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A MAJOR car brand is discontinuing one of its iconic models as it pivots towards an all-electric future.
The industry giant has announced it will phase out one of its most popular petrol cars as it focuses on producing EVs going forward.
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VW chief Thomas Schafer confirmed in April that the company does not plan to develop another internal-combustion-powered model of the legendary Golf.
First launched in 1974 as the successor to the wildly popular Beetle, the Golf has been a favourite of petrolheads ever since.
Somehow seen as both the perfect ride for the average Joe and a true connoisseur's motor, it was described by former Top Gear host James May as "the only car that really needs to exist".
May is just one of many famous faces to have owned a Golf in the past five decades, including Princess Diana, Kate Middleton and Pope Benedict XVI.
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The most recent version, the Mk8, was launched in 2020 and is now expected to be the last in the lineup to be powered by fossil fuels.
It has already been succeeded by the electric ID.3 well before the end of its life cycle in around 2027/28.
The Mk8 is scheduled for some minor updates next year before production tails off in the next few years.
From there, VW has made clear its commitment to cracking the EV market.
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As a German manufacturer that sells predominantly in Europe, the decision comes in good time for the planned bans on all new petrol and diesel cars coming into force in the UK in 2030 and the EU in 2035.
Thousands in this country have backed The Sun's Give Us A Brake campaign to delay the ban, but this is unlikely to be of any help to the Golf's future prospects.
However, its legend will surely live on forever as the ultimate people's car while its racing pedigree has secured its place in motorsport history.
And while the EVs that come after it may be able to recapture its revolutionary spirit, even the most seasoned petrolhead would have to admit that we may not see its like again.
The news comes after an expert mechanic revealed why he believes EVs are one big scam.
Meanwhile, a former TV star discovered a stunning classic Aston Martin in a shed in Devon, only to learn it was once owned by a "real-life James Bond".