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Recently I looked at a 1987 Audi 5000CS quattro Avant project that I hoped someone would save. It ended up trading hands just under $2,000 – not bad, considering at least 1/2 that price was worth it for the wheels alone.
1987 Audi 5000CS quattro Avant
Today we’ve got the other side of the coin – a running, driving 5000CS quattro Avant. The color isn’t as exciting, but at this point in my life “no project” beats “yes project” on the ballot almost every time. The thing is, pretty much every old Audi is a project in some form. Is this one worth taking on?
So synonymous with the Audi brand is the all-wheel drive moniker “quattro†that you’d be forgiven for assuming that the brand didn’t offer two-wheel drive vehicles in the same vein as Subaru. But before quattro fully gained traction, Audi’s bread and butter was the front-wheel-drive market and they produced some great examples. In part, that was because unlike most other modern platforms that copied the Mini’s transverse engine configuration, in the 1980s and forward to the Golf-based Audi built their platforms to accept the rearward heading drive shaft which necessitated a longitudinal engine configuration. While this pushed the engine weight farther forward than most other front-wheel drive packages, it also balanced power delivery and the driving experience in all of the non-quattro Audis in the 80s was remarkably sprite. Models like my favorite Coupe GT have gained a popular following as great drivers, but the large sedans – especially in turbo configuration – are less frequently seen. This is one of the last made – the 1990 Audi 200 Turbo:
Back before Thanksgiving, a slightly crusty 200 20V quattro Avant popped up in the Northeast:
1991 Audi 200 quattro Avant
It sold for relatively short money, though it also clearly needed a fair amount of work. But, as I said, these are fan favorite cars – so when another turns up in short order, it’s still worth taking a look. Today’s Lago Blue Metallic example has black sport seats, the correct BBS wheels, and European headlights thrown in, too boot!
This Type 44 sold for $2,773 on November 21, 2021.
No stranger to these pages, you’re already likely familiar with why this car is here. But if you’re new to GCFSB and would like a quick overview of what was special about the early 90s Audi/Volkswagen lineup, I dove in a bit in May 2020:
1991 Audi 200 quattro Avant
Of the 149 200 20V quattro Avants originally imported here, it’s safe to say a fair number have gone the way of the dodo. So while today’s car is far from pristine, it’s still worth a look. And, as a plus, it’s also no reserve!
Back in January, I took a look at a really nice ‘survivor’ 1990 Audi V8 quattro:
1990 Audi V8 quattro
That car was in pretty decent condition overall, and one of the nice (and somewhat rare to see) options it had was sport seats. Today I’m back with another ’90 V8, once again in the optional and expensive Pearlescent White Metallic. This one has similar mileage, a similar lack of disclosed history, and is in generally similar condition, though it does not have the sport seats. Let’s take a look:
