(first posted 10/4/2011)
They say a picture is worth a thousand words. If that’s true, I’m off the hook, and can just stop writing right now, because this picture tells the story of the Audi 5000/100’s huge impact and lasting influence quite perfectly, beyond its mere sales numbers. But just in case the full story behind this picture isn’t quite clear enough for you, here’s a few other shots to fill in the details:
Exactly thirty years separate these two Volkswagen AG products. Here are a few of their vital statistics: front wheel drive; engine: five cylinder in-line; length: within an inch of each other; width: within an inch of each other. Get the picture? One could substitute just about any car from the Camcordia class, and arrive at pretty much the same conclusion.
And here’s another. No words necessary.
As a frame of visual and historical comparison, here’s the Audi’s predecessor thirty years earlier, the 1953 DKW F89 ( didn’t think I needed to show you a 1953 VW Beetle). It had a three cylinder two stroke, and maybe 40 hp or so. The point is: has automotive development just slowed down in recent decades, or what? Is there a corollary to the state of our economies?
Here’s the best selling car in the US in 1983. Quite different from the Audi indeed. Personal taste aside, which was the more influential one?
The 1967 NSU Ro80 (top, just in case you recently arrived from Mars) was a sneak preview of the Audi C3, fifteen years earlier. Now go back and compare the Ro80 with the 1953 DKW. Also fifteen years separate them. Sometimes when I indulge myself in thinking or saying that the mid-late sixties were a golden time in the evolution of the automobile, I think it’s just because that was during my youth, and we all tend to look back on that time of our life with rose colored glasses. But when I look at the Ro80, I realize it really was the case. Why is the 1967 Impala there with it? Good question, other than it was the best selling car in 1967. And to offer some visual contrast.
Here’s another good story, and this one might be even more than a thousand words long. Let’s just say that the Taurus appeared exactly three years after the Audi. Which is the typical amount of time it takes to design a car from beginning to production. I just wish it had been a sedan there, and not the Avant. Close enough.
And what does this picture tell us? Perhaps the passion with which Americans embraced the Audi 5000. Or maybe the owner is just hoping that one of them will actually run. The 5000 was not a paragon of reliability.
It wasn’t just in its exterior styling that the Audi set the template for the future.
The Audi C3 arrived with a drag coefficient of 0.30, which set the automotive world on its ear. One of ways it did that was the very trick flush window mounting. I happened to be in Germany on a business trip (to visit Maharishi; don’t ask) in the late fall of 1982, and saw my first Audi C3 there. I spent several minutes gazing at their clever solution for mounting the side glass flush. Why hadn’t anybody thought of that before?
Let’s just say that Ferdinand Piech was the head of Audi back then, or at least the head of their engineering (the very model of a modern major engineer). That explains a thing or two, and why he’s holding an award of some sort for his latest baby. Before I forget, the C3 was awarded the European Car Of The Year in 1983.
Which is determined quite differently than Motor Trend’s version. And in 1990, the European Audi 100 was one of the first cars to have a modern direct injected diesel engine, the first TDI. That was a major milestone too. In one noisy leap, Audi jumped right over Mercedes’ long diesel leadership. (update: we all know how that story ends, this time VW/Audi’s own doing).
The C3 Audi was available with a raft of VW family engines in Europe, including four cylinders. For the US, the 827-family engine sprouted an additional cylinder, but that already appeared in the previous generation 5000, in 1976. It was the first gasoline five cylinder engine, if we’re not counting airplane radials. Or my ’68 Dodge van with an oil-fouled plug.
I have yet to find a C2 Audi, but I live in hope (update: here’s a Cohort capsule of one). Used to be so many of them in LA. If I remember correctly, the C3 was really an evolution of the C2, which in many ways perhaps deserves more recognition for its influence. The turbo version was a highly admired car in its day.
Never mind finding a C1 Audi 100. They were quite popular here once upon a time too, but not exactly famous for their durability either. The whole story of how it came to be is fascinating…another day (update: here’s our CC on one posted at the Cohort).
