Overall, the QP3 was pretty much the same car regardless of where it was delivered. Besides the obvious changes for specific markets (e.g. right hand drive in the UK, Australia, Japan, South Africa), there were also subtle differences between the US and EU market.
The US required ‘more bumper’ due to their safety regulations compared to the EU, resulting in bumpers that stick a bit out from the body front and rear. The US lights are 165mm x 100mm sealed beams as found in a wide range of US cars of the same era, while the Euro models used slightly larger Bosch and Marchal H2/H4 lights with replaceable bulbs.
US front end:
Euro front:
It may not be obvious from the pictures, but the Euro headlights are larger and with rounded edges. The bumper sits almost flush to the front of the car, whereas the US version sticks out a few inches in the front, and enough in the back to provide a convenient ledge to sit on.
Not a big deal, but one that subtly changes the overall “look” the car has and results in a different overall impression.
Which do you prefer, and why? Leave a comment and let me know!