So there have been several posts lately about a beloved car making its way back home after being parted with a loving owner. Well today I part with a long time friend or dare I say family member, my old daily driver and she hasn’t even left my ownership and I’m already regretting the decision to sell. This is my 1996 Audi A4 Quattro and she has been with me for the last 9 years. She got me through more years of school than I care to acknowledge. She has been more than a car, she has a personality and a drive to keep going that I haven’t experienced in any other car I’ve ever owned. We don’t normally talk about our daily drivers around here, but she has been such an amazing car and a huge part of my life that I felt I needed to write a tribute to her and all she has been through.

My Audi started life as a special order in California. The original owner wanted the then brand new A4, but they wanted it in Pearl White with dark blue leather, a five speed, and Quattro All-Wheel drive. After a few years of use the owner ordered a newer Audi and traded her in. From there she made her way to Texas before finally ending up in Colorado. Much of that time from the first owner to me is a mystery, but from what I can tell she spent most of her time in the care of an older lady who commuted in the Denver Metro area. I’ve been able to find records that at one point she was in a pile up, which required the replacement of the front and rear bumpers plus most of the engine bay. The story of how I came across her is almost as interesting as the mystery of her previous life.

I stumbled on my Audi almost accidentally. During my high school years I bounced around from car to car, starting with an ’87 Mazda RX-7, than an ’89 Nissan 240SX Coupe, followed by a Mitsubishi Montero and eventually an absolutely terrifying Eagle Talon TSi AWD. By the time I was 17 I had experienced more close calls than I should have, so I decided to get something more conservative. My parents were more than excited about that prospect, so we headed down to our automotive mecca, Denver Colorado, more specifically the infamous road known as Colfax. At the time Colfax was lined with used car dealers for miles and one could drive for days just looking. I only had one day to find and buy my new car though, so we hit just the mostly densely populated parts of Colfax. Two years earlier I had bought my RX-7 from the back lot of a very questionable car dealer, so we went to that area first. I test drove a countless number of cars ranging from VW R32s to Saab 900 Turbos, but nothing I drove was the right car. Now if you have ever purchased a car in Colorado you probably know two facts, dealers can’t sell cars on Sunday and they hate it when they have to send a car to the auctions. It’s important that you know and remember these facts as they played a massive role in me buying my Pearl Beauty.

It was nearing 7 o’clock that Saturday evening and I had almost given up hope of ever finding the right car, so that’s exactly what I did. For some reason my parents thought that taking me to Casa Bonita would cheer me up, so we headed that direction on Colfax. That’s when I spotted this Audi wedged in a gated car lot. I hollered at my father to pull over, which he abruptly did nearly causing an accident in the process. There she was up on a display rack! I ran into the dealership and demanded that they let me take her for a test drive. Now remember it was almost closing time on a Saturday night, they really didn’t want to move the dozen or so cars blocking her in, but the temptation to make a sell got the best of them I guess. I hadn’t even gone a full block when I knew this was the one.

I went back to the dealer to try to strike a deal. They initially wanted $10k, but quickly dropped it to $8k without me even asking. This got me thinking, “why would they drop it so quickly?” I began quizzing the dealer as to its history and what they were going to do with it, that’s when he made his greatest mistake. He admitted to me that Monday morning she was to be sent off to the Bull Pen (or auctions). That’s when I knew I could get him down to what my high school wages could afford. I offered him $5k, but he immediately declined the offer, but countered with $7.5K. That’s when I made my case. We both knew that no one else would make him a better offer in the few minutes before closing time, the dealership wouldn’t be open the next morning, and if the car went to auction he would likely get half my offer. I told him I could do $6k cash and I’d be out of his hair as soon as he finished the paper work. He reached out to shake my hand and the deal was done.

I remember the 6 hour drive home and the massive smile that was on my face the entire time! I had the car I had been dreaming of, even if I didn’t realize it at the time. It was practical, good looking, luxurious, offered enough performance to keep me entertained, but was still safe. As they say, the rest was history. It hasn’t always been smooth sailing though. She has had her share of problems, but never anything serious. I had a bad run in with a crooked mechanic, who decided to steal parts off of her for a buddy’s car. I had a truck back into her at an intersection and who then tried to blame it on me. I even had a teenage girl drive right into the back bumper in a parking lot. She cried so much I decided it wasn’t even worth dealing with her, which in hindsight was a dumb choice.

For the most part my Audi has provided me with countless smiles, a few good dates, and lots of laughs with some good friends. She even taught me the basics of drifting, spinning cookies, and how to achieve and maintain a perfect apex spin, all on snow and ice of course. And all she has ever asked from me in return has been regular maintenance, some Mobil 1, a power steering pump, a few sets of tires, and a new suspension. And that is why she has held such an amazing place in my heart. How many cars can say they survived a week of 75 below zero weather in Laramie, Wyoming? Or that they pulled not one, but two 4x4s out of snow drifts? She really has been a great car and thinking about not having her this winter almost brings a tear to my eye. I just hope my new daily driver can fill the massive all-wheel drive shoes of this little Audi! Speaking of my new daily driver, well take a look at her below.

That’s right! I decided to take the plunge and buy a sports car. Now this isn’t just any sports car though, this is a 2004 Mazda RX-8. If you remember at the beginning of this story I mentioned an RX-7. Well after having nearly killed myself countless times, all to the wonderful sounds of a rotary engine, I decided it was the right time in my life to get another one. This time around I don’t plan on being as stupid, but the RX-8 has enough modern safety features to keep my alive and safe if I do something dumb. So far she has been an absolute blast to drive and has already brought plenty of smiles. Her perfect balance and low weight make her one of the best handling cars I’ve ever driven. I’m sure I will need a good set of snow tires for the winter, but I think it can handle the mild Boise winters without anything too special. So I say farewell to an old friend and welcome a new member to the family. I just hope that if my Audi’s new owner decides to sell her in the future, that they will give me first dibs. Who knows, maybe in a few years my old gal will have found her way back to me! I hope I didn’t bore you with my tale, but hopefully I have brought back some good memories of a past car you still miss. Let us make this post a memorial to all the great cars we have loved and lost!