Claim: Irish Car of the Year was first received by the Volkswagen Golf Diesel, a compact car produced by the German automotive manufacturer Volkswagen, in 1978 and was received by the Volkswagen Derby a year after.
Evidence: 1978 Volkswagen Golf (Diesel) 1979 Volkswagen Derby Volkswagen The first receiver of the award was the Volkswagen Golf Diesel, when it received the inaugural award in 1978.