A seven-year-old, mildly tuned Volkswagen Golf R is on sale in the USA right now, and is looking like it could hit a jackpot at the auction. Great technical condition aside, it is the world’s only Golf R mistakenly finished in grey at the factory.
The color is known as Carbon Steel Grey Metallic. It was present on the list of Golf GTI Mk6 and Mk7 finish options, but the R line never received it.
It is unclear just how the five-door hatchback could end up with a wrong exterior color on a highly automated assembly line. The main version is that the operator responsible for ticking the correct options in the configurator mistyped the enamel code. The quality assurance crew must have neglected to match the color against a reference and simply did the other checks – like the overall finish quality and defects.
Volkswagen fans were quick to notice the exclusive vehicle as soon as it cropped up in a dealership in November 2016. Over 100 people had placed orders, hoping to get their hands on this rarity.
Whoever won that competition seven years ago is now selling the car complete with a special authenticity certificate issued by VW. It is no longer new with 66,000 km (41,000 miles) under its belt and has aftermarket brakes, wheels, suspension parts and steering wheel. The engine and the exhaust system have also been modernized.