No stranger to a hodgepodge of colourful panels, Volkswagen has decided to commemorate the Harlequin design’s 50th anniversary by way of this bold and bright Polo R World Rallycross car.
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Instantly recognisable as a Volkswagen product, the German automaker has now unveiled a vibrant Harlequin-themed livery on a Polo R World Rallycross (WRX) show car to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Polo. Revealed at the Bicester Motion spring Scramble event in the UK, the livery was selected through a global online poll, allowing fans to choose from four designs inspired by the 1990s Polo Harlequin edition.
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The winning design features a 1980s-style pop-art pattern incorporating the original Harlequin colours: Chagall Blue, Flash Red, Ginster Yellow, and Pistachio Green. This livery adorns a replica of Johan Kristoffersson’s championship-winning WRX car and will be featured on other Polo rally cars during celebratory events later this year. Alongside the WRX show car, Volkswagen showcased four other Polo models at the event, representing the model’s evolution over five decades: a 1975 Polo GLS Mk1 in Inari Silver, a Cherry Red Mk2 Polo, the current-generation Polo Black Edition, and a sporty locally-produced Polo GTI in blue and black.
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Mike Orford, Head of PR and Communications at Volkswagen UK, commented, “The Polo is a model that resonates with so many people for different reasons. They might have been fans of the Polo rally cars as they dominated world championships over the years, their parents might have owned a Mk1 or Mk2 Polo, or it might have been the car in which they learned to drive. Whatever the reason, the Polo is a special and enduring model for Volkswagen, and that’s why it is great when we get to celebrate these milestone moments in such a colourful way.”
As a reminder, all global production of the Polo and Polo GTI is done locally at Volkswagen Group Africa’s Kariega facility, in the Eastern Cape.
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