1987 Audi QUATTRO

This January 1987 registered car, finished in Pearl White with Audi ring decals, is showing nearly 159,500 miles and is an early example of the non-turbocharged 2226cc 10v “MB” Quattro. Being the normally aspirated model it lacks the characteristic flared wheel arches of the turbo.

In current ownership since 2013, it has been used mostly for local recreational use and according to the vendor, still gets a lot of attention when it’s out and about, which we can well believe. He bought the car in order to restore it to its former glory, having gone a little past its best in the salty air of the south coast, but then hung onto it for several years.

The vendor tells us that the Quattro was stolen one evening some while ago when its previous owners were having dinner in a restaurant in Portsmouth and such was its performance that it managed to outrun the Hampshire Constabulary for a good distance up the M3. Thankfully the Quattro was recovered intact and none the worse for its unexpected hot pursuit.

Now with too many vehicles at home and insufficient space or time, the owner has decided to sell and let a new owner give it a little more TLC and enjoy this largely original Audi Quattro.

Overall, the exterior condition of this Pearl White Quattro appears to be pretty good having been treated to a bare metal respray around four years ago. There are a number of areas in the paint or bodywork with room for improvement when you look a little closer.

Starting at the front and working back, there is rust starting to appear behind the valance below the bumper and what looks like a combination of damage, attempted repair and corrosion to the front of the sill behind the front offside wheel arch. The passenger door has some scuff marks at the top below the glass, there are the beginnings of rust on the door bottoms and lower corners, and the chrome door handle trims look a little pitted.

Toward the rear, there are a couple of small bubbles appearing in the paint on the rear nearside wing above and below the tail light and the paint in the centre of the rear spoiler is cracking. The silver trim on top of the rear bumper is uneven, particularly on the offside corner and the tail light lens above it is cracked, possibly both the result of a parking bump.

Don’t let the minor imperfections mentioned above put you off the car, nothing is serious and it is generally a strong-looking car. All the glass looks sound and the car still sports the original “quattro” window graphics on the rear and both sides along with Quattro owners club and Gene Hunt stickers.

The original 14-inch 16-spoke Ronal alloy wheels are painted body colour and present in a fair condition with just a few light scuffs around the rims. The front tyres are recent-looking Nankang Toursports and the rears are shod with mixed rubber; the nearside of which is looking slightly perished on the sidewall.

Inside the car things appear mostly very good. The hard-wearing grey tweed upholstery to the seats and door cards and the black vinyl trim elsewhere seem in really good condition with no evident rips or scuffs. The front seat covers were stripped off and reupholstered a few years back, restoring their original comfort. The steering wheel is a little worn as you’d expect for nearly 160,000 miles but is sound and could be brought back up to the same standard as other items with a little treatment or recolouring.

The black vinyl instrument panel and dash appears in good order with no obvious sun-bleaching or shrinkage, although the trim under the glovebox looks to be coming away slightly. The centre console is fitted with what could well be the car’s original Blaupunkt Bristol cassette radio.

The vendor reports that most of the electricals work as expected although the driver’s side electric window has recently refused to open or close, possibly due to drying out in the heat. Apparently the radio aerial also needs replacing.

We understand that the LED battery charge and oil temperature indicators in the centre console both work, as does the rotary switch for the vacuum-operated differential locks - up for unlocked, 1 for centre diff locked and 2 for centre and rear diffs locked. Unless you’re out rallying, driving in the sand, snow or getting stuck in a muddy festival car park, the chances are the diffs will stay unlocked but it’s good to test them regularly.

The gear shifter appears in good order with maybe just a little area of stitching coming undone on the gaiter. The carpets look original, showing some age in places but clean and intact with no rips we could see - newer floor mats come with the car for additional protection. The headlining looks nice and clean and the manual sunroof is understood to operate and be leak-free but could be made smoother with a little fettling.

Under the bonnet, the engine bay offers room for aesthetic improvement. The paint is cracking and starting to peel off the bulkhead and there is surface corrosion on a number of components and ancillaries which could either be spruced up or renewed. The bonnet lid itself appears sound and rust free.

Underneath the car, there is surface corrosion to many of the mechanical components such as suspension parts and driveshafts, but the floor pans and inner wheel arches appear sound and no evidence of serious or structural rust issues were found in the most recent MOT. The exhaust system is about the only non-original item on the car, being of Quattro turbo specification.

In the boot, under the carpet, there is rust starting to show on the floor where the spare wheel sits. The 15-inch spare wheel has a Goodyear temporary use tyre fitted. The boot lid itself seems in good order but there is light rust just beginning in the panel weld-seams around the boot opening.

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. If you’d rather limit your social exposure and not inspect the car in person, you may be able to arrange a video call to discuss any issues and to zoom in on any specific areas of concern.

This Quattro’s online MOT history over the past ten years shows a largely positive record with just a couple of unsuccessful tests and a number of advisories - typically related to suspension components. It also suggests a couple of short periods when the car was off the road. However, the car comes with a current MOT certificate valid until 29 March 2021 which should give the new owner a degree of confidence in this iconic car.

Aside from the bare metal respray back in 2015-16, the owner hasn’t had to do much to the car beyond what was required to pass its MOTs as documented online.

As you can tell from the video in the gallery, the engine starts and runs smoothly and there’s a pleasant rasp from the twin exhaust tail pipes. The vendor reports that it drives and handles well, pulling strongly through the gears.

We think this coastal-living car, although kept under cover, is starting to show the early effects of salty-air on the car’s paintwork and mechanicals. The good news is that it has a long MOT, runs well and comes to market just in time; allowing the new owner to halt any corrosion and make good the areas where rust is detracting from what is otherwise a very strong example of an iconic ‘80s sports coupe.

There aren’t many non-turbos still on the road in the UK but as rarity doesn’t always equate to desirability and given the mileage and the lack of much documentary history, we’re guiding a conservative estimate of between £5,000 and £8,000.

It’s offered with NO RESERVE so why not put in a cheeky bid and maybe bag yourself an absolute bargain? Even at the top end of that estimate range, we think it offers a fantastic opportunity to give it a little more TLC and get it back to a show-worthy condition.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located on Hayling Island, near Portsmouth; 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’.