Most cars from the 80’s are new enough to be “reliable” and old enough to have plenty of character.
What common things come to mind when you think of 1980s Germany? I’m sure images of the Berlin wall falling, David Hasselhoff victoriously singing about freedom, riding the wave of his dubbed popularity in Germany from him and his talking Pontiac in “Nightrider,” and maybe some synth-laced Eurodance hits all come to mind. Maybe even the word “Unintended Acceleration” (thanks Hugh Downs from “20/20”!).
For most automotive enthusiasts, the 1980’s in Germany produced many legendary cars: the BMW E30 with its perfect weight distribution, lusty inline-six engines coupled to a rearward driveshaft in a compact body, the Giugiaro-styled MK1 Volkswagen GTI that put a zippy four-banger into a lightweight Rabbit/Golf with simple handling upgrades to make it the world’s first “hot hatch,” plus the Mercedes-Benz’s stately W123 and Bruno Sacco’s pleasant-looking W124 models that successfully combined style, safety and performance (the latter is usually open to debate).
Since my childhood I’ve been entranced by little German sports sedans (for a time I also badly-wanted a VW Bug…but I also wanted JNCO jeans at the same time. Don’t judge; we all have low points). The three-box design success, initiated by BMW in the late 1960’s with their sporty “Neue Klasse” cars were the beginnings of the modern sport sedan that offered nimble handling, a smaller wheelbase, and upscale interiors without much “gingerbread” as seen on American cars of the time. Most of these German sports sedans had a certain “snob appeal” in the United States for many years, and price tags that reflected this, even when used with high miles.
I had to follow this call for the “perfect” German sports sedan and ended-up with a ’04 VW Jetta with the 1.8 turbo as a daily driver for my long work commutes. I didn’t have the funds at the time for a “real” sports sedan. However, not long after, the itch for an 80’s German car needed to be scratched. In 2011 I was searching for an MK1 GTI and after testing many duds, came across an MK1 VW Jetta Coupe (yes, a two-door Jetta!). I still have it, and have made it the most reliable and fun little car I’ve ever had. This was the first in a string of “old” cars, including a Volvo 245 GLT, Saab 9000 and “God’s Chariot,” a BMW 325e. I never really was entranced by Audi, however.
I always liked the IDEA of the early Audi front-wheel drive models, like the Fox and 4000, and an AWD 4000 Quattro would be nice to have – if they were easily-found and didn’t have notorious Audi drivability issues. Weird electrical gremlins, the oft-debated “unintended acceleration” snafu of the late-80s Audis (later revealed as drivers hitting the gas instead of the brake pedal) and the five-cylinder weirdness made me and many other young enthusiasts avoid the brand. Besides, everyone loves the offerings from Audi’s parent company, like the MK1 & 2 Golf/Rabbit, Scirocco and Jetta; plus the enthusiast following/aftermarket parts network for them around the world is strong. They also have similar (if not more-Teutonic) lines, were produced in larger numbers, and rarely have electric accessories that fail, unlike Audi. But people can change. And maybe develop a masochist streak.
A local friend who has an MK1 Rabbit Caddy (the first pickup truck from VW) recently told me a friend of his friend was selling a 1983 Audi 5000. He sent a photo; I recognized it right away as the “plush Passat;” a car that cost around $15,500 new. I asked if it was turbo, turbo diesel, or n.a gas; it was the five-cylinder gasser with a five-speed manual (4+E for us V.A.G. nerds). Power windows and jammed radio aerials be damned, I wanted to go see it; it had only covered 39,000 original miles.
As luck would have it, it was only a few miles away from my home. I arrived and found the 5000 was sitting in a garage; dusty and neglected but not faded or damaged. The blue interior was like new; not even the radio had been updated. The seller had bought it around 2017 from the third owner and personal circumstances led to it sitting unmoved since 2020. The seller did charge the battery and much to my surprise, the 2.2 five cylinder fired right-up without any of the typical CIS K-Jet injection cold-start fuss. As it warmed-up, I took inventory of the time capsule Audi: no finicky sunroof (incredibly rare), slight rust bubbles but no rot, and paperwork dating back to the second owner who bought it from the original owner in 2008.
Taking it for a spin, and taking it home
I took the 5000 out for a spin, and the seller informed me it had a history. As I pushed the shifter through stiff, notchy gears and stopped gently on soft brakes, he mentioned it was on the showroom floor of the 1983 Chicago Auto Show, and an elderly couple bought it off the show floor. A German service sticker on the door from a still-extant V.A.G service center in Munich plus a 05/1982 build date were clues that suggested the 5000 was probably a dealer demo and displayed at shows in Germany and the USA (perhaps the American lights and speedometer were swapped-in before export).
My skeptical heart loves stories like this; I bought it and took the 5000 home to begin giving it the TLC that it had been denied. I also rang the two previous owners and they both accounted for the mileage and work they had done during the years they owned the 5000. Both apparently were Audi enthusiasts (aka masochists).
My brother and I found the K-Jet fuel pressure accumulator was slightly leaking (typical of any K-Jet injected cars), the timing belt was original, the clutch hydraulic booster was leaking, and owner number three reapplied silver undercoating over the original Ziebart chassis undercoating. That’s nothing major as far as old cars go. As such, the restoration work has commenced, and this piece of discount German engineering is on its way to being the entry-level “yuppie Euro car” that made it quite a popular choice from 1978 to 1983. Stay tuned for more updates on progress being made to a 40 year-old Audi.
As the previous owner of this car, I’m happy it’s gone to such a dedicated and appreciative new home. I’m pretty sure this is the nicest, lowest mileage example of these first body style 5000s left in the US. A remarkable time capsule.