So my friend Aron just moved house. And when I say house I mean apartment, because who can afford a house these days. And when I say moved, I mean from Paris, France, to his hometown Stuttgart, Germany. Now Paris might not be a great place to drive with zero parking and tough emission laws virtually excluding diesels powered vehicles from Paris proper. But then neither is Stuttgart, with some of Germany’s worst congestion, air pollution and a ban on all but the latest diesels.
And yet there is something about moving to Motor City Germany that makes you just want to take part in the whole experience of a place that mostly revolves around cars in one way or another. And with everything that’s currently going on you just don’t know if it might not be your last chance to go for that drive in the twisties at nearby Black Forest, or gun down Autobahn A81 towards Austria in the middle of the night just to clear your head in that most German of ways.
So I can’t say I was surprised to have my friend–who loves driving but doesn’t know a whole lot about cars–ask me: What car should I buy?
His criteria: Older than 20 years, max price 5000 euros, and it better be something fun as long as there is any left to be had. Let’s help him out, shall we? (Spoiler alert: No, there is no sub 5k Porsche within an hours drive of Stuttgart…but there is a Porsche engine wrapped in Spanish sheet metal!
1999 Audi Cabriolet 2.6, 155k miles, 148 hp, manual transmission, 4500 $.
A very late in the model-run example of what I think is one of Audi’s most underrated designs.
Unlike many other B4 based Audis in Europe, the cabriolets were mostly ordered pretty loaded. The 2.6 litre V-6 was the sweet spot in the European model range, which included 1.8 and 2 litre four cylinders, the venerable 2.3 litre I-5 and the top-dog 2.8. And for those really out there, a 90 hp TDI!
This one may have seen better years, but the ad says it comes with a voucher for a free airbag recall job that could be done by the new owner – a trouble maybe not worth going trough, given how this venerable vehicle is more at home at the Stuttgart Königsstrasse cruising strip than on narrow countryside lanes.
1993 Peugeot 205 CJ “Roland Garros”, 95k miles, 75 hp, manual transmission, 4400$.
Far from being a basket case, this pininfarina desgined little ‘vert should be easy enough to handle mechanically. It’s said to have a new exhaust and new brakes and a working electric top!
The fixed-roof 205 was an admirbale performer when the going got curvy, I have my doubts how much structural rigidity would be left with the roof cut job. But it should be good enough for a drive up Schloss Solitude on a sunday in spring!
1996 Cadillac Eldorado TC, 205 k miles, 2 owners, 5000 $
With a lot of mechanical work recently performed but a conspicuous absence of interior shots from the ad, will this North Star be shining bright for years to come? With some American troops still stationed in Stuttgart, there is at least a moderate amount of hope that someone might help you figure out the mechanical needs of this behemoth that your average German mechanic is going to run from.
It’s hard to tell, particularly with the high mileage, but hey, while you go for that test drive, you might as well check out what else the seller has parked in its back yard!
1994 VW Polo G40 1.3 liter, “G-Lader” inline-4, 113 hp, manual transmission, 180k miles, 4500 $
4500 grand for an almost three decades old Polo? You got that right. And now let me tell you why this might be a real steal.
The United States got the Corrado G-60 and the Passat G-60 (if I am not mistaken). But Germany also got the Golf Mk2 G60. And then someone at Wolfsburg took it up (or down, if you will) a notch and thought, we are gonna slap that G-Lader onto the Polo and see what happens. And thus the Polo G-40 was born.
A true screamer of a tiny hot hatch, outrunning the entire competition from zero to 100 miles in a contemporary Auto Motor und Sport comparison test.
The seller claims this to be a two owner car, is willing to provide full paperwork and admits that it has not been driven in over two years.
But given how an average Polo G40 is now a 10k plus collector’s car, it might be worth spreading some loving maintenance here.
After all, when have you ever seen a Polo with “wood” on the dash? And those checkered seats!
