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Coupe Week: 1989 Audi Coupe GT

It’s hard for me to believe that I’ve just passed 1,000 posts on this site, yet when I click on my history here that seems to be what the computer indicates. During my time here, I’ve been fortunate to be afforded the opportunity to shed some light on some cars that I think would probably go unnoticed by many. In some cases, that could be a good thing arguably, but in particular I hope that I’ve helped to raise some awareness of some Audi models that go unappreciated. To me, while they may not be the fastest or flashiest cars that have ever come out of Germany there is an enduring appeal to the 1980s Audis; a time when the company definitely stood apart from its countrymen. So, to unofficially commemorate my 1,000th post, I couldn’t let Coupe Week go without an homage to one of my favorite Audis – the Coupe GT. In period, it was judged by many to be one of the best GT cars available – but as I’ve said previously, in the public sphere there seems to be at times collective amnesia regarding 1980s Audis, which are lumped in with earlier models and claimed to have excessive electrical and running problems. Having owned six of them over the past few decades, I can say with a fair bit of confidence that reputation is unwarranted. My 1986 Coupe GT has tackled everything I’ve thrown at it; long road trips, treks to work through blizzards, and many, many trips to the track. Those track adventures have been a continuous attempt to pass every car I can if for no reason other than to show drivers that the supposedly nose-heavy, understeering one-wheel drive wonder is, in fact, quite a competent driver (which, incidentally, just passed their self-proclaimed ‘ultimate driving machine’). But while I could sing the praises of the GT for long enough to put all of you to sleep, finding a good one today is hard – very, very hard. Compared to the multitudes of W201 and E30 models that we see daily, good clean B2 Audis are virtually non-existent in the U.S., so to find a nice example often requires looking to the Fatherland where there tends to be a greater appreciation for Audi’s models. This particular example stood out to me; in rare Flamingo Metallic paint, this is one of the last Audi Coupe GTs ever produced:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1989 Audi Coupe GT on eBay.de


Year: 1989
Model: Coupe GT
Engine: 1.8 liter inline-4
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 98,096 km (60,954 mi)
Price: E. 6,999 Buy It Now ($7,943.17 Today)

Vehicle description :

One of the last Audi Coupe GT , according to the type catalog were built only 1270 pieces !!!
5 -speed manual transmission
Green EPA Sticker – Free travel to all environmental zones !
Radio – cassette
Sport seats
rear wiper
black tail lights (original)
Fog Lights
additional instruments
8x frosted (summer / winter) on alloy wheels
Metallic paint
and much more …

HSN : 0588 TSN : 360
Documentation from the first day onboard, TÃœV reports , service invoices , new car invoice , etc. available . Accident free , no rust, original paint 90 % , just repainting due to minor scratches on the rear wheel wells . Very beautiful and rare color combination ! Was used very little, but moved in recent years regularly was otherwise warm and dry in the garage. Rare classic cars in the dream state , which should bring great pleasure !!!

Over the life of the Audi Coupe GT, there were many changes made; the American market, however, did not see the full range of changes, engines, colors or interiors that were available to Europeans. In fact, generally Americans – even those in the know – seem to think that the Quattro was the only all-wheel drive Coupe, when in fact there was also a Coupe GT quattro model available to Europeans. This, however, is not one of those, nor is it a 5-cylinder like all U.S. bound GTs. Rather, it’s a 1.8 4-cylinder CIS car, just like the front drive 4000 that came to these shores. That may be a disappointment for some, but the performance between the 1.8 and 2.2 motors isn’t hugely different in European spec. In fact, the PV/DZ 1.8 inline-4 equipped in the last cars also saw duty in the GTi and at 110 horsepower matched U.S. spec KX 2.2 inline-5s for horsepower, with slightly less torque but less weight. As this was not a top-spec car, notably you can see some other items that the U.S. market didn’t see, such as the manual windows and mirrors. These are two points which a Coupe owner would actually be happy about in the U.S., since window regulators are one of the more failure-prone items on the GT. Also rare to see is the lack of sunroof, something nearly all U.S. bound cars had. The car does have, however, the factory installed smoked tail lights that the end-of-run Type 85 Coupes and Quattros came with, along with the post-85 fiberglass trunklid that only made it to Canada in North America and the rear wiper. The weight savings aren’t huge, but with the lack of electrical items and the 4-cylinder motor, this car should be the best part of 50 pounds lighter than a similar U.S. spec car and slightly better balanced out of the box. Other differences from U.S. spec cars is the obvious front end, where the H1/H4 headlights actually provide nighttime illumination unlike the DOT 9004 lights, and the bumper – while the same shape – holds indicators where the reflectors are on U.S. Coupes. That’s because European cars also had the option of integrated fog lights in the bumper; U.S. cars had a very rare dealer installed option of Marchal fog lights with a different lower grill. This example, however, is not equipped with the fog lights. This car also has non-original Borbet Type E wheels, which are popular amongst GT enthusiasts although I don’t think the look is quite right. Ronal R8 option wheels in 15×7 inch configuration can be found though, and honestly I’m not sure there’s a better looking wheel for the GT. The Flamingo Metallic color with grey/black tweed interior might not be for everyone, but it’s unique and in great shape; the only notable item I see is the non-original shift boot, but otherwise the car appears pristine.

In all, this is a special car; not because it’s the top performing 2-door of the 1980s, but because it’s a handsome, competent GT car that sets you apart from the usual crowd. Arguably, the price is a bit high at $8,000 for a non-top spec car, but this is the case of “find another”; low miles, a rare color combination, excellent shape, some interesting options and a last of the run status mean this is a hard car to replicate. As it has been since new, the Coupe GT won’t be where everyone chooses to spend their money, and that’s part of the charm of the unique Coupe – being a bit different.

-Carter

4 Comments

  1. Christian
    Christian February 16, 2015

    Cool, I have owned 3 GTs over the years (in the early 1990s) and love Audi Coupes. I learned a few things here…..I didn’t know production went until 1989, and that Europeans could have the 4 cylinder. Interesting.

  2. Carter
    Carter February 17, 2015

    Thanks Christian;

    I’ve owned 4 GTs (a ’85 race car, ’85 parts car, and two ’86s including my current one). Yes, in Europe they had quite a range of 4 and 5 cylinder engines to choose from that we didn’t receive. Technically, production ended in 1988 in Europe, my guess is this car was a leftover and probably just wasn’t registered until 1989. Most of the end of run ’88s are quattros. The Quattro (Ur-Quattro) ran through 1991 production in Europe.

    Thanks for following!

  3. Christian
    Christian February 17, 2015

    Nice collection there Carter. I had an ’84 (in 1989, first car!), then ’85, then 87.5. I was saving money like crazy, and shortly after college I was able to pick up a ’90 CQ (in 1996). All red! Even my new car, S5! 🙂

  4. Carter
    Carter February 17, 2015

    Very cool Christian, and likewise neat collection! I bought my first GT in ’95 (also Tornado Red, like yours!), my current one I got in ’98 and is still rolling. I always loved the 87.5s and still want a triple white one, but they’re hard to come by in good condition these days. I wrote up my GT obsession back last May, you might be interested:

    https://germancarsforsaleblog.com/exceeding-expectations-1986-audi-coupe-gt-20v/

    Have a good one and enjoy the S5!

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