BUYING WITH CONFIDENCE
CONCOURS £35,000+
1 WHICH YEAR?
Specification counts for a lot with these Audis, so later models command the most money, being more powerful and durable and less prone to corrosion.
2 CREAM OF THE CROP
You’ll need more than £100k for an original Group B ‘Sport quattro’, but the best civvy-spec cars are over £40k, especially the last-of-the-line RRs.
3 HOW MANY LEFT?
Refurbishments are quite common but full-blown restorations, perhaps surprisingly, aren’t. The upshot of this is that there are still relatively few genuinely concours quattros around from which to choose.
GOOD £20K- 35k
1 HAS IT BEEN DRY STORED?
Most quattros are enthusiast-owned, so if you’re paying good money, expect evidence of drystorage and rust-proofing.
2 CHECK THE ELECTRICS
These can fail no matter how well the car is serviced, especially post-1983 cars with digital displays. Dismantling the dash is time consuming and costly.
3 ENGINES
Haggle extremely hard if the engine seems tired, because rebuilds are expensive. WB models onwards received a watercooled turbo, which is more durable. Most modifications risk devaluing a given car.
USABLE £12k- 20k
1 LOOK FOR CORROSION
This will be worse on non-galvanized, pre-1985 cars. Rust, especially when combined with poor panel gaps may indicate crash damage.
2 HOW’S THE OIL?
Early WR engines in particular need frequent oil changes – check it’s been done every 5k miles. A smoky turbo or leaky oil cooler can spell major issues.
3 CHECK FOR ABUSE
Quattros are inherently tough machines, so any obvious signs of wear indicates a car that’s suffered from poor care. Knackered bushes are typical symptoms of regular overly aggressive use.
PROJECT £6k-£12k
1 IS IT REALLY WORTH IT?
Buying at this price is a big risk, and there are few completely unusable Quattros out there. Reviving a better car makes more financial sense.
2 WHAT’S MISSING?
Sourcing drivetrain components can be laborious and costly, and some will need to be imported. Interior trim will be hard to replace; using 80 coupé items is a budget alternative.
3 CHOOSE CAREFULLY
Swings and roundabouts. Post1988 cars are less prone to rust, but welding is complicated by the fact that they’re galvanised. Later electronics can also cause problems.