Recently the plethora of good condition Audi Coupe GTs and 4000 quattros have drawn into sharp contrast the relative lack of 5000s that seem to come up for sale. One of our Facebook comments noted this; it’s just become very rare to see Audi 5000 quattros for sale, or indeed 5000 quattros at all! The 5000 was an interesting counterpoint to the BMW and Mercedes-Benz large sedans. It was extremely aerodynamic for the early 1980s, offered good luxury items and the awesome quattro drivetrain. For enthusiasts, it was turbocharged and ran effectively the same motor as U.S.-bound Quattro coupes and came only in a manual. The early 5000s, like the 4000 quattro, had manual engaged locking differentials for serious snow. Despite these specifications, the 5000 suffered serious depreciation following the farcical and infamous 60-minutes “Unintended Acceleration” story and few seem to have survived. Today there is a good basis for sale on Ebay, though it’ll require some work to get it back to it’s former glory:
Tag: Turbo
The eighties were a time of experimentation in outrageousness when it came to automotive styling. From the flared gills of the Ferrari Testarossa to wide fendered hot rods from the Mercedes-Benz tuning firm, AMG, the sky was the limit. There was one styling modification that I was never too particularly fond of, and it came by way of the number 505, otherwise known as the factory option code for Flachbau (slantnose). This option eviscerated the classic front end profile of the 911 for a decidedly eighties appearance by way of a wedge shape front end with pop-up headlamps. Who ever would go to the lengths of modifying a classic design like the 911 was beyond me. But, only a limited run of these were manufactured, much to the joy of purists everywhere. Perhaps this spoke to how popular this option was amongst 911 buyers? Whatever the case may be, this Slantnose Cabriolet for sale in New Jersey is but a handful that were produced in the 3.2 Carrera’s final year.
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1989 Porsche 930 Turbo Slantnose Cabriolet on eBay
3 CommentsPlenty has been said on this page and others about the now legendary status of the original Quattro, so if you’re looking for a history lesson it won’t be here. However, what the quattro does represent is great collector value in comparison to contemporary 911s and slightly later E30 M3s; a unique car with plenty of character that took the automotive world on a different path. Quattro values have been steadily increasing over the past several years, and while they are hard to find on these shores in good condition for sale they do come up from time to time. The last 1983 Quattro we featured had lost some of its originality in favor of driveability; today’s car retains some of that originality and shows well in Tornado Red:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1983 Audi Quattro on eBay
10 CommentsThe BMW 2002 is a legendary car that defined the small sports sedan category by most accounts. Compact, rear wheel drive, and with enough power to have fun, you could drive the 2002 at 9/10ths most of the time without crashing at breakneck speed. Try pushing today’s cars to their limits; imagine if you could get a new M4 into a 4 wheel drift on an exit ramp – what speed would you have to be going? Probably faster than the original top speed of the 2002 is my guess, and the ability to drive a slow car fast is what makes some older cars so appealing. But for some people, that base small sedan just isn’t enough, and they go about upgrading the original car. I’m certainly not opposed to this, as it’s something I did with my Audi Coupe – take a later model, higher output motor that is in the same character as the original motor and Viola! Instant happiness. I can only imagine the smiles that this S14 motored 1968 1600 generates then:
CLICK FOR DETAILS: 1968 BMW 1600 S14 Swap on eBay
2 CommentsWe’ve been known to feature the errant Swedish ride here at GCFSB, especially when it comes to the faster hardware. News came down at the beginning of the month that Saab was restarting production two years after declaring bankruptcy. While the new cars will be a continuation of the 9-3 model, now is a good time to reflect back on models past.
The 1990s were an interesting time for Saab, as General Motors took a 50% controlling interest in the company and a new 900 arrived in 1994, based on Opel Vectra underpinnings. The 9000 model, launched in 1984, shared its platform with the Alfa Romeo 164, Lancia Thema and Fiat Croma. The model carried on through 1997, with the Aero model featured here being released in 1993. This was the most powerful Saab to date, with a 2.3 liter, turbocharged inline-4 producing 225 horsepower. This Aero for sale in Pennsylvania is one of the rare Cirrus White examples. Just over 100 left the factory between 1993 and 1997.