Color me retro!
It doesn’t get much more retro than this! The 1996 Volkswagen Golf Harlequin, featuring a wild paint scheme and an even wilder story, is recently experiencing a renewed appreciation, and there are clear reasons why! Holding the title as the most emblematic of 1990s style and hues, this wackily amazing and fun hatchback is worth its weight in gold – yellow, blue, green and red to be exact! Multicolored and multifaceted, there is much to know and love about the Harlequin! See what it is all about!
Here’s more…
Its (colorful) back story!
It was in 1964 that Volkswagen originated the idea for this multicolored car, highlighting it prominently in a print advertisement which made clear the brand’s year-to-year interchangeable parts represented by a Beetle with mismatching body panels and fenders. The story goes that the inspiration behind this circus-quilt Polo Harlequin came from a brochure perused by VW staff that featured color-coded building blocks which illustrated the plethora of ways that the third-generation Polo could be optioned and personalized for buyers. That translated into a blue block for engine choices and a red theme for special equipment, and the list goes on.
No matter the true source of inspiration, though, the vision actually came to a bold, new life as a production car in the form of the Europe-only 1995 Mk3 Polo Harlequin hatchback. That vehicle was as mishmashed – yet as selective as they come, from body panels in Tornado Red, Chagall Blue, Ginster Yellow and Pistachio Green, with only a small batch – 20 to be exact – released.
As enthusiasm for this new design grew, so did the amount produced, with VW cranking out 3,000 more. A Golf version was met with equal enthusiasm upon arriving on the 1995 auto show circuit, which resulted in VW North America producing 264 units at its Puebla, Mexico plant. The path to color was the interesting part, with the first Golf Harlequins monochromatic when initially rolling off the assembly line. From there, VW moved the panels around in accordance with the guidelines laid out by the brand’s European headquarters, with every grille matching the front fenders, and the front doors matching as well as the rear door. Found by looking at the rear quarter panels, the roof and the rocker panels, the original body color was revealed, with the cloth seats featuring the four exterior colors in the fabric’s pattern!
Despite this scramble of cool colors, the combinations of which were based on how the body panels were arranged, the feedback on the production version of the hatchback was not ideal overall, and certainly not embraced the same as the subcompact sibling. Golfs did not move off the lot much at all, with customers turning away from the color-packed model, which had a bold style statement that was simply not selling. Let’s face it – quad color was not everyone’s cup of tea!
As a result, while there have been some collectors who favor this bright, bold look, most Golf Harlequins have all-out disappeared, with only about 100 reportedly still in existence, making it the rarest Golf ever produced.
Despite its disappearance, its importance and its benefits are not to be overlooked. In the area of driving dynamics, it was surely refined with interior ergonomics that were worth note. Under hood was a 2.0-liter fuel-injected fuel cylinder with 115 hp and 122 lb-ft of torque, with a five-speed manual with overdrive gear standard. A four-speed automatic was also available. It also boasted features like an airbag, sport bumpers from the GLX trim level and a combination of clear and smoked covers for exterior lighting.
Livable by modern standards, the Harlequin is still quite entertaining, both from behind the wheel and by first sight. Some still don’t want to part with the classic, and we can see why! It still represents a symbol of optimism and cheer, with it enjoying a bit of a resurgence as part of the boom in ‘90s nostalgia.
And while there are not many out there still, with the Polo never actually sold in the United States, they are fetching a handsome price tag, especially from those who kept their classic intact.
There’s something to be said for color and when that color is spread across an entire vehicle’s exterior, it is undoubtedly an eye catcher. Twenty-five years from the launch of the Polo Harlequin, VW’s Dutch importer paid homage to the original. VW North America produced a limited number of Mk3 Golf Harlequins for the 1996 show circuit, with a few cars supplied to the Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
Regardless of the feedback, the Harlequin existed for a reason. Considered the “Slinky” of the car world, it has its place in history. Color me retro! This car is a feast for the eyes!