Desirable limited editions

[chaseracer]

1 hour ago, sierraman said:

Ford Sierra Azura!

URRGH.

Domestic Management was lent one for a few weeks while the leasing company sourced her 106.  Hard to start, nasty to drive, and 'ran on' like a bastard.  I quite liked the Sierra up till that point...

[davocano]

VW Golf Pirate Edition.

 

[dozeydustman]

15 hours ago, chaseracer said:

205 Inca is for WINNARS, clearly*... 😃

205s are for WINNARS full stop.

[Wilko220]

Just spotted this on a Clio. Presumably got a fancy radio

 

[Timewaster]

6 hours ago, sierraman said:

Ford Sierra Azura!

The shortest lived car i ever had. Bought off a mates dad for £100 on the understanding that it " breathes a bit".

Picked it up about 10am, drove it about 5 miles home, had a look under the bonnet, standard  1.8cvh but quite oily.

Had a cup of tea and thought I'd take it to the garage and pressure wash it under the bonnet to see where it was leaking from.

Drove to work to get some Gunk (1.5miles), drove to the first garage (half a mile) jet wash out of order, drove to tescos, (another half a mile)  jet wash frozen up.

Pulled out of Tescos, got 20 yards before an alarming banging noise from under the bonnet followed by a FTP.

I guilted my mate (who's dads car it was) to come and tow me home..

Pulled the rocker cover off expecting to see broken bits but it looked fine. Turned the engine with a spanner on the crank and everything moved as it should.

I concluded that:

A. It was fucked in some way probably beyond my ability.

B. It was bloody cold  outside and I couldn't be arsed with it.

C. Once I took any bits I wanted for my other Sierra, the banger boys would give me my money back and take it away.

Total, 8 miles and less than 2 hours.

[quicksilver]

5 hours ago, Inspiral_Mondays said:

Don‘t know whether they made it to the UK, but in Germany in the mid nineties VW marketed the Golf Pink Floyd, Golf Rolling Stones and Golf Genesis based on the Mk3 Golf. I guess the dull, flabby, middle of the road, past its prime nature of the Mk3 Golf fitted in well with the choice of bands. Here‘s the Golf Pink Floyd.

We got a Polo Genesis in the UK. A bit weird as it was based on the poverty-spec Fox so it lacked basics like a glovebox lid but had tinted glass and a nice sunroof; strangely for a music-themed edition no upgraded stereo though. The European Genesis is much nicer as it was based on the G40 and is quite desirable, especially the one and only RHD example built as a competition prize.

[AndyW201]

On 31/01/2021 at 10:43, Inspiral_Mondays said:

In the early 90s, Mercedes offered the last of line W201 in Germany as a special edition called Avant Garde in the days before it became a trim level. It came in 3 flavours, Rosso, Verde and Azzurra. All came with extra toys and the Azzura was equipped with the 2.3litre 4 cylinder engine as standard and a really far out interior with each seat in a different colour.

These are hugely sought after in Germany these days.

 

The German spec run-out 190s were rather better than the 'LE' models we got, which were either a basic 1.8 or 2.0 with a few options off the list thrown in, 8 hole alloy wheels, walnut instead of zebrano trim and metallic paint (Astral silver and, available for the only time on the 190, Rosso red and Azzuro blue).

I've owned several 190s going from absolutely rock bottom 1.8 manual to full on luxo spec 2.6 sportline, but a 2.3 Azzuro remains on my bucket list!

[robinmasters]

12 hours ago, davocano said:

VW Golf Pirate Edition.

 

The Golf Yarr32?

[Cento16v]

14 hours ago, sierraman said:

Ford Sierra Azura!

I remember going with my Dad to pick up his Sierra, I was about 5 I think so 1992.

We got to the Ford dealer ( Shipley Ford), it was dark, and I'll always remember this as I've no idea why he did it.

There was a choice of 2, a j plate Silver Azure 1.8 5 door with colour coded bumpers and mirrors, or the one he chose, a red H plate 2.0 5 door LX hatchback with black bumpers and mirrors.

5 year old me thought the Silver one was very nice, I'll ask him next time I see him why he bought the dog cock red one.