And need I even say it has manual windows? No airbags? Given how this tiny perfomer tops out at 125 mph, an airbag would probably not save you anyway…
1998 Peugeot 406 Coupe, Mileage unknown, 3.0 litre V6, 190 hp, manual transmission, 2350 $.
Often described as the poor man’s Ferrari 456 GT, the 406 coupe really is a looker, a stunning beauty of a midsize coupe. In its heyday it used to compete with the likes of the E36 Coupe and first generation Mercedes CLK, visually leaving both in the dust. The question at hand: Is is worth saving?
Before I saw the interior picture I would have said “Yes, absolultely!”.
But now I am not so sure. After putting in the work, this is no longer a sub 5k car, far from it (maybe less far if you can spare that passenger air bag…), lending new meaning to the concept of a poor man’s Ferrari.
1999 Alfa Spider (916) 2.0 Twin Spark, 138 k miles, 148 hp, manual transmission, 5000 $.
So there is an unspoken but silently agreed upon boundary that divides Germany into two parts: Those living far enough south that they vacation in France and Italy, and those unfortunate enough to live farther north so they will have to vacation in Denmark or Sweden. Don’t ask me why, it’s just how Germany works. (And no, if you can somehow afford it, you DO NOT spend your vacation in Germany).
Stuttgart falls clearly into the more fortunate Southern category so when you go for that long weekend in Milan or lake Como, why not do it in style?
Just how much style the 916 spider really has is still being debated among car design historians as we speak, but the reviews have become more favourable lately. And while the seller claims this car has a new engine he or she also admits there is no paperwork to prove it – pretty trustworthy. But hey, aren’t those leather seats worth half the asking price?
One more word about the engine. It’s no longer the legendary Busso motor, but a spiced up version of a Fiat engine. With balance shafts and twin spark plugs it’s pretty sharp though.
And if you are still uncertain how to feel about this front-engined Fiat-parent company developed blasphemy of an Alfa, you can just open the hood, squeeze your eyes a little and pretend it’s a Toyota Supra!
1990 Audi Coupe 2.3 litre, 133 hp, 186k miles, 4500$.
Ah, do I have a soft spot for the Audi Coupe which was really the ugly duckling of the B3/4 family. Time has been gentle on this car’s lines though, and compared to most cars built post Y2K it’s so much easier to appreciate now. Red works great on it, too. Besides a the usual headliner problems and a non-working AC unit this looks okay to me. Well, something might be off with that front-fender.
This is Audi of Germany in the early 90s for you: A personal luxury coupe with manual windows! No airbags! Not one!Needless to say, I love it. Can’t fix what ain’t broken. And those extra gauges! Located so as to be sure you get into that accident while you look at them to check on your engine.
1988 Chrysler LeBaron Turbo Convertible, 75 k miles, automatic transmission, 2.2 litre, 150 hp, 3500 $.
Not much info is provided, but these two images prove the top still opens (though no word on how long it took).
The parking sign in this image says “parking for visitors to the cemetery” only. Not sure how comfortable I would be buying this car.
Other than that, I think there is a lot to like about the LeBaron convertible which enjoyed a brief and surpising period of popularity in Germany.
1992 Nissan 100 NX 1.6, 120k miles, 1.6 litre, 90 hp, manual transmission, 2400 dollars
There is something about the simplicity of this design that struck me first when I was 5 years old, “reading” car magazines that my dad had left lying around. The appeal has never left me since, though admittedly it is the least exciting of the cars presented here. It’s probably also the only one that does not pose a considerable financial risk.
Simplicity continues on the inside. Manual windows! Just like that fancy Audi Coupe! And the seat fabrics are arguably nicer than the Audis! The dashboard is much better integrated! And there are no extra gauges down below that kill you while you take your eyes off the road trying to find and /or read them!
1992 Seat Ibiza CLX “Bieber” Cabrio, 1.5 litre, 90 hp, 1100 miles (!), 5500$
Just when you think you have seen it all! Bieber apparently was an independent coachbuilder who cut open Porsche 924s and VW Sciroccos in the eighties, then put a long roof on Volvo 440s in the nineties.
Somewhere in between, this happened. I honestly think it’s quite beautiful as far as a small convertibles go.
The low mileage of an indicated 1100 miles seems unbelievable but might actually be real given the optics. If you are still not convinced, the four cylinder engine was codeveloped with Porsche! So in a way, like my friend Aron returning from France to his hometown Stuttgart after years abroad, this too, is a story of a homecoming!
