Shite Special Editions - many out there?

[Burnside]

OK so special editions are usually tarted up with free air con and CD Player, right?

 

I can think of quite a few which took it to another level. I'll start with this:

 

 

What were VW thinking when they made the Polo Harlequin? Anyone ever seen one on the UK market?

 

I've seen one around Lichfield, usually hanging around Tesco car park on a friday night with all the other local chavs!!

[overheadvalve]

There were some Citroen Gs/ GSA's......http://www.citroenet.org.uk/passenger-cars/michelin/gs/gs-04.html

Sadly i haven't seen any around for ages, still a looker though, quite refreshing compared to most cars

these days.

I have not seen a Micra Colette around for a while either.....

Anyone remember the Vauxhall Astra and Cavalier Antibies? (sp)

Bright blue or very bright red carpets iirc.

[flat4alfa]

FILA

 

 

 

LACOSTE

 

[ProgRocker]

Attn Creeping Jesus... Mk3 Astra Hallstar as promised...

 

M261 DGE by cms206, on Flickr

 

That reminds me...in the late 1990s my parents had a 1993 Astra California 1.4 (60 bhp) which was a slightly sexed up Merit version with a funeral black interior. It was a 'damaged repaired' car. They didn't have power steering as standard and my dad requested that the one he was about to buy has power steering fitted during the repair.

 

It was a bit like this one but had steelies with horrid placcy non Vauxhall trims.

[Angrydicky]

Ever heard of a Maestro Park Lane? I nearly bought one once, it was just an E reg Maestro City with 'Park Lane' stickers instead of 'City'.

 

Wasn't the City absolutely shit? Surely Park Lane suggests near Vanden-Plas luxury??

 

 

Yup, it was absolutely base spec. In fact it was down as 'City' on the V5, so I can only assume it was a ridiculously shite dealer edition.

 

Registration E169AAR

Make AUSTIN

Model MAESTRO

Description CITY

[Station]

That reminds me...in the late 1990s my parents had a 1993 Astra California 1.4 (60 bhp) which was a slightly sexed up Merit version with a funeral black interior. It was a 'damaged repaired' car. They didn't have power steering as standard and my dad requested that the one he was about to buy has power steering fitted during the repair.

 

It was a bit like this one but had steelies with horrid placcy non Vauxhall trims.

 

The California was sold along with the Arizona and Montana.

I've never heard of the Hallstar before, what spec did that have I wonder (apart from the solitary stripe down the side)?

[Morgan84]

The Vauxhall Nova 'Cassanova' of about 1987

Ford Fiesta Calypso 1992

Ford Ka/Puma Millenium

 

For the french market from 1989,there was the VW Polo 'Fancy' - All white,with light grey seats.Closest UK comparison would be a 'Fox' with the 'CL' front grille. We had to convert a french car to UK MOT requirements many moons ago - the car even had yellow headlamps which looked great against the all white exterior.

 

5017 VK 68 became F154EVG - No idea what became of it in the end,but it was a nice little motor

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

The Y10 reminded me of the Fiat Panda Shitley (sisley).

 

Stay tuned for one I spotted in Italy last year. Photobucket is painfully slow- or is that just a shitty upload speed courtesy of BT/plusnet?

[Albert Ross]

Range Rover Great Divide edtition. 1990-1991 US markets only. 409 made. They actually REMOVED things, added a brass plaque, and charged more for it!

 

[andrew e]

Was the Astra "California" the first Vauxhall/Astra with a factory fitted air-bag? They had a funky seat pattern that looked tropical fish too.

[scooters]

I've seen TWO Polo Harlequins today. Photo later if I can be arsed.

 

I worked for a VW dealer when they were new, I seem to recall the dealership being forced to take a couple by VW.

 

that's right - the dealers up here had to buy some of them...maybe they were just using up spare panels?

 

There's a RHD one of these in Edinburgh, it's parked round the corner from Scooters Towers at them moment - I will see if I can get a pic

[Luxobarges_Are_Us]

After hours of slow upload, 'ere's the Panda 4x4 Sisley in all its fecal glory:

 

 

 

...and, in case you didn't believe me, here's the special edition EVIDANZ!

[Lankytim]

Have we had the Micra-Wave yet?

[ifc63]

Have we had the Micra-Wave yet?

 

Oh yes !

 

 

One of the best was the Nissan Micra Wave

 

[Station]

Was the Astra "California" the first Vauxhall/Astra with a factory fitted air-bag? They had a funky seat pattern that looked tropical fish too.