But it was the C3 Audi 5000 that suddenly became America’s new sweetheart. And 5000s were to be seen everywhere in fashion-conscious American suburbs. By 1985, Audi sales in the US were 74k; pretty impressive. And then…
Well, I can’t find a suitable picture, so I’ll have to tell the story, very briefly. Suddenly, a number of those newly-enamored Audi 5000 owners who had traded in their Cutlass Supreme Coupes started mowing down their kids or granny in the driveway. Better yet, you can read my whole take on that here. Sometimes a link is worth a thousand words, or at least eight hundred.
Anyway, that debacle almost wiped out Audi in the USA. Sales fell to 12k in 1991, and it wasn’t until 2000 that Audi got back to the 74k sales they had in 1985. Ouch!
Speaking of 800 words, I’ve just exceeded them already. The Audi 5000, especially in its turbo version (200 in Europe) was a superb driver’s car too. Its steering was surprisingly good for a front wheel drive car.That used to not be something to take for granted, back then. Or now, thanks to electric steering.
The Avant version didn’t sell well here, but that doesn’t diminish its very profound influence too. The Audi “wagon” really redefined the modern European wagon, from the plumber’s vehicle to a chic lifestyle-mobile, where maximum capacity wasn’t the ultimate goal. To fully appreciat its lasting impact, consider that the overwhelming percentage of cars like the Passat and Audi A4 sold at retail in countries like Germany are the wagon version. The Avant turned the old order upside down, in Europe.
And the 5000 sedan had pretty much the same effect here, except that its target was different. The 5000 may not have directly or solely caused the demise of Cadillac and other American premium makes, because of the SUA debacle, but others quickly stepped into its role. And the rest is history.
No more pictures needed. Or words.
My dad had the 5000 turbo quattro, I had a 4000Q, and my uncle had the wagon.
All of us loved those cars. None ever bought an Audi again.
I remember driving the 5000Q the day after by 4000q died in the flood. Running through West Virginia towns in the rain. Steering was not so good. Parking that beast was also not so fun.
My dad offered to sell me his 5000Q (huge discount) once the insurance money came in. Turned it down and went to SAAB.
A friend just bought a new a5 last weekend. Sitting in it brought back ghosts — muscle memory of buttons and knobs.
The only Audi I spent any wheel time in was (I believe) a Fox. I have read all kinds of bad things about them, but one evening a friend allowed me to drive hers – she was asking for advice on whether to get rid of it. She got it in a divorce (her ex had worked at a VW-Audi dealer). Got it out on the interstate and – wow. The thing just planted itself and begged me to drive it as fast as I had the nerve for. Afterwords, I told her to get rid of it for financial reasons, but I understood why she might not want to. That car was one of the reasons my first new car was a VW GTI.
I remember when the 5000s came out. Actually, I still loved the 4000s too and would have loved either. But then (as now) the entry price was high and the cost of ownership was even higher.
The C3 Audi was one of the nicest cars I have ever driven in my entire life. The turbos were especially good. I have still never encountered such a good combination of curb weight, interior fit and finish and styling. The cars were also not bad on fuel.
There were loads of C2 and C3s around in my shady-used-car-salesman days so I got to drive them all. Even got wheel time on a C1. Compared to 305 Impalas, these cars were a revelation to a young man.
BUT……………………………..
The cars were reliability nightmares. The required detailed, frequent and expensive service and even that would not do much to prevent break-downs. The worst was the power steering, which had a special fluid that only VW-Audi dealers stocked. Of course, Billy-Bob Beerbelly didn’t know this and put in Dexron, which would ruin the rack in a flash. Said rack was not exactly designed to be removed easily. Next was the automatic transmission, which could not be expected to last more than 100,000 km. Getting it fixed right was dealer (ka-ching!) only. The electrics were horrible and the battery under the back seat. Saw more than one burned to a crisp seat cushion. The cars I got were from frustrated owners who had thrown up their hands and traded them mostly on Leuxus brands.
I often thought the “unintended acceleration” farce was Audi owners getting revenge for how badly built their cars were.
I hate to burst everyone’s bubble, but the newer Audi models aren’t exactly paragons of reliability.
