Is there a difference between "select" and "selected"?

Solution 1:

According to Washington State University Emeritus Professor of English Paul Brians' book Common Errors in English Usage, select is to convey high quality and selected is to convey a specific subset.

“Select” means “special, chosen because of its outstanding qualities.” If you are writing an ad for a furniture store offering low prices on some of its recliners, call them “selected recliners,” not “select recliners,” unless they are truly outstanding and not just leftovers you’re trying to move out of the store.

Solution 2:

Select is an adjective.

Definition: the best of something, usually in a small amount

The adjective "select" is more applicable on a singular object or a set. Personally, I think it has become sort of an advertising lingo.

Examples:

1.) It's a very select club - I've been trying unsuccessfully to join it for years.

2.) These activities should be available to all pupils, not just a select few.

3.) Hamilton lives in a very select part of London.

I hope this helps.

reference: http://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/british/select_2#

Solution 3:

US car manufacturers in particular seem to be prone to say some feature is only available on select models, but I wonder if this is influenced by the fact that automatic cars have a gear selector.

As a rule, the preferred form is available on selected flights (113 hits in Google Books), rather than available on select flights (5 hits).

Advertisers sometime use "select" loosely to mean "high-quality" (i.e. - they have selected certain products as being "better" than others), but usually the selection process involved is more neutral. A cynic might well think that optional extras on select models are often included as an inducement to buy something that's not actually such good value - which is why it's not selling well, and needs extra promotional offers.