 

They all came with steering wheel airbags when they were introduced with these trim levels (in 1995 - the phase 2 models). I think the California and the rest were just fabric trims.

 

Also the Cavalier and Astra Cesaro:

 

 

 

Astra Si - came with nice grey/black interior and Recaro seats and fluted side skirts which later appeared on the phase two GSi

 

[Albert Ross]

My 1994 Slat grille/square mirror LS Estate had an Airbag.....

[trigger]

^ I used to have a K plate Astra 1.4 Si just like the one above, it cost me £300 and was fantastic fun, It went like a rocket and sounded as beefy as hell, The rear arches were fucked though, I ended up borking the engine and selling it for £250.

[CreepingJesus]

The Mk3 Ashtray Si was a catalogue model, not a spec-ed. All of the Mk3's had seatbelt pretensioners as standard, from the outset; but the driver's crash balloons were only an option on some of the upper models.

Have the Nova Swing...damn I can't be arsed to find a pic.

What was the deal with the Mini Sprite, a spec-ed created back about '84 or so? Was it just the unique little alloys it had? 'Cos a guy I knew from school paid a few bob for a nice one, back about '90 or so. More than any of us would have bothered to lash on a fucking Mini, but he seemed to think he'd got something special. Was he onto something, or just on something?

[Father Ted]

What was the deal with the Mini Sprite, a spec-ed created back about '84 or so? Was it just the unique little alloys it had? 'Cos a guy I knew from school paid a few bob for a nice one, back about '90 or so. More than any of us would have bothered to lash on a fucking Mini, but he seemed to think he'd got something special. Was he onto something, or just on something?

 

 

998cc (though the one above had a 1300cc donkey)

Rev counter

Arch extensions (ripped off on mine)

Special Alloys (only previously avail on the Mini Special 1983

Came in Cinnabar Red or Primula Yellow

 

Dulux white roof optional.

[Father Ted]

Polo Formel E - County (pretty sure it was a dealer spec)

Stripes and County Decal on sides

Mats

Flaps

Ummmm, that is all.

[flat4alfa]

stuff

 

some might be mentioned before

 

but still.

 

GLX Malaga

 

Bamboo

 

Antibes

 

Mosaic

 

GLH-S

 

Ultra 1 and 2

 

Pullman

 

Solara Pullman

 

Arrow

 

Jubilee

 

Executive

 

Carousel

 

Crusader

 

Torslanda

 

Mary Quant

 

Lapagayo

 

Monaco

 

CSK

 

Heinz

 

280 Dernier

 

Riband, wafer biscuits, crisp and light, I’ve got those.

 

Rio, and she dances on the sand, just like that river twisting through a dusty land.

 

Ebony & Ivory,

live together in perfect harmony

side by side on my piano

keyboard

oh Lord

why don't we.

[ProgRocker]

^ some decent pics there, flat4Alfa. I too recall the Hyundai Pony Ebony & Ivory editions from c.1988. IIRC, there were also Pony & Stellar 'Gold' & 'Silver' from the same time to celebrate the 1988 Olymics in South Korea. Quite liked those 'Antibes' Vauxhalls too.

 

The Mk3 Ashtray Si was a catalogue model, not a spec-ed. All of the Mk3's had seatbelt pretensioners as standard, from the outset; but the driver's crash balloons were only an option on some of the upper models.

Have the Nova Swing...damn I can't be arsed to find a pic.

 

Yep, I recall the Astra 1.4 Si. Very smart, sporty looking car at the time. An antidote to the sky high car insurance premiums on hot hatches back in the early 1990s. Remember the red MG Maestro being joy-ridden around Oxford on the news and Jeremy Clarkson's £20,000 quote to insure an Escort Cosworth?

 

Another mark 3 Astra limited/special edition I recall from 1994/5 was the 'Arctic' , which arrived at a time when air conditioning was being fitted to more mainstream cars. I vaguely recall the TV advert for it showing a guy sitting in a car in the middle of a traffic jam in hot weather, sweating, being forced to roll up his windows to isolate himself from from other exhaust fumes, loud music from another car and then a shot of a lady in her Astra Arctic, in the same jam, comfortablly enjoying the clean cool air and peace.

 

My sister had an 84 B reg Nova Swing 1.2 in white. She bought it in 1996 for an eye watering £2,150 or thereabouts. It only had about 44,000 miles and was in A1 condition but it still seemed like a lot of dough. I had driven it a few times and was pleasantly surprised. Was damn nippy as well. After that, I wanted a Nova 1.3 SR but they always went for top money.

