X paint color and visibility

abarth4 said:
Does anybody here remember the VW Golf Harlequin edition? They were basically nailed to the showroom floor in terms of sales, but now they are bringing substantial prices in the auction world because of their "rarity". (Kinda like the Lancia Strato's in a weird sort of way. They had a hell of a time selling those when they were new... wish I had a few now! 🤣) Check it out at https://www.hotcars.com/why-the-golf-harlequin-was-volkswagens-coolest-failure/

This was at a recent, central Illinois regional auction.... lots of pickups, muscle cars etc. and it STILL brought decent money..

1996 Volkswagen Golf Harlequin 4dr sedan | Collector Cars | Online Auctions | Proxibid

1996 Volkswagen Golf Harlequin 4dr sedan, 2.0L 4 cylinder engine, automatic trans, power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, this is a rare factory paint scheme, matching black cloth interior, power windows, showing 83,841 miles, VIN 3VWFA81H7TM113369, 1161 - EXPECT DELAY IN TITLE -...
sullivanauctioneers.proxibid.com sullivanauctioneers.proxibid.com

And our favorite BAT site... https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1996-volkswagen-harlequin-golf/

Looks like $25,500 is the going price.......
Click to expand...
The Golf Harlequin edition was indeed an odd marketing ploy by VW. I have a friend overseas that bought one new and still has it sitting in his back yard. All original, no damage, no rust, and would be very easy to do a sympathetic preservation level restoration. I tried to buy it from him several years ago but he wasn't interested.
Golf_Arlequin_2-1.jpg
 
Paint it whatever color pleases your eye, Carl. Doesn't matter safety-wise, here in the DC metro area with all the hyper-aggressive angry cellphone-watching incompetent knuckleheads driving like suicidal zombies, you're going to get hit by someone eventually, regardless.
 
Dave, I have had two Xs totaled while parked in front of my house (at the same time!) and one X escaped from in front of my house all by itself. Decades ago I even had a 124 spider hit while parked in front of my house and totaled by a delivery truck. So the DC area is dangerous even without the crazed drivers you refer to.

Thank goodness I survived 30 years of motorcycling without any "offs" (at least not on the street anyway).
 
I gotta tell you... my son and I pulled into Carl's neighborhood and I stopped the truck.

Son says, what's wrong? I say, look. He says, what? I pointed out that Carl's street was the widest I had ever seen in any subdivision.

It's like they designed it so cars can park on both sides of the street and 2 trash trucks can still pass one another.

Have to really wonder how some woman in an SUV happened to run over both x19s.

Well, it's not too wild a guess it was most likely texting while driving.
 
Yes, I have been to Carl's neighborhood and I don't really see how that happened, betting the woman as on her cell phone and not paying attention as the street is plenty wide. But as small as our cars are, definitely a good idea to have some bright colors so they at least don't blend into the environment. Funny thing is that I have had two X1/9's so far and both have been brown from the factory. At some point, I'll get the opportunity to paint my next one and it won't be brown!
 
I think anyone looking at that photo will focus on the sideways SUV and the position of the 2 cars.

But, like I said... widest street I've ever seen in a subdivision.
 
The red X donated all it's parts and good body panels to the Fatrat which coincidentally I had in storage for a someday build up!
White X, which I was also going to part out but decided I didn't have the mental energy to tackle after stripping the red X was sold to a...err...optimistic enthusiast here who is putting it back on the road.

The 60 something driver was taking her 80 something mom for a doctor visit. I look into the car as soon as I rushed outside to render help and they were both sitting in the car as if they were waiting for a traffic light to change from red to green. Some tuff cookies!
 
abarth4 said:
Does anybody here remember the VW Golf Harlequin edition? They were basically nailed to the showroom floor in terms of sales, but now they are bringing substantial prices in the auction world because of their "rarity". (Kinda like the Lancia Strato's in a weird sort of way. They had a hell of a time selling those when they were new... wish I had a few now! 🤣) Check it out at https://www.hotcars.com/why-the-golf-harlequin-was-volkswagens-coolest-failure/

This was at a recent, central Illinois regional auction.... lots of pickups, muscle cars etc. and it STILL brought decent money..

1996 Volkswagen Golf Harlequin 4dr sedan | Collector Cars | Online Auctions | Proxibid

1996 Volkswagen Golf Harlequin 4dr sedan, 2.0L 4 cylinder engine, automatic trans, power steering, power brakes, air conditioning, this is a rare factory paint scheme, matching black cloth interior, power windows, showing 83,841 miles, VIN 3VWFA81H7TM113369, 1161 - EXPECT DELAY IN TITLE -...
sullivanauctioneers.proxibid.com sullivanauctioneers.proxibid.com

And our favorite BAT site... https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1996-volkswagen-harlequin-golf/

Looks like $25,500 is the going price.......
Click to expand...
Wow, that is truly hideous.

It's like someone ate a box of crayons then threw up on a Golf.
 
Most collisions are stupidity driven.
Late mom, texting teen, 2-beer blue collar dude lane changing your ass has nothing to do with color. Inattentiveness or risk taking starts the ball rolling, poor training finishes things off.

It's motion that catches the eye. Ask any patrolman investigating collisions, or writing a ****-ton of tickets. Whether a car is bright orange, or flat black makes no difference in a non clinical setting (although we all know red is the fastest).

Bright, dark, metallic, solid...the best paint is the one that makes you happy.
 
Wow, food for thought, we don't get that here very often. I can also attest to the fact that a loud exhaust on your motorcycle or loud horns are not very effective either. Driving a car that's knee high to a grasshopper doesn't help either.
 
Mass is your friend in a collision.

I was taught in driver's ed (40 years ago) that if you are involved in any accident, you are at least partly at fault. You must be driving for yourself and all the others on the road - watch and anticipate. Know where the risk points are and be alert. Not saying I haven't made errors, but this philosophy has served me well in general.

I have long ago decided that if I am going to die on the highway, at least I'll die driving something interesting.
 
I live in a tourist town so a lot of the drivers' brains are on vacation too.
Seem like there are a disproportionate number of cars pulling out or turning left uncomfortably close in front of me.
Car is yellow and I always drive with headlights on even in daytime.
I have come to the conclusion that the car is so small they misjudge the distance thinking I am further away than I really am.
Either that or there are a disproportionate number of a holes that think, he is small so he will give way.
Drive like they are out to get you.
 
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