I'm pretty sure it was sold with a rigid (triple-butted) fork in matching gold. I don't think it was sold over here with suspension, and in fact according to Bikepedia it wasn't listed in the US after 1996, so it must have been an export special for us old-fashioned Brits.
The stem you have taken off looks very much like the original, so TBH taking it off is a good idea as it was intended to work with the quite short rigid fork. With a longer suspension fork, a shorter stem should certainly work better.
It cost £799 BITD, with LX/XT, LX/X221 wheels and Avid Vs. To quote MBR 'the classic steel bike'.