 

[Bitzer]

22 hours ago, Inspiral_Mondays said:

Don‘t know whether they made it to the UK, but in Germany in the mid nineties VW marketed the Golf Pink Floyd, Golf Rolling Stones and Golf Genesis based on the Mk3 Golf. I guess the dull, flabby, middle of the road, past its prime nature of the Mk3 Golf fitted in well with the choice of bands. Here‘s the Golf Pink Floyd.

I believe there was also a "Bon Jovi" one - or was it a Polo?

Anyway, I quite like this (I mean, not the car itself, but the idea):

 

 

[Talbot]

The special edition that stands out in my mind as being utterly absurd was the Talbot Horizon and Solara "summertime special" models.  Basically a 1.3 Horizon or 1.6 Solara that had a cheap nasty aftermarket pop-up sunroof cut into it.  I only ever saw one (Horizon) once, and it was already in a scrapyard in 1993.  The one I saw also had the most astonishing bright red dashboard plastics fitted to it.  I'd never seen that before or since, not sure if it was part of the special edition or not.  Either way, it must have been the most awful migrane-inducing experience to drive it.  No real surprise it was in a breakers.

[Inspiral_Mondays]

On 1/31/2021 at 7:33 PM, AndyW201 said:

The German spec 190s were rather better than the 'LE' models we got, which were either a basic 1.8 or 2.0 with a few options off the list thrown in, 8 hole alloy wheels, walnut instead of zebrano trim and metallic paint (Astral silver and, available for the only time on the 190, Rosso red and Azzuro blue).

I've owned several 190s going from absolutely rock bottom 1.8 manual to full on luxo spec 2.6 sportline, but a 2.3 Azzuro remains on my bucket list!

The 190 is on my bucket list, preferably a 2.6. An elderly neighbour had one until relatively recently which he‘d owned since more or less new. The thing that struck me was how tiny it was compared to modern Golfs etc.

[Inspiral_Mondays]

12 hours ago, Bitzer said:

I believe there was also a "Bon Jovi" one - or was it a Polo?

Anyway, I quite like this (I mean, not the car itself, but the idea):

 

 

You‘re right, there was a Golf Bon Jovi, here it is.

The Polo in the picture is a Harlequin. There was a limited production run originally as a marketing gag, but they proved to be so popular that (in Germany at least) it became part of the regular line up for a while. The 90s was a truly strange time.

[Bitzer]

16 minutes ago, Inspiral_Mondays said:

The 90s was a truly strange time.

90s were 60s reloaded. Great times between the fall of The Wall and 11th of September.

Given how the cycle repeats with each generation, we should be living in 90s reloaded now.

[Bren]

I did my work experience at the long dead AR dealership in Widnes. One of the mechanics had a cav commander. Such was the high payments v low wages he used to borrow money for the tea machine.

Sierra Azura? Did many miles in K407 OLV - a silver estate which was a company car. Would happily wind the 1.8 CVH up to the kind of three figure speeds that would get you in court. When the first engine died it got a recon engine. It was swapped for a brand new P reg escort. Not a patch on the sierra.

Remember the Granada consort in 2.0 and 2.3 flavour? Green and Grey paint.

I also remember mid 90's escort and fiesta Si - my brother was toying with getting the escort. He had a lucky escape.

My mate had a last of the line escort with some kind of badge commemorating it as one of the last. Thank fuck. 

[stuboy]

On 1/31/2021 at 1:03 PM, Cento16v said:

There was a choice of 2, a j plate Silver Azure 1.8 5 door with colour coded bumpers and mirrors, or the one he chose, a red H plate 2.0 5 door LX hatchback with black bumpers and mirrors.

azure 1.8 maybe a cvh and 2.0 the 8v dohc?

[Cento16v]

1 hour ago, stuboy said:

azure 1.8 maybe a cvh and 2.0 the 8v dohc?

I'm not sure, but the Silver one looked a lot better than the red one he chose!

The 2.0 was probably better for towing the caravan though! It had glass windows and weighed an awful lot!

[chaseracer]

On 01/02/2021 at 09:20, Bitzer said:

Anyway, I quite like this (I mean, not the car itself, but the idea):

What colour shall I do the other rear door...?

🤫

[Bitzer]

Very nice combination, indeed. In this case, I would be personally inclined to have the rear doors painted the same color as the front ones. I believe this was the paint scheme used on bicolor 2CVs?

 

[puddlethumper]

What about a nice red door. I'm not for the symmetry of the same as the front door. A bit staged.

