OWNING A 100

John Mclannahan and his wife Jackie have owned their 1981 example twice. ‘The first time around, Jackie bought it as her first car in 1990 when she was living in Germany. She drove it back to the UK and by the midnineties, it had a few mechanical issues so we traded it in for a Peugeot 106. We hated it and always missed the Audi’s comfort!’

Almost a decade passed and one day, while out walking their dog, John and Jackie spotted their old Indiana Red 100 CS at the back of a yard. ‘We couldn’t believe it. The people who’d bought the car had stashed it away in a warehouse and hadn’t done anything with it. We bought it back for £170!’ A further surprise came when they realised Jackie was still technically still the owner, because the registration papers hadn’t been changed.

These days Secretary and Treasurer at Club Audi, John says that with just six cars known to exist in the UK, owning the C2 100 can be a major worry when it comes to finding spare parts. ‘It’s lucky the car is so well made, because it isn’t exactly demanding! I’ve replaced the valve stem seals and it’ll be getting its first replacement clutch soon, but otherwise, we’ve never had any trouble from the car.’

Reliability is a major appeal for John, as well as the driving experience. ‘I tucked the 100 away during the recent lockdown periods but on pulling off the cover eight months later, it started on the button. To hear that fivecylinder again was a delight. It has some real go, and I’m always very satisfied at how economical it is. For me, it wins on all counts.’