--- title: "Rare Rainbow-Bodied 1996 Volkswagen Polo Harlekin Import for Sale" description: "If you had a thing for Punky Brewster and don't mind gawkers as you drive by, this Polo Harlekin has your name written all over it." date: "2021-08-28" modified: "2021-08-29" authors: - name: "Kristin V. Shaw" job_title: "Contributor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/kristin-shaw" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/42176/rare-rainbow-bodied-1996-volkswagen-polo-harlekin-import-for-sale" categories: - "Culture" - "For Sale" - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Volkswagen News" tags: - "Volkswagen" --- # Rare Rainbow-Bodied 1996 Volkswagen Polo Harlekin Import for Sale ![]() *\www.thedrive.com\* In 1995, the special edition [Volkswagen Polo]() Harlekin (the German spelling for Harlequin) made its debut at the [Frankfurt Motor Show](). Inspired by an ad for a multicolored 1964 [Beetle](), VW planned a small production run. The market went wild for the patchwork quilt color scheme, and the German automaker ended up building more than 3,000 of these funky hatchbacks. [According to Volkswagen U.S.](), an original Harlequin Golf with manual transmission would have been priced around $13,000. With three days to go in the auction, a 1996 Euro version [is hovering around $10,000 on Rad for Sale](), [Radwood]()’s site for '80s and '90s-era cars and accessories. Said to be one of only three or four in North America, you won’t see many of these on the road. [The automaker teased us with a return of the Harlequin paint scheme earlier this year](); sadly, it was a one-off. ![message-editor%2F1630158162467-5.jpg]() **Radwood** The interesting thing about this car is that it was fairly labor-intensive. Each [Polo]() was painted with one base color: Pistachio Green, Ginsberg Yellow, Chagall Blue, or Flash Red (which was a bright crimson and called Tornado in the U.S. market). Then it was pulled from the production line and disassembled by hand, then reassembled with swapped-out body panels from other colors in a predictable, meticulous pattern. An additional layer of intrigue: the blue and green shades were not available as a paint color for this car in [Mk3 Golf]() form in North America. This particular [Radwood]() version has a Pistachio Green body shell, as evidenced by the green roof, C-pillars, and rockers. The hood, rear doors, and rear bumper are Flash Red; front bumper, front doors, and tailgate are painted in Chagall Blue; and the front fenders and radiator grille frame swathed in Ginsberg Yellow. ![message-editor%2F1630158187577-4.jpg]() *Radwood* ![message-editor%2F1630158197418-3.jpg]() *Radwood* ![message-editor%2F1630158222057-7.jpg]() *Radwood* ![message-editor%2F1630167076859-8.jpg]() *Radwood* Other combinations were as such: - Ginsberg Yellow body shell: hood, rear doors, and rear bumper in Chagall Blue; front bumper and front doors in Pistachio Green; front fenders, radiator grille frame, and tailgate in Flash. - Flash Red body shell: hood, rear doors, and rear bumper in Pistachio Green; front bumper, front doors and tailgate in Ginsberg Yellow; front fenders and radiator grille frame in Chagall Blue. - Chagall Blue body shell: hood, rear doors, and rear bumper in Ginsberg Yellow; front bumper and front doors in Flash Red; front fenders, radiator grille frame, and tailgate in Pistachio Green. This 1996 Harlekin still has its exclusive “Joker” interior, which features all four of the body colors on speckled-gray upholstery. ![message-editor%2F1630168335602-6.jpg]() *Radwood* ![message-editor%2F1630168363282-2.jpg]() *Radwood* First sold in Europe and residing in Belgium before it came to Florida, this Mk3 Polo has 179,000 kilometers (about 111,000 miles) on the clock and a clean title. The seller says there's a little rust, a few dents, and it needs a spitshine and polish, but it's otherwise ready to roll. It's a five-speed manual and the 1.0-liter four-cylinder engine is adequate to propel the Polo around town. [It's not a new Golf R but it'll do.]() If you have a thing for colorful cars ([I'm with you!]()), this Polo Harlekin has your name written all over it. *Got a tip? Send the writer a note: kristin.shaw@thedrive.com* ## Author Kristin Shaw is the former Weekend Editor for The Drive and a current freelancer in both the automotive and aviation worlds. She’s a big fan of anything car-related and calls on her technology background on the corporate side to explain engineering and high-tech concepts. Now living in her sixth state (New Jersey, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Georgia, and now Texas), she is thrilled that working from home is now mainstream. ### Author social links [Facebook]() [Instagram]() [Twitter]()