The Volkswagen Golf Harlequin is based on the European Polo Harlequin. It has panels that are a mix of four different colors: Pistachio Green, Ginster Yellow, Tornado Red, and Chagall Blue. In the United States, the Polo Harlequin was a huge hit, but the Golf version was a disaster. Only 264 were made, and many were quickly stripped down to single colors. The Golf Harlequin, which is one of the most sought-after vintage water-cooled Volkswagens right now and is up for sale until April 9, is fun to drive, easy to live with, and a car that people who bought new cars avoid. Most Americans at the time thought it was the most colorful and unique limited print they had ever seen. But Volkswagen had every reason to think that the Golf Harlequin would be a big hit with customers. It was a North American version of the popular Mk 3 Polo Harlekin in Europe. It had the same nice cabin and body panels that were different colors. However, this well-known European artist could have done better in the United States, just like Robbie Williams and Modern Talking. People in the U.S. looked at the strange walls, asked the Harlequin, “What is that?” and then turned away. Today, people really like the Golf Harlequin’s bright and happy look, and dedicated Volkswagen owners have even changed new V.W.s to look like Harlequins. One of only 264 Harlequins ever made, this one is up for sale on Bring a Trailer, an online market owned by Hearst Autos. The Volkswagen from the 1990s is now one of the most sought-after ones, and this one is well-kept and well-equipped. Volkswagen advertised a Beetle in many colors in a famous Doyle Dane Bernbach ad from the 1960s. A later artistic thought inspired the Golf Harlequin and Polo Harlekin (spelled differently in German). In the summer of 1994, Wolfsburg made the first batch of Polo shirts in a variety of colors to show how the new Mk 3 could be made and what customization options were available. People started asking right away where they could buy one of these cars, even though they were only meant to be used by dealers and in ads. At that time, limited-edition specials made of paint, fabrics, and stickers were popular in Europe. The Citroën Saxo and Ford Fiesta, two superminis that compete with the Polo, were big fans of these. Volkswagen chose to make a thousand cars with the code name “Harlekin” and unique “Joker” plaid interior fabrics after getting a lot of excited questions about them. Because there was so much demand, a second batch of 2800 cars was made. Volkswagen of America got ideas from this and made four Golfs that were similar. These cars were tried at auto shows in late 1995. The positive reaction was enough to allow the company’s plant in Puebla, Mexico, to make a small number of 1996 cars. Like the Polo, the Golf Harlequin was made of Joker cloth and came in four different designs with four different colors: Pistachio Green, Ginster Yellow, Tornado Red, and Gamball Blue. No matter what buyers thought, the design could have been a lot better. People in the United States needed to learn about the Polo Harlekin or the Bon Jovi and Pink Floyd golf balls that were part of special editions in Europe. With its junkyard-found colorful doors and fenders, many people thought the car looked like your high school friend’s 1972 Gremlin. For Americans, it was just too strange. Some customers liked them, but most of them took a long time to sell, and by the fall, the model had been quietly taken off the market. Harlequins that were not wanted at the 1996 Olympics were sent to Jim Ellis VW in Atlanta. To get rid of them, they made some copies as solid-color cars. At first, people didn’t want the Golf Harlequin, but its cute, young look has slowly won them over. The Golf Harlequin is a cult car within a cult brand. Registries and owners’ groups closely monitor its location, and it’s worth more than other Mk 3 Golfs, even VR6-powered GTIs. Volkswagen fans, who were furious on social media this week when Volkswagen U.K. showed an ID.3 Harlequin only to find out it was an April Fools’ Day joke, still find the idea interesting. V.W. probably won’t sell another Harlequin in the U.S., let alone an ID.3, but you can still get this well-kept car with only 79,000 miles on it. The Harlequin was a standard base-model Golf G.L., with the only difference being how it looked. For an extra fee, you could get a four-speed automatic transmission instead of the five-speed manual transmission that came with all of them. A 2.0-liter, 115-hp engine powered the front wheels. Because golfers are so focused on speed, many Harlequins have been “modified” with engines like the VR6 and different suspension and wheel changes. But some owners put a lot of value on how unique their car is because it’s so rare. In any case, the Harlequin Golf is a great mix of comfort and rarity. Bits and maintenance are easy, except for the bits that make it look nice. The “2. Even though it is dependable and gets high gas mileage, the term “slow” doesn’t really excite me. Also, the Mk 3 Golf is a great car to drive no matter what engine it has, and this one comes with nice features like air conditioning and a tape player. The color design, on the other hand, will stand out, and Harlequin owners are often asked about their dogs wherever they go. Bid until April 9 if you want to own something really unique that will make people talk about you.
