Top 10 lamest limited-edition cars of all time

We’ve all experienced the limited-edition of an otherwise familiar car. An extra sticker here, an odd paint colour there makes an otherwise unappealing model ‘special’ – at least in the eyes of the manufacturer’s marketing team.

And while not all limited-edition models are terrible (some actually represent pretty good value), there are some that stand out as being little more than a completely irrelevant, even embarrassing, grab for cash.

From oldest to newest, we take a look at the 10 lamest limited-edition cars of all time.

1979 Ford Fairlane LTD Cartier

Ford must have had a thing with giving away key-holders and purses, because that’s exactly what you got with the 1979 Ford Fairlane LTD Cartier. One of two special editions that year (the other a male-oriented Fairlane Sportsman), the Cartier added mandatory limited-edition decals, metallic champagne paint, burgundy pin-striping, matching champagne carpet, and your choice of leather or crushed-velour upholstery. A total of 400 were made, with six or eight-cylinder engines and a standard three-speed auto.

1985 Ford Laser Carla Zampatti

How an icon of the local fashion industry ever loaned her name to a budget hatch is beyond us. But in 1985 Carla Zampatti did exactly that, the Limited Edition Ford Laser bearing her name scoring a colour-coded grille and two-tone paint, special stickers and a glorious ‘Carla Zampatti’ labelled tan interior. If that wasn’t enough to get stylish young things through the showroom doors, Ford also threw a key-holder and purse into the deal. Bargain!

1990 Nissan Pulsar Reebok

Clothes, fashion designers, shoes… why not! The 1990 Nissan Pulsar Reebok celebrated the success of the Reebok Pump with its own Limited Edition, a 300-strong run of white, base-grade Pulsars adorned with little more than a pixelated blue graphic plastered down the doors. Allegedly that was $2500 worth of extra value! On the plus side, you did get a ‘free’ pair of Reebok Pumps, which made you slightly faster than the Pulsar’s asthmatic 1.8-litre engine.

1992 Holden Barina Sportsgirl

Like many of the limited-editions listed below, the 1992 Holden Barina Sportsgirl makes a ham-fisted effort to link a fashion brand with an otherwise mundane car. In this instance it’s the Suzuki-sourced Holden Barina, ‘enhanced’ with a couple of colourful decals, rainbow-striped floor mats, “sports mirrors” and a pop-up sunroof. You also scored a $50 Sportsgirl gift voucher! Sadly there was no improving the 1.3-litre engine and three-speed auto combo.

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1997 Holden Statesman International Greg Norman Signature Series

With only 250 examples of the 1997 Holden Statesman International Greg Norman Signature Series made, the ‘limited’ part of this special edition model is pretty hard to question. Extras included 16-inch alloy wheels, leather and suede combination upholstery, fog-lights, a sunroof, and obligatory special-edition badging. Lucky punters also scored a set of King Cobra golf clubs and Norman’s signature on the boot lid. Now that’s a little better than a $50 Sportsgirl voucher, Holden.

2010 Subaru Forester X Columbia

Just when you thought lame limited-editions were “so last century”, we stumble across this beauty: the 2010 Subaru Forester X Columbia. And no, it doesn’t come with a few kilos of white powder in the boot – instead, the tie-up with clothing label Columbia yields 16-inch alloys, fog-lights, roof racks, and a cargo tray, Subaru says are perfectly suited to outdoors enthusiasts. Buyers also scored a generous $500 Columbia gift voucher. Far from ‘limited’ in terms of numbers, Subaru offered 1050 examples of the limited-edition model.

2012 Renault Koleos BOSE

Fashion, shoes, key-rings, purses, sporting equipment, stickers… and stereo systems. Why not! For 2012 Renault launched a BOSE-enhanced special edition of its slow-selling Koleos to help boost sales. Using the mechanicals of the Nissan X-TRAIL, the 2012 Renault Koleos BOSE included a seven-speaker premium audio system with sub-woofer. Renault said to collaborated with BOSE engineers on the “optimal position of the speakers”. Strangely enough the speakers were all positioned in the exact same place as those of the regular model.

2016 Citroen C4 Cactus Rip Curl Edition

We’re not sure any self-respecting surfie would head for the beach in a tarted-up city car, but here it is: the 2016 Citroen C4 Cactus Rip Curl Edition. Just 15 examples of the CCCRCE went on sale in Oz, all with a 1.2-litre petrol engine and five-speed manual transmission… The Cactus included Rip Curl graphics on the front quarter panels and C-pillars, Goodyear mud tyres (perfect for the beach, right?), silver skid plates, and white mirror caps and roof rails; while inside there were orange seatbelts and Rip Curl-branded floor mats. Hang Ten, man! Oops, wrong brand.

2016 Range Rover Evoque Victoria Beckham

2016 was a great year for the lame special edition, but perhaps none lamer than the Range Rover Evoque Victoria Beckham. Finished in hand-applied matt paint and garnished with rose gold accents, the 2016 Range Rover Evoque Victoria Beckham was a little, well, posh! As well as its classy paint finish, the special-edition Evoque adds mohair floor mats, vintage-inspired leather upholstery, and a bespoke four-piece luggage set. Thankfully, only 200 examples of the Range Rover Evoque Victoria Beckham were ever sold.

2018 Volkswagen Polo beats

Sticking with our audio-themed special editions and it’s the 2018 Volkswagen Polo ‘beats’ that comes in next. Promising “reverberating but crystalline sound”, the Polo beats combines a 300-Watt sound system developed in step with Dr Dre and Jimmy Iovine Volkswagen says targets “a younger demographic” and is “an audiophile’s city-car siren”... Lame! The Polo beats is “trademarked” by a single bonnet stripe, badging, decorative dash inserts, two-tone upholstery and 16-inch alloys. Unlike any of the models listed above, the VW Polo beats is available right now.