380,000+ miles on My C4 Audi S6, original engine, transmission, Clutch and alternator, more reliable than my 1985 Chevy pick-up
I recently purchased a 1982 Audi 4000s diesel at an estate sale. I appreciated your comment about using special power steering hydraulic fluid and the fragility of Audi’s automatic transmission (mine’s a 5-speed manual). Are there any other caveats? In a pinch, I put Preston antifreeze in it, but I read in the manual that the Audi needs phosphate-free coolant. So, I will flush and change to Pentofrost.
I still remember clearly the first time I saw this car, clearer than just about any car sighting before or since. It was in traffic on the way home, I was driving the old beater ’73 Nova (which I got after getting T-boned in a VW). This Audi was the pure obvious future just going down the road. Knocked my eyes out with its sleek smooth surfaces and shape.
Four years later I was driving a Sable.
PS: Yes, the rate of change in cars has slowed considerably, as do all mature technologies. Partly because safety, efficiency and emissions standards have made the car business even more capital-intensive, thus even more resistant to change. Mainly because the modern front-drive sedan has gotten about as good as it can get. This Audi is a major milestone, as you said it was the first example of the fully modern car. Electric drive and carbon-fiber unit bodies are coming, but like most fundamentals they’ll take a generation or so to get mainstream.
Ha! The Taurus has a history of following Audi. The new one now sports an audi-like grille, after going in a different direction for a while and pursuing a styling direction Admiral Ackbar would’ve been proud of. The previous one, nee 500, was a dead ringer for the C3 Audi too.
My coworker (who has not purchased an American car in over a decade) commented favorably on the “Audi-ness” of the new Taurus’ grille. I don’t see the similarity but obviously I’m the only one.
Well, Ford hired the designer that would eventually do the 500 from VW, after he did the B5 Audi A4 and Passat. So, that’s a lot of why they look the same.
I know you refer to their lack of reliability but there are two of these I still see regularly in my little city. Given the distance to the nearest Audi dealer (200 miles or so) I see that as a testament to either love or longevity. These cars are not driven by affluent individuals either. One of the two has had it’s back window shattered at some point and the glass was replaced by a giant sheet of plexiglass from the local Home Depot sealed in with a liberal dollop of clear silicone.
A friend of mine has an Audi 100 out in his storage yard. One of the few cars he has that doesn’t tempt me as a restoration project. Haven’t seen one on the road for what has to be at least a decade. Still seems to be a few 5000s around though. Odd how many came in that odd silvery brown colour.
I’ve actually owned both a C2 and a C3. Not really a great looker, the C3 really did set a footprint in car history, which I have to dislike being a Ford guy, I had much more preferred the Sierra to set that standard. On the other hand, I think you should have shown some side profile pics of a 1968-70 Chrysler B-body, another car that also looked like a brick at first glance, but had the same (allthough just perceived) areodynamic styling with the huuge front and rear overhangs. When it comes to overhang, that really is one thing that ruined the car for me. It loves to understeer (even as a Quattro) and the front end is miles long, making the interior smaller than it could have been on a similar sized car (the European Granada and Scorpio had more leg room, but were about as wide) and the whole car would topple over a speedbump like a small boat at sea. And reliability was a issue, door handles in particular (spectacularly prone to failure, especially in the cold, which means 6 months a year here, and the same design was used on every VAG car thoghout the 80’s)
I prefferred the C2, as it looked better, felt roomier (could be that the windows were twice as big), and didn’t have the typical German silent ‘floating on a cloud of concrete’ feel to it.yet. 5 cylinder engines with rusted exhausts makes a lovely sound though.
I owned a 1980 5000 diesel…slow as all get out, but man was that car nice out on the road at 65 mph. My mother fell in love with the C3 when it arrived (we were stationed in Germany at the time). By the time she and my father got the nerve up to head to Heidelberg to look at one seriously, the exchange rate had tanked and it was decided that the 1981 Corolla was still doing just fine, thank you very much. Still, to see one of those on the road was to be astonished at the overall shape and design, as nothing else from MB or BMW looked like it…far from it.
