Volkswagen first started producing vehicles in South Africa in 1951 with the all-conquering VW Beetle. However, the Volkswagen plant in Uitenhage became world-famous primarily for the Golf. To be more precise, the Golf Mk1, which started production there in 1978.

With production of the VW Beetle winding down in the ‘70s, VW Germany approached Italian designer Giorgetto Giugiaro to come up with designs for a compact new hatchback and thus the legendary Golf was born. The Golf I was introduced in South Africa in 1978. VW launched the Golf Mk2, called "Jumbo Golf" in South Africa in 1984, the new Golf was significantly more modern, larger and more comfortable than its predecessor - but also more expensive. Possibly too expensive for the entry level segment, which is extremely important in Africa. Volkswagen South Africa therefore decided to simply continue building the Golf Mk1 in parallel with its successor using the existing production facilities.

In 1984 the Citi model, based on the Golf Mk I, went into production at VW's plant in Uitenhage as an entry-level vehicle slotted beneath the subsequent generations of the ever-growing Golf model. Volkswagen SA hired the creative agency of Rightford, Searle-Tripp, Makin (RS-TM), led by creative director Mel Miller, the inspiration came from images of the brightly coloured Muizenberg beach change rooms which he had used in a previous ad campaign. Jenni Button, now a well-known fashion designer, was inspired by the Dutch artist Piet Mondrian, who painted red, yellow, and blue squares on a white background. The famous line ‘Get the freedom of the Citi’ was the brainchild of art director Brian Plimsoll. And so, the Citi Golf was born.

It sounds almost like a fairy-tale, but the idea worked perfectly. The Citi rushed from one sales record to the next and the "new life" of the Golf Mk1 lasted well into the 21st century. It wasn't until August 21st, 2009, that the last one came off the production line - an incredible 26 years after the end of production in Germany! Today, ten years later, thousands of Citi Golf still run and run in South Africa. The Golf Mk1 has become an icon there as well as in Germany and many other countries of the world.

In 2009 Volkswagen ended production of the Golf Mk I model in South Africa and announced that a limited edition of 1,000 Citi Mk1's (based on the Golf I) would be made as a commemorative series Limited Edition Citi Golf, aptly branded as the Citi Mk1. The Limited-Edition Citi Mk1 would be fitted with a 1.6 litre petrol and would only come in two colours, black and shadow blue metallic. Each unit built was registered with VW HQ and carries its series number on the dashboard and on the Mk1 logo on the exterior.