In an almost frightening “auto-CC effect” I just saw my first Seat Ibiza hatch in like a decade which I will throw in for good measure and as comparison to the Bieber drop-top.
1992 Mercedes 200 CE, 155k miles, manual transmission, 118 hp 2 litre inline-4, 4100 4.
This being a post about used car shopping in Stuttgart, there was no way around including a Benz. What first looks like your regular C124 – albeit with some not-all-that bad aftermarket wheels – contains some very interesting secrets.
While the CE was only ever offered with the six cylinder engines in the US, this was not the case in Europe. Germany also got the 230E, later the E 220 and even the 200E, at least once Mercedes put the 16-valve head on the four cylinder engines in ’93.
This, however, is a very rare, and very weak, 8-valve 200 CE model which was never offered in Germany, but only in Italy, Greece and Portugal which placed very high taxes on cars displacing more than 2 litres. It pumped out a stunning 118hp when new.
So this one has been brought home to its birthplace and even if that southern European part of its history is not disclosed in the ad (maybe the seller is not even aware of it), that does not have to be a bad thing. Quite to the contrary, as this example is claimed to be rust-free, somewhat of an anomaly for German Mercedes’ of that era, yet easily explained by the Southern years of its life.
And it only gets better on the inside! Blue cloth seats! A manual transmission to make the most of what little power is there (though with 5 speeds, the sedan and wagon-only 4 speed would have been even better)! And again, no airbags!
Is this the true homecoming car for my friend?
Let the CCommentariat decide!
I am only qualified to offer opinions on the two Amerikaners. On the Cadillac: no, No, GOD NO! If it says “Northstar” anywhere, I’m out. The car is old. It is far, far away from its homeland where some people may have a gift for working on it. The fact that it has had major money dropped into its mechanicals only resets the meter as it counts towards the next major money that will need to be dropped into its mechanicals.
The Chrysler – these are not my favorite cars of that era, but there are certainly ones that are far worse. (See above). I recall them being quite shaky in their structure over uneven surfaces, but that is not uncommon – the Volvo C70 was worse. If your friend is fluent in English, I understand that there is an active bunch who is intimate with Mopar turbos of that era. But on this one I defer to Daniel Stern.
Since these are on the Continent, I’d go with the red Audi due to parts and service availability. Such a car would fit in the background, but part of the equation is peace of mind. Don’t want to go thru another messy relationship again (ie: ’69 Beetle, what a money pit).
If in the US, I’d get the Northstar engine in the Cadillac immediately rebuilt. Something about this particular generation of Eldo (and corresponding Seville) that avoids the “bling mindset” of late.
If your friend doesn’t know much about cars, I’m going to assume they won’t be fixing whatever they buy themselves. Assuming there is decent independent workshop support for Nissan in Germany, I’m voting for the Nissan. All the other choices would drain the wallet, break the heart, or both.
I like the underpowered Benz most, and the basic Audi Coupe second.
There’s gotta be a V-8 Mustang or something around as an alternative to the trouble prone Eldo or grandma’s LeBaron for an American option.
I like 80s-90s VWs, too, not sure what the model selection is there. How hard to find a decent Ford Capri? Not the FWD Mazda convertible, the older RWD car.
Ps. I HATE gauges placed down low. My ’74 Chevy C10 has aftermarket gauges mounted below the radio. I have purchased a factory tachometer/full gauges cluster and have rebuilt it to go in the truck. Even had the tachometer recalibrated for the 6 cylinder engine (it came from a V-8 truck). I can’t wait to get all my gauges mounted where they’re SUPPOSED to be, and rip that junk off the bottom of my dash for good.
I once had an Audi with three gauges mounted down in the console similar to this one, and I didn’t mind it. The three gauges (if I remember correctly) were voltmeter, water temperature and oil temperature, so they weren’t gauges one would use all the time, and just a quick glance told you everything you needed to know. Any gauge more important than that, or something fussier like HVAC or sound system, would be awful down there, but for those auxiliary gauges, it wasn’t too bad.
