Volkswagen became having a few a laugh whilst it got here up with the Harlequin. The call and the paint scheme are possibly derived from the comedic, clownlike individual from bygone days, who wore a colourful gown and appreciated to play hints on people. Sorry Batman fans, we`re now no longer speaking approximately the bat-swinging Harley Quinn here. Actually, the complete concept became intended to be a joke... kind of.
In 1995, the European arm of Volkswagen desired to do some thing distinctive to have fun the release of its modern-day vehicle, the Polo Harlekin. It featured a brand new modular layout idea called "Baukastensystem," wherein clients ought to configure their car the usage of a colour-coded device to pick out a drivetrain, equipment, options, and paint.
VW determined it might be a laugh to pretty actually constitute its new device thru the auto's paint scheme. Some trust this concept is going lower back to the Sixties whilst advertisements confirmed a comparable multi-hued Beetle touting how clean it became to get (interchangeable) components for its little Bug. The 4 shades sprinkled at the frame had been Chagall Blue, Ginster Yellow, Pistachio Green, and Tornado Red.
The German automaker handiest supposed to make 1,000 of those circus-quilted Polos. Still, it seems that call for became sizeable sufficient to provide among 3,100 (thru Motor Biscuit) and 3,800 (thru The Truth About Cars) gadgets instead. Marketers, in no way afraid to exploit a useless horse — or a Polo on this case — determined to provide the rainbow paint task a completely constrained run in North America the subsequent yr.
VW went the more mile with the kaleidoscopic shades
In 1996, VW presented the "masses" a whopping 264 five-door Golf GL Harlequins, quite simply made synthetic in its Puebla, Mexico plant. Yes, you examine that right: hundred and sixty-4. And in a January 2021 article on The Drive, nearly 1/2 of had been nonetheless on the street as of 2019.
Every Harlequin were given sprayed totally in one of the 4 presented shades. Only after manufacturing line people completed constructing the auto had been the bolt-on outside panels eliminated and summarily swapped around (thru The Truth About Cars). Owners can inform what the authentic base colour became through searching on the rocker panels or C-pillars (thru Motor Biscuit).
But it wasn't random. Volkswagen mentioned a way to its insanity in a chart displaying which panel went on which vehicle and wherein it had to go. Another exciting tidbit is that the Chagall Blue and Pistachio Green had been exceptional European shades now no longer located on any American Golf model, in keeping with The Truth About Cars.
With this kind of constrained manufacturing run, those psychedelic Golfs do not pop up on the market very often. About a yr ago, a 'ninety six Harlequin with 78,870 at the odometer bought for $25,000. The authentic retail decal fee became $15,120, which isn't a mainly horrific funding whilst you remember maximum new motors lose approximately 15% in their fee every yr after the primary yr.
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