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Ratty Rescue: Patchwork Hatchback

Today’s Ratty Rescue could be the oddest car Volkswagen sold in the United States. This colorful little hatchback needs a new owner. If you’ve ever wanted something that looks like it travels with Ringling Brothers, then this 1996 Harlequin Golf may be the car for you.

Harlequin Golfs have an intriguing history. The first Harlequin model was actually a German-market Polo. Originally, VW execs expected to sell only 1,000 of these multi-color hatchbacks, but they were so popular, they cranked out over 3500 of them. For some unknown reason, they thought Americans might love a similar limited-edition Golf. So in 1996, the Puebla assembly plant built 66 Golf GLs in each of these four colors: Ginster Yellow, Chagall Blue, Pistachio Green, and Tornado Red. Puebla workers then swapped all of the removable body panels onto other cars in a specific pattern. The pattern ensured each body panel was never next to a body panel of the same color. Rather ingenious.

The 264 Harlequin Golfs then made their way to very puzzled dealerships. Many sat for months before they sold (and a great discount). There are even rumors of dealerships gathering multiple Harlequins, disassembling them, then reassembling them into single-color cars.

[See image gallery at www.vwvortex.com]

This 1996 Harlequin Golf looks to be in decent condition. While the classified ad is brief, it contains the basic information. This is car #133 of 264. It has the standard 2.oL four-cylinder engine mated to a manual transmission. The car sits on what appear to be 15″ 5 spoke GTI wheels. Harlequins came with 4×100 wheels, so this one’s running adapters or it’s been converted to 5 lugs.

There are some questionable items on the car. First is the rebuilt title, courtesy of a “fender bender.” Second is the re-spray of the stock colors. Third is the black leather interior that replaces the original cloth seats. And fourth is the “dimpled” dashboard from a later-model Cabrio. Mileage is not listed.

You can see the car in Quakertown Pennslyvania, or check out the ad on thesamba.com. They’re asking $5000 or “make offer.” While the price may be a little steep, Harlequin Golfs often command a premium over standard models. If you’re looking for what may be the oddest limited edition Volkswagen sold on on our shores, this should be your next car.

The post Ratty Rescue: Patchwork Hatchback appeared first on VWVortex.



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