Agreed, in that case with secondary gauges like those.
In my case, its oil pressure and temperature, and the temperature is awkward because you have to move forward and look down to see it. Everyone puts them there in these trucks, and it’s a terrible location.
I almost overheated the truck once because the alternator bolt had worked it’s way lose and allowed the belt to slip, so the water pump and fan were not doing their job either (everything runs off one belt on my engine). My first indication was a flapping noise. I looked at my gauges and the temp was way high.
In any other car, I periodically check my gauges (until recently, I assumed *everyone* did, as well as mirrors?). I’ve had to make a habit of making the extra effort in that truck because had it not been for the noise, I could have gone much further and possibly damaged the engine before I noticed other symptoms. Something so simple could do so much. I’ve put a good 20k on the truck since, hasn’t happened again, but I’m a firm believer in full gauges, easily seen and well lit without being obnoxious. They should convey vital information in a clear mannor, not dazzle the eye or hide from view.
The gauges down by the gearshift were common on the nicer VW and Audi cars in the 80s apart form the Scirocco that had the oil temp gauge up near the radio. We had an 84 Audi 4000 Quattro (80 Quattro over there) and an 84 Jetta and an occasional quick glance at the gauge panel was all you needed to know the at voltage and oil were in the zone, or a quart low. I could tell when the Jetta needed oil because it ran 10 degrees hotter.
That said a common modification on 80s VWs was to move the gauges into the radio opening and either forgo the stereo or put that on the floor.
There are some seriously desirable vehicles in this list, condition and price nonwithstanding, that would make this a very difficult choice. Alas, that’s not the reality we are dealing with here, and I don’t think your friend wants a four wheeled stationary sculpture. Ratty condition alone easily eliminates the Audi Cabriolet and 406. An engine transplant of unverified quality in the Alfa sounds like taking responsibility for someone else’s incompetence. The Ibiza and LeBaron aren’t interesting enough to keep my attention. The Audi Coupe, Eldorado and Polo are too high a mileage, and that’s before considering the Northstar and G-Ladder’s known trouble spots for the latter two. I’m neutral with the 200CE. That leaves the 205 and the 100NX. The Peugeot ticks a lot of my personal boxes, and I’ve always liked the underdog Nissan. Either one would be a good choice, so I guess it comes down to how much your friend is going to actually use the car out of nesessity. The soft top isn’t really the big plus to me as it would be for others if I didn’t have a garage, so as appealing the 205 is for all it’s known qualities, that Nissan at nearly half the price is too much to pass up. It’s quirky, rare, sporty enough to my liking, and will almost certainly last another 50k without thinking about it too much.
Google MG F or TF, and “head gasket failure”, and compare the overlap of the results
If it’s been done, you’ve got a chance…
This is a great choice of options.
Here in the US, I’d choose the LeBaron, if for no reason other than parts availability and a more favorable cost of maintenance. I’m not sure I would have bought one new, but a few decades later, they’ve become more appealing to me.
But in Germany, I suspect the maintenance issue might be inverted. In that event, I’d spring for the 1990 Audi Coupe. Certainly not Audi’s best design, but these were fun cars. This car also reminds me of my own first car, which was a bare-bones 1981 Audi Coupe. I loved that car, and would have loved it more had it been in better condition. I have an affinity for cars without lots of options, and if your friend has a similar affinity, and doesn’t mind the lack of power options, then it may be a good deal. The lack of a/c could definitely be a downside, but I wonder how many of these other cars have non-functional a/c too?
The 200CE and ’94 Polo get runner-up status among this group.
And the two cars that I love, but wouldn’t go near, are the Eldorado and the Peugeot 406.
Good luck to Aron – hope we get to hear what he decides!
I drove, and very much enjoyed, a friends Audi Coupe GT. It was by no means in excellent condition, but I really, really liked it. I think that’s what drew the Audi up to a close 2nd on my list.
I just love the idea of a pretty base Mercedes coupe with a manual (I’d be tempted to put steel wheels with trim rings), plus its Stuttgart! Ya don’t buy a classic Toyota to mark your homecoming to Detroit/Dearborn/Auburn Hills! Haha
Plus, I ran across the American 6 cylinder version the other day, around an ’89? Anyway, I loved it, and immediately thought about how it would look with Euro headlights, so I looked them up, sure enough, stunning. Then I got to researching the car and became a bit enamored with them.
