmony. Chinese excellent traditional culture emphasizes the harmonious coexistence between nature and human beings, while emphasizing the rule of law and the maintenance of social order. These ideological systems are conducive to building a harmonious society in different fields. Traditional culture also emphasizes social responsibility and public awareness, and encourages people to actively participate in social affairs and make contributions to society. This value concept is still of great significance in modern society and helps to establish a more fair and just social order.

The Path of Better Developing Chinese Modernization Based on Excellent Traditional Culture

Better development of Chinese modernization based on excellent traditional culture will help to inherit traditional culture and develop modern culture, at the same time enhance China’s international influence, promote cultural mutual learning and cooperation, and provide important support and opportunities for the all-round development of Chinese modernization. By actively exploring and practicing these paths, China can better cope with all kinds of challenges in the process of modernization and realize all-round economic, social and cultural modernization.

Promote educational development and cultural inheritance. Education is a key field for shaping a new generation of citizens and an important way to inherit excellent traditional culture. In the field of education, it is very important to strengthen the inheritance and education of excellent traditional culture. This includes not only the teaching of traditional culture, but also the cultivation of students’ cultural self-confidence and cultural identity. Schools can add more traditional cultural elements to the education curriculum, such as Confucian classics, ancient literature, traditional music and art, which will help students better understand and appreciate their own cultural traditions. It is very important to cultivate students’ self-confidence in their own culture, which can be achieved by improving students’ understanding of traditional culture and encouraging them to participate in cultural activities and practice of traditional culture. Traditional culture and modern education are not contradictory and can be organically combined. For example, emphasizing traditional values in education, such as filial piety and friendship, can cultivate students’ sense of social responsibility and moral values. At the same time, traditional culture can also provide inspiration for modern science and technology and innovation, and encourage students to create and explore in various fields.

Vigorously innovate and develop cultural industries. Cultural industry is an important part of Chinese modernization, and it is also one of the ways to combine traditional culture with modern society. Supporting the innovative development of cultural industries and integrating traditional cultural elements into modern cultural products can create more cultural values and economic benefits. The innovation of cultural industry includes the creation of new cultural products and the integration of traditional cultural elements into contemporary cultural products. For example, movies, music and literary works can learn from the theme and spirit of traditional culture to attract more audiences and readers. Cultural and creative industry is a field that combines traditional culture with modern creativity, including design, fashion, art and other aspects. It can meet different needs through the reinterpretation and innovation of traditional cultural elements. China is rich in historical and cultural heritage, and developing it into cultural tourism resources can promote local economic development. By providing cultural experience, cultural tourism routes and cultural festivals, more tourists can be attracted to visit and study.

Pay attention to international exchanges and cooperation. Chinese modernization is not only a domestic challenge, but also an opportunity for international cooperation. Strengthening cultural exchanges and cooperation with other countries will help China’s culture to go global, and at the same time absorb the advantages of other cultures and realize mutual learning. Cultural exchanges with other countries can be strengthened through international cultural festivals, art exhibitions, academic seminars and other forms, which will help China’s culture spread more widely on the international stage and enhance the international community’s awareness and interest in China’s culture. By jointly promoting cultural cooperation projects with other countries, cultural mutual learning and cooperation can be promoted, including joint creation of cultural works, joint holding of cultural activities and exchange of cultural delegations. Besides, absorbing the advantages and experiences of other countries’ cultures can enrich China’s culture. For example, introducing foreign art forms, educational methods and cultural festivals will inject new elements and innovations into China culture.

Chinese modernization is closely related to Chinese excellent traditional culture, which provides an important cultural foundation and values for Chinese modernization. In the process of developing Chinese modernization, it is necessary to give full play to the positive role of traditional culture, maintain cultural self-confidence and realize cultural innovation at the same time, so as to promote the all-round modernization of China society. Through in-depth study and understanding of Chinese excellent traditional culture, China can better cope with various challenges in the process of modernization, while maintaining the uniqueness of its own culture. The inheritance and development of excellent traditional culture will promote Chinese modernization to be more balanced and harmonious, and provide strong support for the sustainable development of China society.

Author: Li Yun, Master, Associate Professor, School of Marxism, Xi ‘an Institute of Physical Education, Research direction: ideological and political education.

Source: Guangming Net