[R9UKE]

I vaguely recall the TV advert for it showing a guy sitting in a car in the middle of a traffic jam in hot weather, sweating, being forced to roll up his windows to isolate himself from from other exhaust fumes, loud music from another car and then a shot of a lady in her Astra Arctic, in the same jam, comfortablly enjoying the clean cool air and peace.

 

This just reminded me of the Mondeo Verona. It's amazing feature was also AC. The advert showed two kids getting an ice cream. One got into the back of the Verona, and one into some other nameless hatchback - his ice cream then melted, while the Mondeo kid just sat there looking at him while holding his perfectly shaped Whippy.

[CreepingJesus]

I wanted a Nova 1.3 SR but they always went for top money.

Me too - despite working in the trade. My wages were lousy! Anyhow, my size 11's used to catch under the parcel shelf at the base of the steering column, making driving them tricky sometimes.

I forgot about the Rangie CSK (altho' I know where there is one, parked up with the front wheels pointing in odd directions, now I think about it), wasn't that the one with the huge options list, which could see you signing for a £100k+ if you ticked everything? Or was that the Autograph?

Renault Monacos...utter class in spec-eds!

[Pete-M]

I wanted a Nova 1.3 SR but they always went for top money.

Me too - despite working in the trade. My wages were lousy! Anyhow, my size 11's used to catch under the parcel shelf at the base of the steering column, making driving them tricky sometimes.

 

I had an A reg one, with the close ratio box. Apart from a dreadfully offset driving position and not wonderful handling, it was quite good fun.

 

Red it was, I always wanted a Jamaica yellow one.

[Spottedlaurel]

Variety of Capris. I'd never heard of the GT4 before I found this brochure.

 

Ford Capri special edition brochures by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

[R9UKE]

Renault Monacos...utter class in spec-eds!

 

Ooooh yeh. Always bursting at the seems with dodgy electronic gadgets.

 

The Mark 1 Laguna Monaco came with Sat Nav... in 1998!!!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2000-RENAULT- ... 259wt_1139

[Conrad D. Conelrad]

I used to own a H reg Fiesta 1.0 that was a dealer special edition but I'm buggered if i can remember what it was called, it had a sunroof and while wheel trims and some strips on the side.

 

My Grandad had a dealer special MK5 Escort. The little silver door badges marked it out as an Escort Exclusive saloon. It came with the 1.6 engine and a sunroof but was otherwise poverty spec without even a cigarette lighter or rev counter.

[trigger]

I'd never heard of the GT4 before I found this brochure.

 

I hadn't neither until recently, Although there's two on ebay, one of which has just worked it's way onto my watch list.

 

Although funnily one of the ebay sellers (the one trying to get £7995 for his) states "it is rumoured on google that there are only 3 left in the country"

 

I've just found a 3rd for sale on pistonheads as well and a 4th that Thedoctor sold on ebay back in march!

[CreepingJesus]

I wanted a Nova 1.3 SR but they always went for top money.

Me too - despite working in the trade. My wages were lousy! Anyhow, my size 11's used to catch under the parcel shelf at the base of the steering column, making driving them tricky sometimes.

 

I had an A reg one, with the close ratio box. Apart from a dreadfully offset driving position and not wonderful handling, it was quite good fun.

 

Red it was, I always wanted a Jamaica yellow one.

 

Never even seen one in Jamaica Yellow; but there was a definite knack to pedalling them quickly. The late 1.4i's were pretty good. As was the 1.3SR one of the garage's mechanics owned, with a twin choke Weber, custom made springs and Billys!

 

Ooooh yeh. Always bursting at the seems with dodgy electronic gadgets.

 

The Mark 1 Laguna Monaco came with Sat Nav... in 1998!!!

 

Didn't realise they did Monacos that late on! Looking at it, I just can't see myself with that. The 25, or the 5, yes. But not that, somehow .

I worked for a Renault garage around 1990-91, and saw all of the original ones. They kinda made sense when you saw them all together, but some of the eccentric features just cannot be beaten. Bespoke soft luggage, and a matching umbrella...for an R5? Seats were comfy tho', they may have been worth the price tag, especially in the 25.

Ditto the R5 Turbo 'Raider'. What the hell was going on there?

"Ok Claude; we've painted it blue and put blue wheels on it. What else?"

*thinks* *Well Francois; do the interior. All of it. Seats, carpets, steering wheel, all of it." Sacre bleu...