- The Harlequin version of the Polo was inspired by a 1964 ad of a colorful Beetle.
- The first multi-colored hatch was launched in 1995 and was limited to 1,000 units.
- VW celebrates Polo’s 50th anniversary and painted a WRC replica in the same livery.
Volkswagen is keeping the 50th anniversary celebration of the Polo going strong, this time with a rally version of the popular supermini decked out in the iconic Harlequin livery. If you’re wondering where you’ve seen this color combination before, that’s because the design is a nod to the original Harlequin cars, which are as colorful as your grandma’s quilt and just as hard to miss.
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The colorful “birthday suit” was chosen between four liveries by VW fans on social media. It combines the original Harlequin car colors such as the Chagallblau (blue), Flashrot (red), Ginstergelb (yellow), and Pistazie (green), with black graphics and “Polo 50 years” graphics.
More: This Tiny Train Stuffed With Miniature Polos Might Be VW’s Coolest Birthday Tribute Yet
The show car is a replica of the 2018 Polo R World Rallycross. The wide bodykit and oversized aero looks similar to Sebastien Ogier’s Polo R WRC that dominated the World Rally Championship by winning all four titles between 2013 and 2016. The WRC era was followed by a successful career at Rallycross, with Johan Kristoffersson clinching no less than six titles since 2017.
The Harlequin-themed subcompact hatchbacks were inspired by a 1964 ad of a colorful Beetle. The first production vehicle was the 1995 Polo Harlequin, available in a limited number of 1,000 units in Europe. Each one had four distinct colors, made possible by mixing and swapping body panels from various Polo vehicles – hence the random nature of the original livery.
Volkswagen UK
The popularity of the Polo Harlequin prompted VW to build 264 examples of the 1996 VW Golf Harlequin for North America, and 141 units of the classic Beetle Harlequin for Mexico in the following year. Fast forward to 2021, the Dutch arm of the automaker showed one-off Polo Harlequin, although this was never offered for sale.
The colorful Polo R World Rallycross made its public debut at the Bicester Motion’s springtime Scramble event in the UK, where it was showcased next to the first, second, and sixth generation of the production hatchback. Following this event, the rally car will participate in other related activities throughout 2025.
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