The improvement since this model have been under the skin VW group has finally woken up to terminal understeer and mounted engines eastwest instead of hanging the power unit in front of the axle. Havent see an old Audi anywhere lately though one will show itself now Pauls done a CC the last ones I remember were 3 opposite a job agency I worked for probably 1 runner and 2 spares if the previous comments are anything to go by.
VW has been doing both layouts, although the pictured Passat is transverse.
Audi’s stuck to longitudinal layouts, though, on everything from the A4 on up. However, they’ve managed to move the differential forward some, which helps the weight distribution some, and they play with weight of other things on the car – lighter body panels in the nose, heavier in the tail, for instance.
I remember seeing these as a kid and having that “the future is now” feeling. But derivative or not, I’d rather have a clean ’88 Sable, if any exist.
I like your lead shot with the 70s GM designs in the background. Compared to an aero-whatever, they all looked so…lumpy. Back to the future – I see yet another new Hyundai Sonata and I think, “Colonnade” – and not in a good way.
I drove a fair number of these when fairly new as worked at a VW-Audi store in the late 80s. How could such a wonderful car be such a POS at the same time?
What I remember most about these was that virtually all of them had something not working or broken, even the dealer demos.
The C2 was nicer to ride in, didn’t feel as ponderous as these. And the final C2s just about had acceptable reliablity. Then they started over with the ’84s, which were unmitigated disasters. I remember some owners not getting 2 weeks continuous service with 3-year old used ones we sold.
In Canada, we had something called the “Audi Card”, in the early 80s, which was supposedly a no-questions asked, 3-year bumper-to-bumper coverage, after which the resale value plummeted alarmingly. However, there was no preventative maintenance provided outside of regular service., only new parts when something broke due to neglect. Case in point:
My father had one, a final C2 Turbo-Diesel, capable of delivering 40 mpg when it was running right.
One day one of the 2 oil cooler lines blew (cloth braid, WTF!) .
It was towed to the dealer (one of countless times) and that line replaced. I argued that
the other one was quite likely on it’s way out too, and they should replace it as well. No dice (the dealer was pond scum, as are all VAG dealers in NA).
Sure enough, the other one blew a bit out of warranty, leaving me stranded in Lloydminster, Alberta when I borrowed the car to go to Edmonton one time.
I knew I was in trouble when the service station owner had to repeat the name of the car over the phone as he called around to see if someone could take it on.
Finally, I had it towed to Father and Son place that worked on diesel rigs and did propane conversions. The elderly owner hand fabbed a new line for it. Thse guys were a class act.
Chrysler saw something in Audi as well. The Lebaron GTS was advertised as outperforming the Audi 5000s, Merc 190e, and BMW 528e back in 85.
Hmm, that shape looks oddly familiar..
These were the only K-Car spinoffs I liked.
Same here. I knew a guy that had a Lancer Shelby and it was a pretty impressive car.
Me, too, altough my mom’s LeBaron T&C wagon had a certain appeal.
I always felt these E-bodies were sneeked out while Lee was rebuilding the Statue of Liberty. Then it was back to the straightedge, chrome and vinyl.
H bodies
I had the Dodge version of this car, it was a great car for reasons not entirely unrelated to the Audi 5000 design that it stole from. Of course, this car was released as a 1985 model, so maybe Chrysler had really good industrial espionage at the time, or it was a lucky guess in terms of predicting the styling changes.
I had one of these for 11 years and 160K+ miles, it served us very well. The huge advantage this car had was the hatchback. It was a four door sedan looking car, but the combination of fold down seats and a hatchback kept me out of minivans when my kids were very little.
The closest car that has come along since these stopped production is a Chevy Malibu Maxx, of which I also owned. And again, another completely practical car with the hatch and fold down seats, that negated a need for a minivan. We had ours when the kids were teens and busy with soccer, church groups, etc. It just proved the versatility of the 4 door hatchback mid sized car, again.
