This car doesn’t have one speck of barn dust on it, but it’s a rare color, and it has Audi’s Quattro system, a V6, and a 5-speed manual, so I thought I’d give it a shot. This 1999 Audi V4 Quattro 5-Speed is posted here on craigslist in the Palatine, Illinois area, and they’re asking $10,900. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Tony P. for the tip!
I can’t believe that 1999 was 27 years ago already; it seems like just yesterday when I was in my 70s… 1999, ahhhh, life was good, we were all young, everyone didn’t have a #$%! smartphone in their hands 18 hours a day; our vehicles didn’t track us, and our phones didn’t track us. Our computers were slow, but we didn’t know any better. They were somehow fast enough to keep the earth churning, industry-wise. I miss those days, but probably no more than someone growing up today will miss 2026 in another 27 years.
I don’t think VW Group had that in mind when they designed the new A4 and started producing it in 1994. Ahhhh… 1994, I miss that era. Remember whennnn…gggggg (hands around Gilby’s neck). Seriously, though, the first-gen A4 was made from 1994 through 2001 and if you think it looks like a VW Passat, you’re right. Unlike the big, fancy Phaeton we saw here a couple of weeks ago, this sleek A4 in Jasapis Green Metallic (if there’s a more 1990s color, I’d like to know) is similar to the Passat, at least in heritage. Car & Driver had this car toward the top of their “Cars We Would Recommend to a Friend” list. It’s hard to argue with that.
I love the design of the early A4s, but I always thought they were stuck in the melted bar of soap era for car designs. Most vehicles are sharp-edged now, sometimes overly so. It’s hard to argue with this beautiful interior, though. It looks as nice as the exterior does, and that slick 5-speed shifter looks pretty inviting. As a long-time Audi owner, I can attest to the crisp shifts waiting for the next owner, despite the 61,714 miles that have accumulated on this car. This is one nice road car, but it would also be a fun commuter. The back seat looks like new, and this car has the Cold Weather package, a nice group of options, such as heated front seats, heated headlight washers (my favorite), a heated driver’s door lock, and more.
This Bonn-burner of an engine is VW Group’s 2.8-liter 30-valve (!), DOHC V6, which was rated at 190 horsepower and 206 lb-ft of torque. That doesn’t sound like much, but it was good for a 0-60 time of under 7 seconds and was said to be fantastic on the Autobahn. It’s backed by a 5-speed manual sending power to all four wheels via Audi’s quattro AWD system. The seller says it’s a one-owner, garage-kept car that’s had all of its recommended maintenance and service, has a new battery, new tires, and a fresh oil change. If you’re a little adventurous and like things a little different, it would be hard to go wrong with an A4 equipped like this car is. Now, about that color…
My 1st new car was a ’99 A4 in silver. I chose the 1.8T, 5spd, Quattro and most importantly, the sport package and the sport seats. The sport package came with a lowered and stiffened suspension and those incredible seats. My 1st test drive, the salesman challenged me to break it loose in the rain and I couldn’t. I remember I saved about $5K choosing the lower HP 1.8T over the V6 but a $500 boost chip got you back to V6 HP levels, and then spend the saved $ on the sport options. This car has the std suspension and seats i can see. It does have the sport wheel option at least.
Good write-up SG. I think this car’s styling still looks attractive today. This example appears to be in good shape. Four doors would suit the family, and the manual transmission gives it that sporty persona. About that color…. I think it looks great.
This A4 really drew my attention. Maybe it was the color. My wife and I absolutely loved Passats back in those days and we wanted one, but it was out of our price range back then. I like this A4 a lot. A family friend had a TT with a stick that was a lot of fun. I’d imagine this one would be right there with it. It’s in really good condition.