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Trying to convince people that the Quattro was the most influential and important car developed in the 1980s is akin to attempting to argue that Scottie Pippin was the all-around best player on the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. Sure, you could back up your premise with plenty of facts, testimonials and opinion pieces that “Pip” was a better all-arounder than some other more famous players. But in the mind of nearly all enthusiasts and most non-enthusiasts alike, the image of Michael Jordan winning everything trump any argument a Pippin fan can generate. It’s therefore up to the small group of enthusiasts who understand the significance of the Quattro to support the dwindling supply of road-worthy examples – not an easy thing to do these days, given the even more scarce amount of spare parts:
It’s a sigh of relief to see a market correction in classic Audi’s favor. For such a long time, Audis were simply unappreciated; but innovative designs, great looks and solid build quality mean that those who hung on for the depreciation ride are now smiling a bit more. There’s simply more appreciation for the classic Audis now then perhaps ever; even perhaps more than when they were new. That’s because back then, no one knew what they were, really – but today, the legend of Quattro has spread and thanks to the proliferation of internet video, we still get to hear the raucous barking and watch the belching flames from the turbocharged inline-5. This past weekend, I took my Coupe GT out for a ride. I grabbed my cousin and we went to look at a new car for him; a 2009 Subaru WRX. Much like a modern interpretation of the original Audis, it’s apropos that we arrived in an Audi to take a look at it. What was perhaps more striking, though, was the reaction of the Subaru crowd. We showed up to a Subaru speed shop where the WRX was to be view, and instantly once within earshot, all of the crew at the garage came out to see the approaching Audi. It was a genuine show of respect, smiles, and thumbs up from a crew you wouldn’t automatically assume would know their history. Even more shocking, though, was the resounding appreciation they showed for the old car – more than often is seen at Audi-specific events. That’s the legend and the importance of the Quattro:
I’ve made it no secret that I’m a big fan of the Audi Coupe GT; obviously, it helps that I own one that I’ve had for a few decades now. They’re stellar and underrated cars, forgotten by German car enthusiasts at large they remain one of the best unsung grand touring cars of the 1980s. While not the fastest or flashiest car out there, the GT provided a good amount of luxury and isolation, but brought with it a good dose of sport to back up the DNA links to motorsport and its big-brother Quattro. The GT was a car that gave you 80% of the performance of the turbocharged model for half the price. It also, in my mind, looked great too – while we all love boxflares, like the non-M3 E30s the GT had a charm of its own. The great angular yet curved C-pillar was the best design feature in my mind and still looks great today. For a car that shared a majority of its components with the 4000 model, the GT was remarkably different in character. However, as they were generally forgotten it is exceedingly difficult to find good examples of the B2 Coupes in general, and especially the first run of the cars. Distinctive with their DOT-spec diving board bumpers and quad-headlight setup with flat grill, these GTs have a loyal following – and one of the best examples from what was clearly a loving home is up for sale today:
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?
