#prototype #golf1 #doku Volkswagen EA 276 - A prototype that paved the way for the VW Golf

Volkswagen is one of the world's most famous automobile manufacturers. A bestseller and a symbol of the German auto industry, the Golf revolutionized the automotive industry and remains a coveted car to this day. But before there was the Golf, there was a prototype called the Volkswagen EA 276 that paved the way for the successful vehicle.

Eckbert von Witzleben presented this prototype to us in Wolfsburg. The EA 276 is a development order (EA) from Volkswagen in 1969. In contrast to the then popular Volkswagen Beetle with a frame-floor body, the EA 276 has a monocoque body and front-wheel drive, with the engine and transmission at the front. This new construction offers space for four to five people and at the same time takes up less space than a Volkswagen Beetle.

The EA 276 should be made entirely of steel and have a monocoque body. This design was later adopted in the Golf. Volkswagen's goal was to build a car that meets the requirements of a passenger car, but at the same time takes up little traffic space. The prototype had an air-cooled boxer engine from Volkswagen with an output of 44 hp and a top speed of 130 km/h.

Volkswagen design was progressive in the 1960s and the EA 276 was no exception. The car featured safety features such as the restraint system and had a plastic cockpit, unlike the Beetle, which typically had a tin cockpit. The steering wheel was also a sports steering wheel with a different diameter, indicating a very sporty car.

The EA 276 interior was also progressive. The door panels were kept simple and made of plastic, which reduced the weight of the door. The window crank and door handle were similar to those of the Skoda Favorit, also indicating an advanced design.

A total of 6.24 million Volkswagen Golfs were sold until it was replaced by the Golf 2 in 1983. The EA 276 was an important milestone on the way to the emergence of the later bestseller Volkswagen Golf, which shaped not only my generation but also many others. It is questionable whether this would have been possible with this prototype, but the EA 276 undoubtedly made a significant contribution to the development of the Golf.