Color Theory: 1996 Volkswagen Golf Harlequin Rewind Review

No other version of the Volkswagen Golf is more emblematic of 1990s style and hues than the Harlequin, a car with a backstory as wild as its quad-color paint job. Diehard VW fans and retro car enthusiasts are familiar with the Harlequin, but the wacky hatchback only recently has enjoyed renewed appreciation.

Volkswagen originated the idea for a multicolored car in a 1964 print advertisement. The ad showed off the brand's year-to-year interchangeable parts, represented by a Beetle with mismatching body panels and fenders. The vision was actualized as a production car in the form of the Europe-only 1995 Mk3 Polo Harlequin hatchback, which wore mishmashed body panels painted Tornado Red, Chagall Blue, Ginster Yellow, and Pistachio Green. Intended as a small batch of 20 cars, consumers expressed enthusiasm for the quirky design. VW ultimately produced more than 3,000 Polo Harlequins.

The Golf version was met with initial excitement as it hit the 1995 auto show circuit, so VW North America produced 264 units at its Puebla, Mexico plant. Painted the same colors as the Polo Harlequin, the cars destined to become Golf Harlequins were monochromatic when they rolled off the assembly line. VW North America then scrambled the panels around in accordance with guidelines laid out by the brand's European headquarters. Every grille matches the front fenders, the front doors match, and the rear doors match. The original body color is detectable by the rear quarter panels, roof, and rocker panels. Inside, cloth seats feature the four exterior colors in the fabric's pattern.

However, when the production version came to the U.S., Canada, and Mexico later that year, the funky hatchback wasn't embraced in the same way as its subcompact sibling. The Golfs lingered on dealership lots—buyers didn't want to be seen driving what looked like a clown car.

Pricing began at $13,775, $150 more than a standard Golf GL, which is comparable to about $27,600 today. The Golf has traditionally represented class-agnostic ambiguity, but the Harlequin's color scheme turned an anonymous commuter car into a bold style statement.

Jaime Orr is a Volkswagen customizer, collector, and the owner of the Golf seen here. His enthusiasm for these limited-production cars runs deep; he owns three and even customized a modern Atlas SUV by giving it a similar cheerful paint scheme. Despite his fandom, Orr acknowledges the design would have been a bit much for most folks to buy as their daily driver. "It's a big commitment to showcase that [design] on the outside of yourself, all the time," Orr says. Showing up in a quad-color car doesn't feel appropriate in every scenario.

So the Golf Harlequin proved too extraverted for American tastes. VW dealers resorted to swapping their Harlequins back to monochromatic color schemes to sell off inventory, as the multicolor models became even more difficult to unload as their novelty wore off. Even as some owners treasured their cars and passed them on to other passionate VW enthusiasts, most Golf Harlequins have disappeared. Only about 100 are reported to still exist, making it one of the rarest Golfs ever produced.

As for the drive? The third-generation Golf can reasonably be called the first modern version of the brand's affordable hatchback. VW moved away from the boxy Giugiaro-penned body style and adopted a more aerodynamic look for its exterior design. The driving dynamics are more refined than the second-generation model's, and interior ergonomics are noticeably improved. There are even two cupholders in the front row.

The Golf Harlequin is based on what was the entry-level GL, so it has a 2.0-liter fuel-injected four-cylinder with 115 hp and 122 lb-ft of torque. A five-speed manual with an overdrive gear was standard, but a four-speed automatic was available. Orr's car features the former, which helps make the most of the engine's output.

The Harlequin is remarkably livable by modern standards. It's no hot hatch, but the engine has ample grunt to scoot away from a stoplight. The simple, thin steering wheel seems alien in a world of thick tillers with tons of buttons. Orr's Harlequin doesn't ask much of the driver—the steering is light, brake feedback is excellent, and the four-banger revs happily. The five-speed makes everyday driving entertaining thanks to well-spaced gearing for around-town usage. Compared to today's manuals, the clutch engages at the very top of the pedal's travel, but the Golf is still a joy to drive.

Curious onlookers couldn't get enough of the colorful compact as we navigated the streets of Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Folks seemed to understand what a Harlequin is and wanted to know if this one was genuine. One excited passerby even asked if he could buy it, but Orr isn't ready to part ways with this classic. It's easy to appreciate its appeal; a Golf Harlequin has supercar magnetism without the compromises and expensive upkeep.

Despite its commercial failure, the Harlequin succeeds as a symbol of optimism and cheer. Orr thinks it has enjoyed a resurgence as a result of the boom in '90s nostalgia. "A couple years ago, color blocking became a big thing in fashion," he says. Popular brands like Nike and Adidas have embraced the use of panels of bright colors in their apparel, a return to the neon attire popularly worn three decades ago.

Within the car community, retro car-show popularity has resurrected interest in off-beat classics from a time when today's technology was merely conceptual. There aren't many Harlequins trading hands, but those that do now fetch impressive sums. In 2021, a well-preserved Harlequin sold for more $25,000 on Bring A Trailer. A year later, a VR6-engine-swapped example sold on Cars and Bids for about the same price. Well-kept classics like Orr's serve as an affirmation that VW's creativity in the 1990s wasn't a total write-off. In fact, their initial lack of appeal has only contributed to their special aura today.