Now here is one in forbidden fruit form, of course it wins! I love the idea of a base 4 cylinder (that is not diesel) with a manual transmission. I’d certainly import that one if I could. Probably why I became infatuated with a base BMW 318Ti when they were new and pined for one since.
Yes, the forbidden fruit aspect of that 200CE is mighty captivating. Those W124 coupes are my favorite Mercedes design of recent decades, and seeing a low-trim version with cloth seats, a manual, and a little engine is hard to resist. But if I were European, I’m not sure it would hold quite as much appeal.
Right, its probably like a Camaro with a 2.5L Iron Duke to them.
Nah. A 4cyl. Benz carries no stigma over here. Still faster than almost all w124 diesels and no need to smoke tyres off the line with a swanky coupé. And still plenty of power for maintaining dignified autobahn cruising speeds. Heck, even a 72 hp 200d will go 100mph all day, just hope for level terrain and no trucks overtaking each other. It also helps, that on ramp drag racing is not that much of a thing here.
VW Polo G40 or Audi Coupe 2.3 for me, please. I see your prices are just as nutty as ours recently, seems these would all have been less than half these prices two years ago, no? (the US never got the G60 Passat btw or even a Syncro version – Canada may have though, Corrado was our only G car).
The Mercedes might be a distant third, but would have been far ahead with most any other engine, driving something so large but so little motor in traffic with a manual is not too interesting.
The Passat Syncro G60 was available in Canada. At Christmas one year we were visiting family north of Montreal and my nephew showed up with the wagon version. It was only a year or two old and he had just got it. I really liked it, but I remember that he later had some maintenance issues with the engine. A couple of years later he moved to Chicago and tried to take it with him. He ran into problems as it was not certified for USA (no passive seat belts). He eventually got his sister to drive it down when she came for a visit. He then went into the local licence office and they let him register it and gave him some plates.
For me it’s a tossup between the Audi cabriolet and the red Audio hatchback coupe.
Posts like this and Tatra87’s from Japan fill me with envy, and really drive home (no pun intended) how utterly lame, boring and sad US car culture has been for the last several decades.
The 200CE for me. I’d like to relieve the W124 experience, even in slower-motion. But then I have a thing for underpowered cars. I could live with it.
I can relate to that. My best friend thinks I’m nuts to want a perfectly stock 1988-91 Civic sedan. “You’ll be run over the first time you take it out!” He forgets that I drive a fullsize truck with an Inline 6 and a 3 speed manual- not exactly a Hellcat. I do my best to avoid holding up traffic (the truck will do 70+…eventually) and I almost always select “avoid highways” when planning some sort of trip. Trips are best enjoyed from a winding two lane country road, than from an endless concrete slab packed with angry parents racing their crossovers.
How about a 300CD, slow, stylish and officially sold in the US? My Uncle had one in the 80s which baffled both me and my BMW 3 Series driving cousins.
tough choices and some interesting ones.
The W124 looks tempting, subject to a drive to see if you can keep up with 2022 traffic in an underpowered bank vault. How hard would it be to re-engine this in a few years with a 2.3 litre or 6? Four pedals would make traffic jams fun in the Bavarian Alps…
The 1990 Audi 2.3 could be a good choice too – there’s a fair bit of bank vault in those and it’s a hatch to help with the apartment move.
The Alfa is obviously tempting, though the lack of history might concern. I’ll have the front seats shipped over though…
And the SEAT? Not convinced, but the photo shows how well the hatchback has aged. But that’s Guigiaro for you, and it is missing the “SYSTEM PORSCHE” side stripes
If it was me driving around Stuttgart (and why not me?) I’d take the Polo G40. Looks like fun to drive and despite liking motorcycles I’m a closed car guy so I’ll pass on the drop tops.
