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Author: Carter

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1985 Volkswagen Golf Diesel

I hear the same line all the time from enthusiasts; “Volkswagen/Audi, bring (enter European specification model) to the U.S. – we’ll buy it!” Well, the truth is that there are many reasons why the company doesn’t bring your long-sought after model to these shores. First, they’re not stupid, in general. They’ve done their homework and though there are inevitably many people who claim they’d rush down to their dealer to buy the car, the number of people who would actually show up with cash is quite a different story. Mostly, it seems those enthusiasts saying they so eagerly await a model really would wait until it had floated down the used-market stream a bit. Then, there are the costs associated with bringing a new model into the market; the safety tests, campaigns to launch a new model, stocking and educating dealers, parts, and training mechanics to repair them. And, when that isn’t enough, there will inevitably be some small problem and they need to recall them all. Look, I’m not saying car companies aren’t making money – but it’s money that they’re in it for, not the love of making cars (sorry, Porsche – but it’s true). On top of that, the companies – believe it or else – have sales data. And that sales data reflects period when they did import the cars that supposedly enthusiasts wanted. And while some enthusiasts did buy them, more “non-enthusiasts” bought their other models more. A great example of this is the disappearance of the wagons from North America, but more poignant to this post is the relative lack of diesels. Considering all of the major German manufacturers (even, begrudgingly, those purists at Porsche who only love to make cars, not money) offer highly efficient diesels in their model ranges, it’s a bit strange that they haven’t offered them until quite recently over here, right? Well, again, history tells us that they did in fact offer diesels in the 1980s – but loud, noisy and slow, few people bought them. They do still survive though, so it’s always nice to see one pop up like this 1985 Golf. Modified to look like a GTi, it’s a spiritual nod to the upcoming and long anticipated Golf GTD TDi that, if I’m to believe my Facebook feed, every single Volkswagen enthusiasts is going to run out and buy (right after they also run out and buy the maybe-coming Golf TDi 4Motion Sportwagon, that is):

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1985 Volkswagen Golf Diesel on eBay

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2004 BMW M3 Convertible

As a fan of older Audis and Volkswagens, I’m envious of the BMW market – but not for the reason that probably many BMW enthusiasts believe other people are envious of them. I’m envious simply because, like with the Porsche 911 market, any day of the week you can select the model you like – right through the 1970s – and you’ll have multiple excellent or very good examples to choose from. That’s something that simply doesn’t occur in the VAG market; indeed, even finding really excellent examples of 10-15 year old Audis is now a feat. But if you’re a fan of the M3, you can be assured that you won’t have to wait long for a really great example to pop up. Recent posts about the E36 have brought up that the North American model wasn’t really up to M snuff in many ways, and to solve that problem BMW upped the ante with the E46 M3; a snarling, 330 horsepower naturally aspirated inline-6 in its ultimate S54 form lay under the hood and, while track addicts rejoiced in the quick-shifting SMG transmission, today most people in the market are looking for the 6-speed manual that offers a closer connection to the driving experience and arguably lower repair bills. And while, as a New England resident, I’m on the hunt for a coupe, were I in a warmer climate I can certainly see the appeal of a convertible:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 2004 BMW M3 Convertible on TradeNetAuto

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1986 BMW M635CSi

It’s always a bit amusing when we stumble across listings where the seller doesn’t seem to have a full grasp of the vehicle which they are selling. In some cases, it’s a buyer’s dream – snatching a car that the seller doesn’t know the value of. In other cases, it’s just a lack of accurate information. I’ll give this seller a break in that, at the very least, they don’t offer much of a description at all on what is a very interesting 1986 BMW. Represented as a “86 M6”, enthusiasts will immediately spot many issues; it’s not a U.S. spec car, so it’s not a M6. What it is, though, is quite an interesting find in many ways, so let’s see if we can break it down:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1986 BMW M635CSi on eBay

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Survivor Status: 1982 Volkswagen Rabbit L

To round out my trifecta of A1s over the past two days, I thought we’d look at one that ironically brought the biggest smile to my face. It’s not because it’s the high performance model, nor is it because it’s in the best condition. What appeals to me about this Rabbit is the simplicity and the originality of it; a preserved time capsule from less complicated times. As I read about the recall of every car with an airbag ever made, I couldn’t help but ponder how complicated building and engineering cars has become. Not only do automakers need to provide a means of transportation, they need to calculate nearly risk factors, buy and install sub-contracted components that hopefully are made to specification and deliver a car to market that performs flawlessly, reliably, and economically. They need to dress these cars with the most modern conveniences; cars today read your mail, open your doors, tell you how much traffic is directly around you, how to avoid potential traffic in the future and can even tell when you’re getting sleepy. If you think about it, it’s pretty insane. Then, you see something like this Rabbit L. It’s small, not particularly safe in a crash, not particularly luxurious, you have to do almost everything while driving it, and it will probably break. But it has a lot of character, and character is something I love:

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1982 Volkswagen Rabbit L on eBay

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1984 Volkswagen GTi 1.8T

Yesterday’s Rabbit was an interesting case of many good ingredients not necessarily making a good cake; or, at the very least, not an appropriately priced cake. I really wanted to like the car but even outside of the price there was just too much to get me really excited about it. Amazingly, at the same time as that car is listed, we have an interesting counterpoint of a Mk.1 to consider. This example started life as an actual GTi, so it automatically has a leg up – at least in theory – from the ’78 Rabbit that was used to create a GTi. It’s also been completely redone, and also themed with a Euro-feel, though this car has a completely different ethos even outside of the color. Under the hood we find a Mk.4-spec 1.8T mill, complete with transmission, gauges, harness, radio and immobilizer transplanted into this original hot hatch. The price? If you have to ask….

CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1984 Volkswagen GTi 1.8T on eBay

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