What's half a Harlequin ? A clown ? 

[rovamota]

1998 Rover 200 BRM. 

Rover 200 BRM development story - the UK's most underrated hot hatch (aronline.co.uk)

[GMcD]

Another Mx5. 1999 Sport Edition:

300 made in Blue. 300 in Red. 

Blue  - A 1.8iS with blue interior, aircon, similar body bits to the RS model, foglights and a spoooowtaaaaah badges. Think it came with a hardtop too.  I've kept it longer than any other car, so guess its desirable to me at least. 

[rickvw72]

Scrapper friend had a wrecked clio on his wagon, roof squashed in etc. 
it was a MTV edition, which was a thing, I’m sure years ago a mate had one, which jogged my mind.

[chaseracer]

On 02/02/2021 at 19:28, puddlethumper said:

What about a nice red door. I'm not for the symmetry of the same as the front door. A bit staged.

What's half a Harlequin ? A clown ? 

That would be appropriate!

[AndyW201]

One that I had years ago, in that strange period when I ended up having three new K11 Micras in the space of five years.

The Micra Mystique started off as a very limited edition, only one per UK dealer.

Back in late 1999, I was the happy owner of R383 UEF, a slightly modified red 1.3 Si.

I took it to the dealer to book it in for a service (I had been given 3 years free servicing and insurance with it). While waiting, I had a  quick browse around the showroom, and my jaw dropped. There was the Mystique that had been allocated to Reg Vardy Middlesbrough. It was kind of created as a little brother to the fabled Primera GT Mystic, which also featured a Chromoflair colour change paint job. The Mystique was based on the little-seen SE, which was a 5 door version of the slightly sporty 3 door Si, with basically everything from the options list thrown at it. It came with the Chromoflair paint, ABS, alloy wheels, power steering, air con, sliding glass sunroof, remote central locking, electric windows, Clarion removable front CD player,  front spotlights, rear headrests and rear spoiler. Quite a spec for a supermini at the time.

The necessary business was done and V452 GAJ was mine! I added the 15" Team Dynamics alloy wheels and the DTM bumper splitters  from the red car, lowered it 30mm on Apex springs and loved it, it was a real head turner. I have some pics of it but can I bollocks find them? As a bonus I was allowed to carry over the rest of the free insurance and servicing from the red car...

Then Nissan went and made a shed load more! Apparently when the original batch of V reg ones were sold, they went and made a shit load more due to demand, the second batch all being on W plates.

[Fumbler]

5 minutes ago, AndyW201 said:

 

The Micra Mystique started off as a very limited edition, only one per UK dealer.

I remember passing one of these on the M25 a veeeeery long time ago. The paint was so cool, never seen anything like it before.

My brother says they did the same thing to the Primera around the same time. It's his dreem saloon but they seem to be rare as rocking horse shit.

[robinmasters]

On 2/1/2021 at 9:38 PM, Inspiral_Mondays said:

You‘re right, there was a Golf Bon Jovi, here it is.

The Polo in the picture is a Harlequin. There was a limited production run originally as a marketing gag, but they proved to be so popular that (in Germany at least) it became part of the regular line up for a while. The 90s was a truly strange time.

The least reliable of all Golfs, it only gets you halfway there. 

[Wilko220]

Don't know how I'd managed to forget about this until now, but I once owned a Peugeot 306 "Miami".

This is me photographed at the time.

This was essentially a base model 306 except that it had an electric sunroof - particularly quirky given that all the windows were manual. 

Anyway, it's pictured in all its glory* here should anyone be interested. DVLA says it's dead now, unfortunately.

[GeordieInExile]

On 2/6/2021 at 5:08 PM, Fumbler said:

I remember passing one of these on the M25 a veeeeery long time ago. The paint was so cool, never seen anything like it before.

My brother says they did the same thing to the Primera around the same time. It's his dreem saloon but they seem to be rare as rocking horse shit.

They did an Almera with two tone paint as well iirc.

[Wilko220]

This is allegedly a "very collectable" 50th anniversary edition of which only 300 were made...

 

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Land-Rover-Freelander-Soft-Top-50th-Anniversary-Collectors-Limited-Edition-1999/154306613789?hash=item23ed64121d:g:K8IAAOSwyOxgDyeq