I don’t guess it’s much of a shocker that I’d take an early look at the low-miles turbo LeBaron. Even from all the way over here I can see repair parts still aren’t prohibitively difficult to get in Germany, and I think any minor nuisance involved in getting hold of them would be largely offset by needing fewer of them, less often, than a high-kilometres Audi, Peugeot, Alfa, Mercedes, or Alfa. I wouldn’t trust a cut-up SEAT to keep the rain off.
The LeBaron has the sturdy 3-speed automatic rather than the fragile 4-speed ProbleMatic Peter Wendt had to deal with in his Chryslers in Germany. No overdrive top gear, but the 2.2 turbo is revvy enough to handle it fine.
I’d also seriously consider the Nissan.
All of the foregoing is based on the assumption that I will have to actually depend on the car, and pay (in money and time) to keep it up. If it’s purely a toy, and repair/tinker funds and time are unlimited, my math might change.
My 2c worth….
The Audi Cabrio is a timeless design and will possibly appreciate – the 2.6 is a nice strong motor, too – get the damage fixed and enjoy wafting around the Black Forest with the top down! Nice color, too…The Benzo – peak Benz, underpowered, but solid if not rusty, cheap to run, too. These will be seen as the most “classy” of your selection in Stuttgart and also easiest to maintain.
G40 – loads of fun and definitely a classic now – G-Lader can be problematic.
These 3 will also not lose any more value if looked after.
The rest (apart from the Audi coupe) will be seen as cheap old cars (if image is important) and more importantly, much harder to look after.
The Alfa – horrendously unreliable when new – heartbreaker, avoid, much as I love Alfas.
The Seat – terrible quality when new, so now?
The rest, nah…
Funnily enough, I moved from Paris to Stuttgart in 1999 and bought a cheap Saab 99 for DM 850. Went all over Europe with that thing….
Alfa for me thanks, not classically beautiful but lots of attitude and great in black, and the seats seal the deal.
After reading most above, I can see the thought of being in Germany vs being in the states. Yet even with that, my mind is still telling me the same things.
Even though I’m a Cadillac nut and I do love the Eldo’s, the Northstar just scares me to death. Now, if there is paperwork proving the main two issues (oil pan seal leak and head gasket issues) have been properly taken care of, then the Northstar is otherwise a very fine engine that will last a long time. Yet, as a Cadillac in a foreign country, I’m sure it’s more expensive to fix. So that leads me to the Chrysler. Of the list, even in Germany, that car will most likely be the more reliable for the price and the least expensive to keep running. My vote? Chrysler.
I’m going with the Peugeot or the Alfa.
But … I also found an MG TF for 2,999€, not that far from Stuttgart. I have no idea how reliable those things actually are, but I got to ride in one once, and liked it. A lot.
https://www.autoscout24.de/angebote/mg-mgf-1-8i-cabrio-hard-top-alu-efh-leder-benzin-silber-796a8e77-657b-4a05-9306-42b368a9f5d5
The Pug is so underated . Uk buyers tended to go for the BMW 3series coupe . The standard dash let the side down with just a chrome strip to set. It apart from sedan models. A friend has a 97 model for. 20 years and only a alarm that wouljd not switch off and a broken seat back has caused worries.
MG TF’s are reliable mechanically, I’d avoid a MGF unless its had a lot of money spent on a hydrogas to coilspring strut conversion.
Hydrogas parts are no longer available.
The MG’s K series engine and gearbox seem to be OK when installed in a Lotus Elise S1.
I’d check everything electrical on the MG TF.
I’d pay the Toyota tax and buy a MR-S or MR2.
Myself I’d like a Elise, MG or Toyota powered.
I forgot to mention with the Rover engineers came to there senses and deleted the hydro gas on the TF and has coil sprung struts all round.
Theres an international industry supplying hydrogas delete kits for the MGF. UK, Dutch, Australian suppliers.
None of the cars appeal to me, the 406 is too rough, I like the Alfa but not with a twinspark, the V6’s are more reliable.
Audi is a 4 letter word -I currently own a Ur Allroad 2.5 tdi, all the air suspension is going into the rubbish bin.
The only new or near new German vehicle I’d consider would a Deutz tractor.
Oh that 205 is such a joy to drive !
