1990 Audi 100 E

First registered on the 1st of July 1990, this front-wheel-drive example was originally purchased from VW Stevenage as an ex-demonstrator. Garaged all its life at the family home, the original owner was a pilot, so a man who clearly understood the value of expert maintenance and careful curation.

The car passed to his son upon his death. Barely used from that point for a while and still showing just four previous keepers today, it comes with a VW dealer and independent expert service history.

Fitted with the 2.3-litre, 134bhp five-cylinder engine, which gives a top speed of 125mph and a 0-62mph time of just under ten seconds, this is believed to be the only Audi 100 with this engine that is still taxed and in use in the United Kingdom today.

With just a dozen more laid up and in varying states of repair, it is almost certainly the very best right-hand-drive version available, which makes our guide price look like an absolute bargain.

The light metallic blue bodywork all looks to be the same shade, which hints at either originality or a damned good body shop. Factor in some of the sharpest and tightest shutlines of the period and we’d lean towards originality, something its pampered paperwork supports.

While the Firestone front tyres look to be in good order and still have deep tread. They are date stamped 2010 though, and the Marangoni rears are even older (dated 2003…) and almost certainly time-expired due to the cracking you can see in photo #33. We’d recommend replacing all four therefore, especially given the car’s weight and performance potential. On a more positive note, the 14-inch steel wheels look to be straight and undamaged, and they’re still shod with the original wheel trims, which is a lovely period touch.

The famed flush-fitting glazing is good too, as are the badges and light lenses. All-in-all, it still hangs together very convincingly and looks every inch the autobahn express Audi had in mind when it built it in 1990.

Faults? Well, there are a few but then again (almost) too few to mention…

There is a long dent at the bottom of both nearside doors, which terminates in a couple of vertical rust spots (#5, #81 and #82). Given how good the rest of the bodywork is, we can see that the new owner will want to address the dents and arrest the rust sooner rather than later even though the vendor tells us that it looks worse in the photos than it does in real life.

Other than that, it all looks good. True, the front and rear bumpers would benefit from freshening up (#2 and #74 illustrate the minor wear and tear we’re talking about), as would the wiper blades. There are some light scratches to the boot lid (#36) and the top of the nearside rear wing (#94), plus a small dent and some peeling lacquer on the nearside front wing (#109).

But all of that is very firmly in the nice-to-do category rather than anything more pressing.

Impressively, the lower edges of the wheelarches and valences are excellent, and even the jacking points look to be remarkably solid and well preserved.

While everyone else was imbuing their Germanic executive cars with a leather interior, Audi chose to fit this one with a wonderfully of-the-moment blue velour. Much warmer and grippier than the traditional hide, the fabric it used is durable too, having weathered the years very well.

Still firm and supportive and free of rips, tears and other damage, even the front seats are largely unmarked and very comfortable. The door cards are trimmed in a matching fabric, and they, along with the dark blue carpets, all look as good as the seats.

The sunvisors, dashboard, and centre console are in great shape too. It really has survived remarkably well and is in need of nothing other than continued loving.

Toys include electric windows all round, Audi-branded overmats and what appears to be the original Blaupunkt Melbourne radio-cassette player and a Duo Sound system on the rear parcel shelf gives the rear seat passengers somewhere to plug their headphones in.

It’s much the same story in the boot, which looks to be solid and in need of nothing other than some light detailing to the area underneath the very good carpet. It’s also home to what looks to be a good spare and the toolkit.

The only serious issue is the headlining, which has started to droop (#180). That’s the bad news, the good is that it looks to be in good shape despite that and might be restorable in the hands of someone who knows what they’re doing.

More good news comes in the fact that the other work that needs doing is minor. This seems to be limited to some colour loss to a small patch on the nearside front door trim (#216) and a few scratches to the glovebox lock (#225).

The rest of the controls look terrific, and even the steering column stalks still look bright and fresh. The temperature gauge is intermittent though, and the vendor tells us that the speedometer needle sometimes wavers when you’re driving and the offside rear window doesn’t work, which he thinks might just be a faulty switch.

Oh, and the rip you think you can see on the fabric of the nearside front door card is just a piece of fluff!

Top Marques Repair Garage has looked after it since 2010, with the Audi dealer network taking care of it previously. The following is recorded in the service history booklet:

• 03.06.1991 and 5,796 miles – service by VAG Harper Euro Cars of Stevenage

• 03.06.1992 and 14,221 -– service by VAG Harper Euro Cars of Stevenage

• 29.06.1993 and 23,333 miles – service by VAG Harper Euro Cars of Stevenage

• 20.06.1994 and 32,432 miles – service by VAG Harper Euro Cars of Stevenage

• 26.06.1995 and 40,432 miles – service by VAG Harper Euro Cars of Stevenage

• 26.06.1996 and 46,505 miles – service by Executive Motors (Stevenage) Ltd

• 12.06.1997 and 51,934 miles – service by Executive Motors (Stevenage) Ltd

• 09.06.1998 and 55,927 miles – service by Hartsdown of Stevenage

• 07.06.1999 and 60,978 miles – service by Executive Motors (Stevenage) Ltd

• 07.06.2000 and 64,777 miles – service by Hartsdown of Stevenage

• 07.11.2001 and 69,984 miles – service by Mercian Audi

• 12.11.2003 and 73,988 miles – Hitchin Audi

There is a pause in the records here due to, the vendor thinks, it being in storage after the death of its first owner. It picks up in 2010 and records the following work:

• 26.07.2010 and 84,256 miles – service and MOT by Top Marques Repair Garage plus drivebelt, front tyres, exhaust system and brake fluid

• 18.08.2011 and 84,890 miles – service and MOT by Top Marques Repair Garage plus front and rear brake hoses

• 30.07.2012 and 85,190 miles – MOT by Top Marques Repair Garage

• 19.08.2013 and 85,724 miles – service and MOT by Top Marques Repair Garage plus front brake pads

• 18.08.2014 and 86,766 miles – rear brake discs and pads plus and offside rear brake caliper as part of the annual MOT by Top Marques Repair Garage

• 11.08.2015 and 87,211 miles – service and MOT by Top Marques Repair Garage

• 08.08.2016 and 87,426 miles – MOT by Top Marques Repair Garage

• 04.08.2017 and 87,608 miles – service and MOT by Top Marques Repair Garage

• 16.08.2016 and 87,686 miles – MOT by Top Marques Repair Garage

• 13.08.2019 and 87,821 miles – MOT by Top Marques Repair Garage

• 28.07.2020 and 87,853 miles – MOT by Top Marques Repair Garage

There are a few other invoices, including one for a recent timing belt and drive belts in September 2020.

As you can see from the attached video, it starts and revs well. We obviously haven’t been able to drive it as it is still with the vendor but he tells us that it drives “really nicely”.

The engine bay is grubby and shows some light rust on some of the components – e.g. photos number 9 and 16 - which is nothing to worry about, of course, but if you’re going to be showing it off (and you should) then you might like to detail it.

The Audi’s MOT certificate, which is valid until August 2021, was gained without a single advisory point, something it’s been doing for years.

It has a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it over the years.

It also still has its original owner’s handbook, stamped service history and book pack.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been maintained to a very good standard.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

How do you value a car like this? A genuine one-of-a-kind, the market has yet to value them in the way it almost inevitably will, making this your chance to get your hands on a car that is still near the bottom of its depreciation curve.

How cheap is it likely to be? Well, we think the virtual hammer might fall as low as £2,500 - and might rise as high as £4,500 with a following wind. That seems like fine value to us, especially when you consider its importance in setting the direction of future Audi models.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in Harpenden; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.