Classic car enthusiasts – some, at least – often dream of finding that low-mileage rarity that will enhance their garage, attract attention at events and possibly boost their bank balance at some stage (this last is usually wishful thinking), and we all get excited about so-called “barn finds” of cars that seem to have been hidden from the view of all but a handful of people for years, sometimes decades. And these discoveries keep on coming – whenever you might think there can surely be no more, up pops another.
This week’s Prime Find isn’t quite one of those long-lost classics, but it is one that has led a very sheltered life for the 48 years of its existence and has come up for sale for the first time since it was new in 1973.
During the 1960’s, Audi had established itself as a maker of middle-market family cars while parent company Volkswagen focused on the mass-market. The Audi 60,75, 80 and 90 were all solid, comfortable and spacious cars that lent the marque an air of middle-class respectability, without setting the motoring world alight.
This was to change in 1968, as Audi took the first step towards establishing itself in the very competitive – and profitable – executive sector, slotting in above the likes of the Ford 20M and Opel Rekord and competing more with German rivals in the shape of the Mercedes-Benz W114 and BMW Neue Klasse, as well as in-house competition from the futuristic NSU Ro80, a position it has maintained ever since, and their advertising tag line of Vorsprung durch Technik has become one of the most well-known in advertising since they started using it in the 1980’s.
The Audi 100’s home market competition…
Other contemporary rivals included the likes of the Triumph 2000/2500. Peugeot 504, Alfa 1750, Rover 2000/2200, all good cars. Car Magazine tested the Audi against the Peugeot 504, BMW 1800 and Alfa 1750 in 1969 and while not coming to any clear “winner”, praised the Audi’s spaciousness, quality of fit and finish and its general all-round competence without it being particularly excellent.
…and some of its European rivals.
The car that started the company on this upward trajectory was the Audi 100 C1, as the first generation is known. Born in secret out of the DKW F 102, the 100 name came from the fact that the original engine for the car developed 100PS (German Pferdestärke as opposed to British brake horsepower, though near as dammit the same), but this was soon rendered fairly irrelevant, as power outputs varied across the range, with the base model 100 getting 80PS, the 100L with 90PS and the 100 LS getting the 100PS. All engines were four-cylinder units, and unlike the 100’s rivals (with the exception of the Ro80), drive was to the front wheels, something that aided the sense of spaciousness inside the car.
Besides the two and four-door saloons, Audi added a very lovely coupé to the range in April 1970, the 100 Coupé S, into which was installed the more powerful 115PS 1.9-litre unit. With a strong resemblance to the Aston Martin DBS which came out a year earlier, the coupé has become an increasingly sought-after car.
With clean lines, a big glasshouse, roomy interior, huge luggage capacity and excellent build quality, the 100 series was very well received; so much so that Audi’s Ingolstadt factory couldn’t keep up with demand, and an additional production line for the 100 was set up at parent company VWs Wolfsburg plant. Within three years, the 100 became Audi’s biggest commercial success, and by the time the C1’s production run came to an end, 827,474 examples had been built. Over that period, power outputs were slightly increased, a 100 GL model was launched, and a mid-production facelift was also implemented. About 33,000 examples were built in South Africa, and these, and examples cars sold in the US, differed in both engine size and outputs from their European equivalents.
The C1 was an undoubted success for Audi, giving VW group customers a car to aspire to without having to buy a Mercedes or BMW. Yes, there was the NSU Ro80, but this proved to be too unreliable and thirsty, thanks to its Wankel Rotary engine, and perhaps a bit too avant garde for the average customer.
Coming to our Prime Find of the Week, it is of course an Audi 100LS C1, but what makes it special is not only it’s fabulous colour – Tibetan Orange, since you ask – but also its ownership history, for this Audi has been with the same owner since it was new in 1973. As if that’s not enough, it has only covered 21,000 miles in that owner’s hands, not even an average of 500 a year .
It has also been extremely well looked after by that owner. According to the Chelmsford, Essex-based dealer, the body and paintwork are “immaculate”, as well as being almost entirely original bar a minor repair carried out by the selling dealer. They claim the black velour interior to be “like new”, and indeed the photos we have borrowed from the advert seem to show an exceptionally clean car, but I wouldn’t go so far as “as new”. I love the colour, and the only drawback for me is the automatic gearbox (says the owner of an automatic Mercedes).
The dealer is asking for offers in the region of £16,950 for this time-warp Audi 100LS – a high price for one of these, although there is another for sale in the UK for £24,995, so perhaps “our” car represents better value than at first appears. You can see the full listing here, and as always, no matter how good the photographs, we recommend arranging an inspection if possible, should you be interested in this very uncommon classic.
With our Saturday instalment of Prime Find of the Week, we’re offering our services to the classic car community, by passing on our favourite classic car for sale from the week that passed. This top-tip might help a first-time-buyer to own his first classic, or it could even be the perfect motivation for a multiple-classic-car-owner to expand his garage with something different. We’ll let us be inspired by anything from a cheap project to a stunning concours exotic, and hope that you will do the same.
Just remember – Any Classic is Better than No Classic! We obviously invite our readers to help prospective buyers with your views and maybe even experiences of any given model we feature. Further to that, if you stumble across a classic which you feel we ought to feature as Prime Find of the Week, then please send us a link to primefindoftheweek@viaretro