The VW Polo Harlequin has become a sought-after icon, but not all special editions are winners
Senior news reporter Alastair Crooks ponders the hit-or-miss practice of special editions and limited-run cars that brands love to produce
Producing limited or special-edition models can be something of a dark art. This sales tactic has given us some truly great cars. They can celebrate all manner of things, such as motorsport success (the Mitsubishi Evo VI Tommi Makinen), a film (the Ford Mustang Bullitt) or in the case of the Volkswagen Golf GTI Clubsport 45, even the car itself.
There are also limited-run versions, which are sometimes reserved for supercars or models that are difficult to produce, such as the Mercedes-AMG G 63 6x6.
Most of these cars have strong residual values, helped by their low numbers compared with standard production-run versions. That typically creates demand, which often results in a long waiting list.
But what of the ‘special editions’ of fairly regular cars that don’t require you to purchase several other models from the same manufacturer just to get an opportunity to buy? You can probably guess who we’re referring to here.
Earlier this summer, for example, we saw the Fiat 500e gain the ‘Giorgio Armani edition’, featuring some extra kit and a few subtle exterior paints and trims. Something tells me it won’t capture the imagination of the public in the same way as, say, the Volkswagen Polo Harlequin of the nineties. That was a difficult sell when the VW was launched, thanks to its wild multi-colour design, but has become a sought-after icon.
In France, the Peugeot 208 gained a ‘Rallye’ edition in 2023, which was offered by a franchised Peugeot dealer. Despite the only changes being some wonderfully nineties Peugeot Talbot Sport stickers, steel wheels and body-coloured wheelarches, it looked great and expertly capitalised on the nostalgia of the brand’s original 106 Rallye.
In a very similar fashion, there was the MINI 1499 GT, based on the previous-generation Cooper. A quick scour online shows that these hold their value well against the regular MINI, helping to offset the slightly higher price tag at launch.
To some, these might sound like cynical exercises in marketing, and there have been examples where this has been the case. Aiming to appeal to Marvel fans, the 2019 Hyundai Kona Iron Man cost £27,735 when new (£5,855 more than the car on which it was based), but now you can pick it up for the same price as the lesser-equipped Premium trim level – a painful drop in price if you bought it brand new, and proof that not every special edition is a winner.
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