1983 Audi Quattro

Well, he’s at it again; the same seller as the 1984 Audi 4000S quattro in Laguna Seca Blue and earlier 1990 Coupe Quattro in Ginster Yellow is now selling his 1983 Quattro. These cars have been pretty rapidly appreciating, pulled upwards by the popularity of the E30 M3 and resurgence of Audi’s campaign to recognize that it made cars before the A4. Undoubtedly, this Quattro is much more valuable than the last two offerings from this seller – but is it the one to buy? The last few examples that we’ve seen have had some rare but polarizing modifications that arguably hurt more than helped the value of the cars for sale – is this legend the same?

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1983 Audi Quattro on eBay

Year: 1983
Model: Quattro
Engine: 2.1 liter turbocharged inline-5
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Mileage: 143,000 mi
Price: Reserve Auction

Rare 1983 Audi Original Quattro. Zermatt Silver with Chocolate Brown Leather Interior. Only 143k Miles. 2 Owner Car in Washington State Since new. Zero rust! Every Receipt and every record of this car is included. Hand written service log since 1995 when second owner took possession.
Has some small dings and some clear coat peel. driver door looks to have had the lower 2 panels resprayed at some point. Seems to be why the other door decal was removed and all pin striping as well. It looks pretty good overall. Both bumpers pushed in as well. Original Engine with completely rebuilt head that has hydraulic lifters($1200). 2 bennett stage 2+ ecu. turbo rebuilt with k26 turbine housing for stage 2 t3/t4 style. Dialynx performance extra large intercooler. 2 bennett 10vt multi-piece exhaust manifold kit/downpipe($1700). Stainless Exhaust. 2 bennett supreme bushing kit($400). 2 bennett coilovers with extra stiff fronts($1400). silicon hoses all over. wildwood big brakes with new drilled zinc coated rotors. rear slotted rotors. Air hoses run to both brakes rotors for cooling. 20% tint all around. new ball joints($700), New wheel bearings. New rear tie-rods. Larger 21mm rear sway bar. High output alternator. at 140k timing belt, water pump, fuel pump, warm up regulator($1500). Momo champion steering wheel. Original windshield with a couple rock chips, but no cracks. One piece near new euro headlights relayed. Original interior is very nice with no rips and bolsters are like new. Trunk is mint. taxicab ABT dashpod with boost, oil pressure, engine temp. also zietronix electronic meter with a/f mixture/Llambda/boost/egr. boost controller, fuel pressure controller. 18×8 OZ superleggara with 225/40/zr michelin pilot sport tires. Original ronal 15×6 wheels available as well. A/C has been removed and all parts go with the car.

While there certainly are some pieces to like here, there are also a lot of modifications that I really don’t think help the value – even if you list the price you paid for them. Most of the engine modifications don’t really assist the value although they certainly make the driving experience live up a little bit closer to the Rally legend. As I’ve said before, in stock U.S. form a drive in anything other than snow will leave you a bit crestfallen – with only 160 horsepower and a fair amount of turbo lag coupled to heavier for the time weight, these cars are anything but quick. But while for a long time it was popular to tune these cars way up to their potential, now it seems that the more valuable examples are closer to stock – and rare to find. The suspension and brake modifications similarly give the car a harsh ride and better look for their improvement in performance, but neither really assists the value of the car. The OZ wheels are great on some newer models but look a bit out of place on a 1980s car; outside the Zermatt Silver Metallic is a great color but this one has obviously had paintwork – leading to the discussion about possible rust that is common on these cars. The bumper tuck modification is popular and certainly makes the 10″ of bumper front and back appear a bit more properly proportioned. Overall, the seller’s inability to present detailed full car pictures is puzzling but a common theme on the cars he’s sold. Inside there is one item that is neat to see – the Abt “taxi” pod that houses some extra gauges is a throwback to a time when car companies expected you to monitor the condition of the car, not the other way around. The later sloped grill and H1/H4 Euro lights are pleasing aesthetically even if they’re not the correct lights – the Quattro crowd seems to prefer sticking to the period flat-lens Euros or the original quad sealed-beam units, but I like the sloped lights much better. Outside of that, it’s hard to tell more – there just aren’t very good shots that overall explain the condition of the car. That may seem like a long list of gripes, but they’re worth mentioning since previously this seller has expected a serious premium for the cars he’s been peddling. Is this Quattro worth buying? If the rust isn’t a problem, then sure – if the price were $10,000 – $12,000 I think it’d be a reasonable driver that you could slowly revert to stock or take the next level to an RR 20V replica. Outside of that, I’d hold out for a more original – even if less exciting – example as a collector.

-Carter