1998 Volkswagen Golf Mk4 Rally Burago 1:24

The Volkswagen Golf Mk3 is a compact car/small family car, the third generation of the Volkswagen Golf and the successor to the Volkswagen Golf Mk2, which was produced by Volkswagen from August 1991 (for the 1992 model year) to 2002 (for cabrio convertible). It was launched in mainland Europe in August 1991, in the United Kingdom in February 1992, and in North America in the spring of 1994. The delay in North America was due to Volkswagen's decision to supply U.S. and Canadian dealerships with Mk3 Golfs (and A3 Jettas) from the VW plant in Puebla, Mexico. Quality control problems led Volkswagen of America to reject Golfs and Jettas from Mexico; shortly thereafter labor unrest at the plant delayed production there even further. The third-generation Golf and Jetta first appeared in North America as 1993 models in the San Diego, California area and in Canada, then in the autumn in the rest of North America as 1995 models. The Mk3 Cabrio replaced the Volkswagen Cabriolet, which continued the original Golf until 1994, although the original Golf, sold as Rabbit in the United States and Canada ceased sales in 1984. The Mk3 Cabrio continued until the 2002 model year, when Volkswagen replaced it with a convertible version of the Volkswagen New Beetle. Like the previous two generations, it was supposed to be built at the TAS factory in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, when the car was first released, the Yugoslav War broke out, leading to the destruction of the factory. Thanks to this, TAS went bankrupt in 1995. This meant it was the only Golf before the Mk4 not to be built in Bosnia and Herzegovina, although a single Mk3 managed to roll off the assembly line in Sarajevo, its fate being unknown. The Mk3 was sold in Japan alongside the Polo, where both vehicles were in compliance with Japanese Government dimension regulations that encouraged sales. A 1993 UK advert featured the Bluebells song Young At Heart which resulted in a 4-week spell at Number 1 thanks to the popularity of it.

The Volkswagen Golf Mk3 was replaced with the October 1997 (model year 1998) introduction of the Volkswagen Golf Mk4.