Citroën drew a parallel between yacht racing and the entry-level 2CV when it sponsored a boat called France 3 ahead of its participation in the 1983 Coupe de l’America. In retrospect, the association between the two was ironically well chosen: The Coupe de l’America is one of the oldest sporting events on the planet, and … Continue reading »
The Volkswagen Beetle single-handedly fought off all other European econoboxes in the United States during the 1960s, but the hunter became the hunted when small, efficient Japanese cars started growing in popularity a decade later. In order to combat dropping sales, Volkswagen launched several Beetle-based special editions that offered bespoke color combinations and a large … Continue reading »
Renault’s British division launched the limited-edition 14 Regency in 1981. Based on the range-topping TS model, the Regency was billed as an upmarket hatchback that came loaded with standard equipment and extra accessories. Visually, the Regency stood out from regular 14 models thanks to a dark red paint job (paint code 721) and two contrasting … Continue reading »
Peugeot became the official car – and one of the official sponsors – of the well-known Roland-Garros tennis tournament in 1989. It introduced a special edition of the 205 that same year in order to capitalize on the partnership. Continue reading »
Rover fielded a Mini Cooper in the 1994 edition of the Monte Carlo Rally to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the car’s first victory in the event. Finished in red with a white roof, the 1994 race car was a crowd favorite because it looked nearly identical to its 1964 counterpart – the two cars … Continue reading »
Citroën designed the 2CV Cocorico in 1986 to celebrate France’s participation in the 13th FIFA World Cup that took place in Mexico. Based on the 2CV6 Spéciale and limited to just 1,000 examples, the Cocorico landed in showrooms throughout France in July of 1986 as a 1987 model, days after Argentina won the World Cup. Continue reading »
Remembered as one of the most popular versions of the Citroën 2CV, the Charleston started life as merely the latest in a long line of special editions designed to keep sales from embarking on a free fall. It was based on the 2CV6 Spéciale and introduced in France in October of 1980. Continue reading »
Volkswagen went on a special edition spree in the early 1970s. Some, like the 1303 Big and the 1303 S GSR, were aimed at the top end of the Beetle market, but the Jeans was based on the smaller 1200cc model and targeted at a young audience. Introduced in late 1973 as a 1974 model, … Continue reading »
British Leyland launched several special edition models based on the iconic Mini in the 1980s in order to keep buyers interested in the aging city car. Although most of the limited editions consisted exclusively of aesthetic modifications, they sold fairly well and are becoming increasingly sought after today. Continue reading »
The Citroën 2CV was largely kept afloat by a wide array of limited-edition models during the last decade of its life. This enabled Citroën to make a strong business case for the car even though it was obsolete by most means of measurement. Continue reading »
