Catalunya

In 1996, Subaru again won the manufacturers title in the FIA World Rally Championship, finally winning the title with the points gained on the Catalunya rally of Spain. To celebrate this, another limited edition run of 200 cars (again with no number 13) was produced, this time going by the name of the Catalunya (I wonder why?) The main features of the “Cats”, as they are commonly known as are:

• Special black mica paintwork (red metallic flecks)
• Color matched door mirrors
• Gold Alloys (same ones as fitted to 2.0 Sport, but painted gold)
• Front and rear seats and side door paneling re-trimmed in black with red highlights
• Short rally style gear knob (initial sales blurb promised a quick shift!)
• Carbon fiber effect dashboard
• Air conditioning
• Special floor mats (black with red trim and Catalunya logo)
• Side and rear Catalunya decals
• Interior numbered Catalunya plaque

The first examples were registered during March 1997, for an on the road price of £21,610. Note that some dealers decided to cash in on tremendous demand for “Cats”, and fitted leather seats, sunroof and other options to all their Cats, forcing buyers to hand over significantly more money than the list price, increasing their profit margin on each car sold.