30 Year Old Celebrates 30th Birthday With New Golf

Despite a high-profile style magazine recently claiming that 30 is the new 21, many new-to-the-club 30-year-olds find it hard to celebrate the big 3-0 with a great deal of cheer and delight.

But Richard Godden from Uxbridge in Middlesex certainly has cause to crack open a bottle or two of bubbly, thanks to Volkswagen.

To mark the launch of the fifth generation Golf, the company began a nationwide search to track down all those individuals who were due to turn 30 on 30th January 2004. Not only does this date mark the on-sale date of the new Golf, but 2004 signals the 30th anniversary of the debut of the first version of Volkswagen’s best-seller. By entering their details on a special website, these individuals were automatically entered into a draw to win a new Golf.

Out of the estimated 1,800 individuals in the UK who were born on 30th January 1974, around 1,225 entered, spurred on by an extensive internet and radio-based advertising campaign.

Richard Godden’s name was selected at random, and so he is preparing to take delivery of a new car, a five-door SE 1.6-litre FSI.

Mr Godden said: ‘I couldn’t believe it when I received the call from Volkswagen.

I thought it was a wind-up. But after they’d convinced me I’d won, I was delighted.

I currently drive a Ford Focus but am really looking forward to having the new Golf parked outside my house.’ He added: ‘Turning 30 was bound to be memorable, but this has made it a great day – for all the right reasons!’

The new Golf was recently awarded one of the motor industry’s highest accolades, the What Car? magazine Car of the Year title. Combining high levels of driving enjoyment with refinement, advanced technology and class-leading safety features, the Golf brand is set for its next 30 years.