These days, it’s not uncommon for ambitious enthusiasts to import the cars of other enthusiasts’ dreams from the motherland, wherever that may be. While that used to be the forbidden fruit, it’s almost become some commonplace that finding U.S.-market examples of rare cars has become more of the exception than the norm. This 1983 Audi Quattro coupe is one such car, produced in very limited numbers and near-impossible to find in solid, unrestored condition today. The Audi is listed here on eBay with bids to $40,000 and the reserve unmet.
Turbocharged Audis are a dime a dozen these days, but at one point, they were among the most coveted performance cars on the market. While Audi has made turbocharging a household application like so many other OEMs, the early days of boost saw it used in far more limited applications. The Ur-Quattro, as it was called, was a gamechanger on the rally circuit as Audi blew away with the competition thanks to its Quattro all-wheel drive system.
The Audi Quattro stood out in a few additional ways beyond the bump in power. The seats were heavily bolstered, and this upholstery pattern appears to be in excellent condition. The steering wheel was also unique to the Quattro-equipped two-doors as was the center stack with its various electronic differential controls. There was a lowly two-wheel drive version of the coupe designated as a “GT” trim line, but those were far less exotic than the four-wheel drive and not loaded up with performance-oriented upgrades.
The seller tells us next to nothing about the car in question, choosing to cite facts and figures instead (and don’t get me wrong – there’s lots of cool details to ogle over, such as box flares and a rear spoiler). However, the value of a rare model like this lies not only in its performance and limited production numbers, but also in its provenance – and robust records pertaining to ownership history and maintenance will help push the value of this desirable Audi Quattro even higher.
Smells funny to me: 0 feedback seller, joined Ebay last month and a description cut and pasted right from Audi’s marketing materials. Use caution with this one.
Lovely looking car. I remember when the Audi Quattro looked like this.
What’s the mileage on the car? I don’t care how nice a car is the mileage is important, at least to me. It also helps with asking price.
It’s right there in the ad: 52277 miles. If it’s documented, that’s a special find.
Just a few years ago this would have been a $12-16,000 car, and the Lancia Integrale EVO about half his asking price of $80K. The seller clearly has a focused niche, and nice examples on offer. Concerned about legitimacy? Send for a PPI… this looks like a good addition to any enthusiasts garage.
Whoever this seller is, this and the other cars for sale by them have are pretty incredible-the $250,000 SL65 RENNtech 800HP V12 as an example.
glad Jeff put the wrd ‘ralley’ nxt to ‘Quattro’. The car set the pace for all that were to come- Integra, Lancia EVO, ford 2000 (my fav). Circle track, drag seem limited to me. This form has just been imported into usa I hear. Things are abt to get exciting – in my mind. No longer stuck w/cones @ the airport, open and free road races might be seen shortly.
chrisful We’ve had stage rallies here since the 70’s. Some were WRC. Others like the Press On Regardless were just great.
thnx.
Were are/were these – on public roads like europe (closed dwn to racing @ the time).Ur sayin ‘several classes”?
Again thnx, I’d really like to view (vids) or attend !
Chrisful Yes closed/mostly closed to the public. Real roads ranged from paved to only found on forestry map lane/roads for stages. In the 70’s we had SCCA and NARRA Pro Rally events. Initially we only had the “Open class) street legal (sort of) pass tech 4 wheel vehicles….any engine/any chassis. Late 70s/early 80s they added a production class that was more like showroom stock. I searched for a stage I remembered by name
https://www.bing.com/search?q=brockway+mountain+drive+michigan+rally+stage&qs=n&form=QBRE&sp=-1&ghc=1&lq=0&pq=brockway+mountain+drive+michigan+rally+stage&sc=11-44&sk=&cvid=A5FA8D05E0784F3495CA43349970C5C8&ghsh=0&ghacc=0&ghpl=
Logging roads in the UP were very fast gravel stages.
ps It’s rally or rallye in some European countries not ralley.
In 06? I was paid to drive an AMG SL65 + twin turbo 700+hp and other new AMGs. The big sedan was most memorable uphill from T5-T6 at Road America.
Group b Quattro and Lancia Stratos are still on my wanna drive list.
I was an instructor.
Audi – unintended acceleration issues along with German technology of dubious origin and reliability.
I vote this the most uninformed comment of the month, maybe year.
I second that!… and posit that it might be the most uninformed comment EVER!
Yup, and this is coming from someone who was well into the 3rd millennium before I learned this body style was not a hatchback.
Yeah, I hope it comes with the team. I know there are many who drool over old Audis but you can place this jewel right next to a Maserati bi turbo and decide how much hair to pull out. I knew guys that swore by this stuff. The 5000s and others. All now gone.
race car quite different than average market bucket..,
Lots of BS in the media back then,
mass mrkt cat not typical merican jober (the 2 Japenese appliances).
So elbert is 2 B forgiven…
Thnx.
Not much promotion, advertisement, or many of them. We really go for circles and the strip. Even ‘le mans’ style (not a close 2nd but at least on pavement) seem few in number (leguna seca, may B lime rock near me). SCCA @ airports is abt as close as I ever ran (stopped 40 yrs ago).
Anyway, I heard a rumor the form would be promoted some here (probable in remote western locations? didnt hear much detail).
It was promoted here in the states and I thought it would get to be more popular, not as much as the rest of the world but no longer a secret. In 1978(?) NARRA (North American Rally Racing Assn.) and major sponsor Montgomery Ward had a special on network tv. For a few seconds in that hour, I saw ME in a rally car on a rally stage on MY tv. It never happened again!
Recently started talking with a woman after our recent class reunion. She’s really into racing but doesn’t care for road racing because you can’t see all the race at once (My parents said that almost 70 years ago!). Sometimes she goes to more than one sprint car race a week.
With that and the popularity of tailgating before a ball game, I can see where it’s not real popular when a spectator would have to learn about the event, follow maps to a place to park to walk to a place to wait for rally cars to come by every minute or so and repeat that process 3-4 times during the night (used to be almost all at night….ALL night) or day. There’s also the difficulty of charging spectators.
Now I’m a home body and race a historic car at Road America 3-4 times a year on a very low budget. Being prey and predator at the same time is a good thing too. I still get to drive my A** off!
chrlsful: i think that you are from New England(?) If so, there is a lot of Rally events in the area. I have never attended one, but have thought about it over the years.
One of the best Rally schools in the country is located here in NH: https://teamoneil.com/about/ I saw a feature video about this school and it looks like it would be a blast!
They run a race every year: https://newenglandforestrally.com/
thanx 4 da post back (local) bra !
My problem might B that SCCA has a rally that is nota race to me (point to point “By A Specific Time”) that i may confuse w/the european style rally we’ve seen forever, mostly on dirt back roads (I started w/the SAAB Monticarlo in the 50s, early 60s and saw thru the mid 80s w/the RS2000). The kind I seek is on standard black top, local rds closed to thru traffic during races. Is it the TT on Is of White in GB for motorcycles? Since the 80s I’ve been involved w/something different (mostly 1 model, the 1st gen bronco) & would love to see the euro rally in usa. I thank U 4 da 2 links/ck them’n yes, in wesssMasss.
scca quit the Pro Rally series (stage rallies like you seek) due to insurance costs and possibly fatalities.
“…scca quit …”
due to the RS200 crashes.
Y I remarked abt ‘…opening in USA…’ and “…will use challenging public roads as ‘track’….”, feel like I’m on my own ‘circle track’.
8^ 0