Special edition cars are supposed to be fun and make owners feel like they struck lucky with their cars, considering they are such rare in numbers. And mostly, they end up being perfect, like the Ford Mustang Cobra R or the Mercedes-Benz AMG Hammer…
But sometimes, these special edition cars are so out there that they end up looking bizarre, and their limited production numbers are more of a relief than a regret. Why are they made? Well, one man’s trash is another’s a treasure, right?
And sometimes the big brains at automobile companies overcalculate the success rate of a special-edition vehicle and go with ideas that are way out there. So out there that no one wants to touch them with a barge pole. Of course, over time, even the ugliest of cars can suddenly jump up in value in the collector’s bazaar but even so, these ten special edition cars might prove too strange even for collectors of all things weird.
10 Skoda Felicia Fun: A Bit Too Wacky
At a time when Volkswagen was bearing down on brands like the Skoda, the latter decided to pump up the “fun” factor in their cars, by launching the Skoda Felicia “Fun” – a limited edition pickup model in blinding canary yellow, with back seats that slid out like a tray into the pickup bed. While the cars do sound fun, this limited edition was a UK launch, 300 in number, where the elements are always inclement. When it rains, it pours and when it snows, well, it nearly avalanches, leaving the backseat passenger out there to catch their death of pneumonia. Not much fun, was it?
9 Ferrari 599 China Limited Edition: Too Oriental
Most of the people who saw this “China-inspired” Ferrari, thought of it as a Ming-inspired cracked vase. We kid you not, only, the dynasties are wrong. This very, very strange one-off Ferrari 599 was auctioned in 2009 for $1.77 million and was inspired by the Ge Kiln pottery patterns of the Dong dynasty. And yes, they do look cracked, because the glaze pattern was made to look like that. Just a few hundred of these Ge Kiln porcelain exists today, each worth a ton of money. Much like the car here that had a started button encrusted with jade.
8 Volkswagen Beetle Mona Lisa: Far Too Artsy
The Mona Lisa is one of the most famous and treasured art pieces of the modern world and calls The Louvre in Paris it's home. But a Beetle, rather a New Beetle with a Mona Lisa air-painted on its side mostly belongs to the circus and has no place in the world of automobiles. It's fair to be a Leonardo DaVinci fan or just a Mona Lisa aficionado, but putting the smiling lady on a Bug or any car for that matter is a bit much. Right? Even if it’s one owner’s dream rather than a special edition.
7 BMW i8 Memphis Style: Colorful Caricature
The Memphis Group was an Italian design firm that created some signature looks for clients in the ‘80s with colorful if OTT graphics. Having a very futuristic BMW i8 done up in Memphis style aesthetics is like driving a caricature down the road. Only, because the BMW is so futuristic, it kind of works out a little, and let’s be honest – having this on the road means every eye on it. Even if some love it and others hate it. The perfect amalgamation of all things advanced, and mafioso.
6 Nissan Altima Special Forces TIE Fighter: May The Force...
A bit much, right? Well, who doesn’t love a good Star Wars special edition? For Nissan, they decided to up their ante and tie up the Nissan Altima with the Special Forces TIE Fighter, and make a car so insane, only hardcore Star Wars fans could appreciate it. If you could tear your eyes away from the custom wheels and that 3D full-body wrap, do have a look at the windshield as well. And the car is also equipped with blasters, for a pew-pew sound effect that is. No zapping other cars allowed.
5 Fiat Kung Fu Panda: Way Too Much Martial Art
If you have kids, this black and white monochromatic car should be a breeze for you to place. It’s a Fiat Panda, specially made to promote the Kung Fu Panda movie, of which there are now three. Also, if you have kids, we are pretty sure you remember each painful dialogue in all the movies. The Fiat Panda is a real car, only this one has been modified to look more like the toon character. In case you missed it, do check out the front headrests for some Jack Black / Kung Fu Panda fun.
4 Volkswagen Golf Harlequin: When Color Is Hard To Decide
This first thing that comes to mind when you look at this multi-colored VW monstrosity that goes by VW Golf Harlequin, is that it is missing a pointed hat and some jingly bells. Because that what court jesters used to wear. Why was it made? An ode to a VW Beetle ad of the ‘60s that showed that any time you dented any panel of the Bug, you could replace it with a new one, creating a jigsaw puzzle out of a perfectly presentable car. Meanwhile, VW even tortured a Polo for this.
3 Fiat Seicento Sporting Michael Schumacher: Overreaching Much?
Um, what? The Fiat Seicento may indulge itself and delude its owners by trying to look and sound sporty but with a top speed of 100 mph and a 0-60 mph sprint that lags at over 10 seconds, Michael Schumacher does not quite fit in. And the styling isn’t really visible on this, even though 2,500 of these sported an Abarth kit along with Schumacher signature on its strange behind. Oh and this is the car the Fiat Panda came to replace because sales were not particularly speedy either.
2 Smart For Jeremy: Far Too Fancy
Nope, not Jeremy Clarkson. This strange, strange Smart ForTwo was the nifty drive of designer Jeremy Scott who loves wings on everything, much like Red Bull. Now, the Smart ForTwo may be a good car for vertically-challenged people but it looks goofy. Adding wings to it that were non-functional and did not make the car fly or even hop, skip or jump; did not add anything to the car. No, not even whimsy. Ridiculousness? Well, sure. Wackiness? Well, heaps of that too. Thankfully, not many of these were made and even lesser sold.
1 The Kenneth Cole MINI Cooper Cabriolet: Thanks, But No Thanks
Before you run for cover, this is one special edition car that never really rolled out. With the amount of polka-dotted studs it carries, we are simply grateful for no production. MINI Cooper wanted to go classy and did so the Kenneth Cole way. The silverish-paint was covered with lots of bedazzling, none of which bedazzled the onlooker, but left him befuddled instead. Mostly because the dots go all the way into the interiors as well, as some sort of dystopian polka-studded nightmare. It did its bit at an AIDS & HIV related charity event, so we give it a little bow. And close the curtains, forever.