This Original Audi Quattro Is Surprisingly Affordable

With only 32,000 miles on the clock, we’re surprised this original Audi Quattro doesn’t have a higher bid estimate.

It’s usually the exotics selling for astronomical amounts that attract the most attention at car auctions, but occasionally we come across rarities that are surprisingly affordable. Like this practically pristine 1991 Audi Quattro, for example. Of course, the Quattro name is synonymous with its rallying pedigree, making the road-going version popular among car collectors. With that in mind, we’re surprised this example going under the hammer via Classic Car Auctions doesn’t have a higher bid estimate.

Only 11,000 examples of the Audi Quattro were produced between 1982 and 1991, so they’re not very common. What makes this particular UK-spec Quattro so special, however, is that everything is still in original condition, from the engine bay to the interior. It looks stunning finished in Tornado Red, and the interior is also completely original. As this is a later model, this Quattro features a three-spoke steering wheel design, as well as leather covered door arm rests, glove boxes, center console, door pockets and partial leather seats with 'quattro' script upholstery. It even has an old-school cassette player. Only two previous owners have had the privilege of taming this classic Quattro in 25 years.

In that time, it's only racked up 32,233 miles. Power is provided by the original 2.2-liter inline-five engine. When it was new, it would produce around 217 horsepower and reach a top speed of 143 mph. "Finding an original 20 V Quattro is hard enough in the current marketplace, but one with low mileage is a truly special proposition," said Richard Greenhalgh, classic car specialist at Classic Car Auctions. "With world rally winning pedigree and a growing cult status, the demand for low-mileage Quattros is surely going to increase for many years to come." It's estimated that the Quattro will sell for between 35,000 and 40,000 GBP ($45,220 to $51,000) when it crosses the auction block on September 23.

Considering its condition, that seems criminally cheap, and could be a very wise investment as its value will no doubt continue to increase in the coming years.

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You Can Buy An Aston Martin Rapide For Less Than Half Of Its Original Price

Depreciation really hits these old Aston Martin models hard.

Buying a new car is a lot of fun, but the second you drive that car off the lot it loses most of its value. That is unless you decide to buy a used car that has already taken a depreciation hit. We are huge proponents of this practice. There are tons of old luxury cars that may be a bit risky, but can be bought for a fraction of the original price. We recently found used examples of the BMW i8, which have already depreciated below half of their original MSRP. Aston Martin always seems to be hit hard by depreciation, which is a good thing for the right buyer.

We have featured several Aston Martin models on our Supercars On A $50,000 Budget series. Models like the DB9, DB7 and V8 Vantage have all dropped well below the $50,000 mark. The Aston Martin Rapide hasn't become that cheap as of yet, but we still wanted to take a moment to talk about how inexpensive they have become. Aston Martin released the Rapide back in 2010, and it became the brand's first four-door model since the Lagonda, which began production back in 1974. The Rapide shared a platform with the DB9, which made it a very unique competitor in the four-door sports car market, with competitors like the Porsche Panamera and Maserati Quattroporte.

Even compared to the competition, the Rapide felt more like a sports car, thanks to its DB9 underpinnings. The Rapide also had one of the most special engines in its segment, a 6.0-liter V12 with 470 hp. The biggest problem that the Rapide had was its insane price.

Back in 2010, a new Rapide would cost just a hair over $200,000. Even compared to the Porsche and Maserati, this was just entirely too much based on the car's performance. 470 hp was not bad, but even at the time, the Panamera Turbo produced 500 hp for around $65,000 less. The Rapide also had some lackluster interior technology, which was dated even at the time, as well as an old-fashioned six-speed Touchtronic automatic transmission. Even with the older transmission, the car had respectable performance figures with a top speed of 188 mph and a 0-60 mph time of 5 seconds. Neither of these numbers is very impressive today, but the car's current price tag is quite fascinating.

We did some searching, and found used Rapide examples for as low as around $60,000. The cheapest example that we found was a 2011 model with 47,000 miles on the odometer for just under $60,000. This mileage is a bit high for such a high-maintenance car, but we did find other examples with under 30,000 miles for less than $70,000. This means that it is now possible to buy a four-door Aston Martin for the same price as a new BMW 540i or Mercedes E43 AMG. Neither of these new cars has as much power as the Aston, and neither can even come close to matching the Rapide on cool factor. It may be a gamble, but the Rapide is finally looking like a good deal.