This mud-coloured, completely matte Mark-Four VW Golf has been appearing on this Helsinki street every now and then. I walked for a cheap pizza – one that sadly found its final demise in the hands of my brother after I foolishly planned to save half of it for the next day – and on the way back, holding said pizza I snapped these photos of the Volkswagen.
Funny thing is, a millennial Golf already blends with its surroundings here. The owner of this example just wanted to be absolutely sure. It’s like a counter-point to a MKIII Harlekin.


Volkswagen paint does wear decently well, so it’s most likely not to cover up any clearcoat damage. The badges, trim pieces and handles have also been sprayed over, for a complete look.

Then again, by its complete attempt at invisibility it manages to absolutely stand out. Otherwise it would be just your average 2000-model 1.6 automatic Comfortline, but now it’s a touch more special. And a coating like that is always reverseable, in case you want to go back to shiny sides.
And the pizza? With BBQ chicken, taco sauce and shrimp it was fairly decent for less than six euros.
[Images: Copyright 2015 Hooniverse/Antti Kautonen]