And let me tell you that rollover protection is very real and useful, if I’m to believe my uncle who was pushed out of the road by a truck in one just like that and ended up with minor bruises only.
There’s all kinds of interesting there, some of which is eligible for US import. As a lover of small and fast I’d shortlist the Polo G40 , The Peugeot 205 convertible and follow up with the Audi Cabriolet because I like a good mid sized convertible.
Last place are the American cars. The Eldorado has style but it’s still a big floaty barge at heart, the Northstar is time bomb and the interior plastics are crumbling as we speak. The LeBaron is just a rounded off K-car with all the vices of a 30+ year old Chrysler and only merits of those back in the day was a convertible top and good parts availability in North America.
Most of those are horrible unreliable cars, and specially the cheap examples will end up costing you twice as much the first 6 months you own them.
For me, red Audi coupe with the 2.3 engine. The Cabrio is also a nice car, but I owned one with the 2.6, and everything on that sweet V6 will cost you a small fortune to fix.
I’d bet 5 Maß at Cannstätter Wasen that the Nissan is crunchy as a nice Krustenbraten, the Audis (though my ultimate choice, considering myself a decent VAG wrench) have the potential to nickel and dime a guy who needs to rely on paid labor in short order, with the little Pugger your buddy should keep in touch with the car savvy part of his french connection. Furthermore there are many good reasons to drop the big Pug together with the Alfa and the american offerings off the list entirely, with the Chrysler getting the Tin Trophy for being the least hideous choice amongst the outcasts. G40 and Seat i’d consider exotic toys, not up for satisfying daily duty. Leaves the Benz, whose caveats may lie rather in rust (if back in Vaterland for several winters already) and biodegradable wiring harness (may be adressed, for a lofty price, of course), than in lack of power, which is btw totally par for the course in GDM 124s.
Your buddy is onto something with the Audis though, he just needs to choose a low km 2.0 manual for carefree motoring in style, in context it’s not as slow as it may sound.
I’d also look at Miatas. Although the budget is on the limited side for that, there still might be hope.
After a second read: relax on the Benz’ wiring, that came a year or two later. Instead there are still the joys of a potentially neglected KE-Jetronic awaiting, just as with the 5pot Audi Coupe (and early 2.0s as well, just avoid cars with individual steel braided fuel lines and something that resembles a big rubber turtle sitting on the air filter box).
406 coupe for me there are still plenty of parts in wrecking yards for V6 Pugs around and its the best looking of the bunch and the best driver, maybe the 205 as a spare for service days.
No one ever regrets buying a 205. Simple and easy to fix, and fun to drive all day long.
W124 all the way because Stuttgart….but I may be biased towards W123/124s….
I didn’t pay attention to the lead photo collage so I as I read the article I kept changing my preferences as I read. First, I was all Polo G40 because this one looks great in black and I am a sl_t for anything VW MK2. Then that red Audi coupe, what a car. However my love for 30-40 year old Benz coupes trumps all, and a manual to boot. So what about the engine size, slow and low and yes I like the wheels on this example
Merc 200CE for me as the shape is so elegant and timeless, and it couldn’t be that hard to insert one of the bigger engines in it. Other than that, a lot of them would be great fun to drive, less so to own on an ongoing basis, but I could probably do the convertible Audi if need be!
Keep in mind we are talking about Germany, where if you so much as put above the window a rain deflector that didn’t come on that particular car, without an ABE, the car is no longer considered roadworthy and its operational permits are null and void. An ABE is a document describing the nonstandard part and attesting to its type-approval under German national regulations. You think an engine swap under those conditions is not that hard? I think otherwise.
Le Baron for me . Ever since I saw them in the opening episodes Knight Rider Season 3, I love they way they look.
I’d have to drive the MB to see if it felt modest or so slow you could time it with a sundial. I’d get it if it felt ok, or probably the Audi even with my distrust of their reliability.
No Saab convertibles in Germany? Given that list, I’d have the red Audi probably. Looks solid for the age, and well cared-for
A motley collection there, guess I’d go the 200 CE, row your own box would make the 2 litre okay to drive, need to fix the rips in the driver seat. At least I know it would be good for 500000 km.