1987 Audi Quattro 10v

This 1987 car finished in Tornado Red with Audi ring decals is showing 102,210 miles and is a late example of the 2144cc 10v “WR” Quattro.

A previous owner in the early 2000s lavished a good deal of money on the car, adding upgrades and modifications such as the Sport Quattro fibreglass spoiler and a Momo racing steering wheel as well as having the wheels refurbished.

Whilst with the next owner, a Belgian living and occasionally driving between Waterloo (Belgium) and Oxfordshire, at around 84,000 miles (2005) it underwent a full cosmetic and mechanical restoration to its already rebuilt and uprated engine (documented with photos in the gallery) and now has the following performance upgrades.

● 300+ hp Dialynx Performance engine preparation (original matching numbers block)

● Big valve head, gas flowed, polished and ported

● New cam and shims

● Air Search Turbo Techniques hybrid turbo with Dialynx manifold and RS2 injectors.

● Performance clutch

● Lumenition ECU

● Stainless Milltek exhaust system.

● Aquamist water injection system

● Drilled brake discs

The car packs a mightier 300bhp (the specialist puts this as a conservative estimate) punch than an original specification Quattro; however these upgrades are not just about performance tweaks, but also about helping to increase the reliability and durability of the car.

The current owner, an Australian car collector and Quattro enthusiast who now lives in Paris, has had the Audi since 2012; having bought it online in the hope of spending more time in the UK to enjoy the car. He has taken it to Le Mans, a number of Goodwood events and to the NEC and although it is regularly driven and looked after by a secure storage company, he feels that it isn’t getting the use it deserves.

Although we could find no evidence in the history folder, nor tell-tale overspray in the engine bay, the car has either been resprayed or very well detailed with paint correction as the bodywork appears in excellent condition. Only on the bonnet and to a lesser degree on the roof is there a slight fading and patina to the bright Tornado Red paintwork.

The addition of the Audi ring decals on the doors and the Sport Quattro rear spoiler makes the car look like it really means business and won’t be just a run of the mill Quattro - if you can ever describe the mightiest of Audis in that way. From our view, there appears to be no accident damage, misaligned panels or other detractions from the exterior.

Seventeen years on from being refurbished, the original 16-spoke Ronal alloy wheels look in great shape and are all fitted with matching Pirelli P7000 tyres.

The interior is also very strong with the black leather upholstery ageing very well and in good order.

This mid-production Quattro (Audi having fully embraced the “high-tech” ‘80s and moved away from the analogue dials of the first cars) has the digital green LED dashboard indicators and instruments and all electrical features appear to work as they should.

The dashboard and console are solid, with none of the creaks or groans associated with driving some other cars of the period and the factory sunroof fits and operates well with no sign of leakage or water ingress.

The original stereo has been replaced with an Alpine head unit playing through professionally-fitted Blaupunkt speakers in the doors.

There is nothing - apart from maybe the Knight Rider era instruments - which really dates the car from the inside, it’s a very nice comfortable tidy cabin.

The engine bay and undersides are still relatively fresh from the “restoration” less than 20,000 miles ago and from the photos in the gallery you can see the good condition on the suspension components, stainless steel exhaust and undertrays.

Our Quattro was fitted with a Cobra Thatcham Category 1 alarm system in 2006, although the current owner has never used it so we cannot determine whether it is functional.

Inside the bootspace is clean and tidy, with space saver spare wheel, tools and a rather incongruous-looking metal can which is part of the turbocharger-cooling water injection system.

This car has a really nice history and the file folder shows invoices from Audi-VAG main dealers for parts, Quattro specialists such as AM Cars, Dialynx Performance and Quattro Corner or other performance part suppliers such as Demon Tweeks.

The MOT history online - with the current certificate valid until September 2020 - shows the low mileage of the current ownership in the last 6-7 years and no serious safety issues.

We are looking after this Audi Quattro for the vendor during the sale and when a bright red example comes into your hands, who could resist the call to “Fire up the quattro!” and take it for a test drive? Well, we certainly couldn’t.

Put simply, this Quattro goes like stink. In a good way, a proper turbocharged way. The engine spins very sweetly and you can really feel the boost in performance from the engine modifications.

This extra power and the way it is delivered gives the car a slightly harder edge than regular Quattros and when combined with the single box Milltek exhaust, it sings a rather fruity tune.

As you can see from the Price Trends graph, average sale prices of the “WR” Quattro have been steadily rising over the past 5 years and, (aside from some violent swings in our data during 2018) they are averaging in the upper-mid thirty thousands.

Given the mileage on this Quattro, we’re guiding a more conservative estimate of between £24,000 and £30,000 - although if a real enthusiast who knows their performance mods gets on board it could go higher.

This listing has relatively few words on this car’s condition – but this is only because it appears a very strong example that must have led a sensible life as there are few faults to describe and detail, inside or out. And the service history is excellent.

The last few owners have certainly been Quattro driving enthusiasts rather than purists with the modifications and upgrades they’ve bestowed on the car. So it definitely isn’t a car for those seeking museum quality originality.

But if, like Gene Hunt, you want a show-stopping, heart-thumping ‘80s performance icon for less than the price of a new Audi TT, this car should be on your list.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abindgon; 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’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.