So Long, Citi Golf
After gracing our roads with its iconic boxy shape for a quarter of a century, the time has come for South Africa to bid the legendary Citi Golf a fond farewell.
When Volkswagen SA announced late last year that it would no longer be producing the Citi Golf at its plant in Uitenhage, the news filled many South Africans with outrage and sadness. This entry level car has become a ubiquitous and well loved feature on our country’s roads. In fact, the Citi Golf holds the title as the best-selling hatchback in South African motoring history. But in addition to its humble and supremely practical spirit, the Citi Golf’s distinct outline has come to symbolise a treasure trove of memories.
“I was totally in love with the first Golf I had as a student,” remembers Shannon Manders, an editor who currently resides in London. “I got it from my parents for Christmas one year. My dad went out to collect my grandparents for lunch, and he returned in the Golf. He drove up the driveway and just started hooting. I had no idea what was going on, but when I went outside, there it was. It had a bright red ribbon on the dashboard. I hadn’t learnt to drive yet, so I spent the whole day just sitting in the driver’s seat and imagining the adventures I would have.”
Leány Erasmus, a senior account executive who works for a Jozi-based PR company, recalls a similar memory about her first car – a “beautiful, kitsch-green Citi Golf”. “When I first got it, I didn’t have my license yet, so I was not allowed to drive it. I bought a pretty key ring and kept opening it and just sitting inside for hours, daydreaming about when I would be able to zip around in it on my own. It was my first real step towards independence.”
When Volkswagen first introduced the Citi Golf to the South African market, it was meant to supersede the Golf 1, which had been popular since its release in 1978. The 1984 release of the bigger, more expensive Golf 2 was bound to leave a gap in the entry level market, and so it was decided that the Golf 1 would be reincarnated as the Citi Golf. With its fresh and vibrant new look, the Citi Golf was targeted at first time car owners and students in the 18 – 24 age group, such as Manders and Erasmus were at the time.
“I have moved on to another car, but will remember my Golf fondly,” says Erasmus. “It was absolutely great value for money; a neat little car that was light-as-air on fuel, and affordable. They were, and still are, everywhere on the road. I love the sound of their engines – it is quite distinctive.”
Robert Szabo, an English teacher who currently resides in Lisbon, also drove a Citi Golf as a student. “It was small, simple, easy to park, and easy to get parts,” Robert remembers, adding that the car’s clean, unpretentious design added to its appeal. “The Citi Golf is understated, almost anonymous.”
Some 377,484 Citi Golfs have been sold in South Africa in the 25 years of its existence, and when Volkswagen SA MD, Dave Powels, addressed the media in November last year, he made it clear that the decision to stop producing the Citi Golf was not based on a lack of demand. Powels announced that the continued production of the Citi Golf at the Uitenhage plant was simply not commercially viable. He also attributed the decision to drastic changes in consumer needs. In a rapidly progressing vehicle industry, consumers are becoming more sophisticated and adjusting their expectations accordingly – especially regarding safety and technology.
To give South Africans an opportunity to pay homage to the Citi Golf, Volkswagen SA introduced a final limited edition of the vehicle, named the Citi MK1. Only 1,000 of these collectors’ cars were produced, and each unit boasts a unique number (from 1 to 1,000) embossed on the dashboard and incorporated in its exterior logo.
The discontinuation of the Citi Golf will no doubt leave a hatchback-shaped hole in the South African motoring industry, but Volkswagen SA has every intention of filling this with the introduction of a different vehicle. It has not yet been made known which car this would be, but speculative reports predict a stripped-down version of the Polo. Volkswagen SA indicated that they will announce the replacement early this year.
According to Leány Erasmus, her green Citi Golf symbolises “freedom and independence; my first step into adulthood”, and many South Africans no doubt cherish similar memories. Only time will tell whether the Citi Golf’s substitute will be able to fill its tyre-tracks and become as much of a legend.
Story by Jacqueline Cochrane/ www.jacquelinecochrane.com
