Limited editions are usually attractive for their cost-benefit, but they can become dated depending on the brand, model and theme
As sure as the World Cup every four years are the special series of cars that piggyback on the tournament. Volkswagen, for example, has just relaunched the Seleção print run, this time on the T-Cross. But is it worth getting a “dated” car like this?
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Special series bring advantages and disadvantages. Depending on what the limited edition offers, its degree of exclusivity, level of equipment and model on which it is based, can be a good one for the customer. However, for sure, it is always a good one for the automaker.
See now 8 facts about special series cars, why they exist, what are the advantages for the industry and the consumer and when to know if you have the profile to have such a model in the garage.
The main function of special series is to leverage the sales of certain cars or versions of a model. It is a way for automakers to spawn punctual stock, whether of vehicles that have really run aground in sales or those that are already in the process of turning the year/model.
It also serves to expand the production and sales of certain versions, as the special series are usually based on some configuration of the cars. In other words: it gives that little help to that portfolio option that has been half forgotten.
There are still industrial reasons. By demanding certain extra equipment for these runs, automakers can get better prices from suppliers with the gain in scale.
Marketing is also a key piece for cars when brands resort to special series. A limited edition or theme, in a way, attracts spotlights to certain vehicles.
This can be strategic, especially in models that are in that so-called half-life cycle, when sales tend to stagnate – or even fall. They can also be a good image booster for the line as a whole or even for the brand.
In addition to attracting new audiences or strengthening relationships with certain segments. A recent example is the Mitsubishi Triton Terra, which, as its surname suggests, is aimed at the agribusiness customer.
Anything goes when we talk about special series. Sporting and musical events are the ones that most serve as a ride for these editions. See the recent Volkswagen T-Cross Seleção and the Fiat Pulse Lollapalooza.
But there is no shortage of examples in the sports vibe, whether alluding to the World Cup or the Olympics. In the sports field, Volkswagen Gol Copa and Voyage Los Angeles, Chevrolet Kadett Turin, Nissan March Rio 2016 and the endless Seleção editions for Volkswagen, Fiat and GM models – as each automaker sponsored the CBF.
However, many print runs have the most diverse appeals. It is worth partnering with companies (Renault Clio had O Boticário and MTV series and the Citroën C3 with the XBox One) or even famous personalities (Fiat Stilo Schumacher and Chevrolet Corsa, Nelson Piquet and Monza EF500 – Emerson Fittipaldi reference).
If we look at the models associated with the world of fashion (Fiat 500 by Gucci, Chevrolet Monza Clodovil, Citroën C3 Ocimar Versolato, Fiat Oggi Pierre Balmain and Peugeot 206 Quicksilver)
The great advantage for the consumer is the cost-benefit. As a rule, the special series offer cars on top of certain versions, but with more equipment. In addition, they can incorporate aesthetic details in the bodywork and different and better patterns in the interior finish.
A maxim of the automotive market is that special series tend to depreciate at the time of resale more than the versions on which they were based. But this is far from being a rule.
For those who change their car every two years or less, this tends to happen. But even recent special editions show that they can even depreciate less.
Let’s take KBB Brasil as a base. The Hyundai HB20 World Cup 2022 with a 1.0-liter aspirated engine and manual gearbox, for example, has an Average Dealer Price of R$ 69.459.
This print run in allusion to the Qatar World Cup was based on the hatch’s Comfort intermediate option. The same version, year 2022, with the same mechanical set, has a KBB Reseller Price of R$ 67.954.
Let’s go further. The Volkswagen Fox Seleção 2013 with a 1.0 engine and 4 doors is slightly more expensive in this survey than its similar without a special edition: R$ 40.399 and
R$ 39,638, respectively.
But there are special series that depreciate even more. Whether because of the “nothing to do” theme, the time it was launched or even the car.
Even extravagant colors or exaggerated visual appliqués can compromise the commercial performance of the limited edition.
Remember these? Many special series caused this strangeness, others were dated and even forgotten. Examples abound: at Fiat we had the Bravo Wolverine and the controversial Uno College. Speaking of controversial, does anyone remember the Chevrolet Chevette Jeans?
Ford launched the Ka MP3, which came with sound with a media player. Something advanced for the time – and only at that time. The same can be said of the Chevrolet Agile Wi-Fi, which came with a modem on board…
Surfing also dictated fashion among the special series. The Agile even had a Rico edition, in honor of the famous surfer, while the Suzuki SX4 Mormaii had a shower built into the trunk for the sports team to wash their boards.
Many special series were successful and today they are rarities that can even be considered classics. Despite occasional controversies, as in the case of the Kombi Last Edition that had… two limited runs, irritating those who bought the first batch.
Other special farewell series of equally remarkable cars were the first generation of the Fiat Uno, called Grazie Mille, and the Chevrolet Opala, the Diplomata Collectors.
There was a special edition that changed the mechanics of the car. The Escort XR3 Formula had an active suspension system and electronic shock absorbers. That was in 1992! Speaking of Ford, almost 10 years earlier the brand launched the Corcel II Os Campeões in allusion to the fact that the F1 drivers who came to compete in the Brazilian GP had ridden in the sedan.
In the music scene, the Volkswagen Gol owns its very remarkable series. One is the Rolling Stones, in the wake of the British band’s Voodoo Lounge tour in Brazil. But the most exclusive of the hatch, without a doubt, is the Vintage.
Limited to 30 units, they came with special paint and… an exclusive guitar manufactured by Tagima. The detail is that an amplification system in the trunk allows the instrument to be connected to the vehicle’s sound.