Apparently though, the folks who think like me are in the vast minority, as I don’t see another one of this body style coming down the pike anytime soon…
“Apparently though, the folks who think like me are in the vast minority, as I don’t see another one of this body style coming down the pike anytime soon…”
Maybe not. Europe has a Cruise hatch that’s similar to the Volt’s. If Cruise gains popularity we may be lucky enough to get it.
I know Cruise is classified as a compact but it’s overall size is comparable to what we used to call a mid-size.
My father purchased one of the first 85 Lebaron GTS turbos to be delivered. He bought it off the truck, the first shipment the local dealer had gotten.
I remember it was black on black leather, 5 speed, digital dash, the same wheels as the one in the advertisement above.
On the way home, in the snow, he stopped to pay the toll on the highway, the power window broke and slid down into the door.
Oh well, it was a nice looking and quick for the time POS
Yes, they were quick for the times. I had a Lancer ES Turbo, with the five speed, and it was quicker than most thought. At the time, I worked with a guy who had a Saab Turbo SPG who constantly bragged about how quick his Swedish Fish was.
Much of the boasting was directed at me, not because I’d ever said that my Dodge was faster, but I had said that the turbo Saabs I’d been in weren’t all THAT quick. Plus, he was just a general a**hole. He was too chicken to take on the guys who had V8 muscle cars back then…
Finally, one day after work we lined up on a back road behind the office and had it out. I think we raced six times, six times I won. Not by a huge margin, maybe a car length or so.
We ran close enough to one another that I could hear what his car was doing. He sucked at shifting quickly, and missed shifts on a couple of the runs. But four out of the six runs were legitimate, or as legit as you’re going to get with one of these arrangements, and he finally shut up.
A year later, he bought a new Trans Am. I didn’t ask for a re-match.
Also owned a 1985 Lancer turbo…loved that car…gunmetal grey/blue, sport seats…looked great. Not bad set of wheels for a college kid in 1990. But man, that clutch and tranny…ouch! My older sister was kind enough to let me trade for a few months to drive her 1989 CRX Si and I was loathe to give it back and take on the Lancer again!
That car is better than its Audi contemporary.
My Uncle had a 4000 (in canary yellow) when I was really young. I just remember it stalling every 2 weeks until he replaced it with… a 1986 “Shrunken” DeVille.
I spent a fair amount of time driving a Audi 4000 in high school, and I think that’s where my separate channel of german car lust comes from, Ironically not from my mothers Porsche but from the light but solid feel of Audi cars. If I had money to burn I’d actually love to have one of the C1 100s, they look so simply elegant in an softened Italian way. If only I had a extra $10,000 to guard against the inboard disc brakes melting and the motor mounts crumbling.
“light but solid feel of Audi” is on target; and the aspect of the Audi driving experience that I am not enamored with. They feel so utterly confident and patronizing in a way…that their amusing me by allowing me to drive them.
Absurd, I know.
I also know I am not supposed to like the Americanized, bland new Passat pictured above. But I do. I had a ’93 in my earlier years with the VR6 and a 5 spd, after a ’90 Jetta GLI and I loved them both…though maybe a case of the rose-colored glasses Paul mentions.
The GLI was stolen one time and I was without it for weeks, driving some lame, tiny rental in the interim. When it was located, sans BBS wheels, it was such a joy to get behind the wheel and push it as hard as I could with that wonderful, tight steering and a revving 16v engine. I think I prefer VW’s to Audis’s.
I had a 5 speed 5000S Turbo Quattro as a dealer demo for about 7 months and absolutely loved it. A truly wonderful car I’d have happily bought, were it not for the hideously expensive upkeep. Driving it without the responsibility of paying for maintenance and repairs was a fantastic experience, and provided memories I cherish to this day — especially of dashing through the snow at criminally insane speeds on winding PA back roads. 🙂
I was lucky my boss liked me — the first morning after having the car overnight, I tried to talk to him about buying it. He said “if you still want to buy it after driving it a month I’ll make you a hell of a deal”. I did know why in short order…
What’s the story on the GM van in the background with the tarp ( held on with masking tape ) as a hood?
If you spent a few minutes walking around this guy’s place, you’d quickly have many more questions like that. But I’m not the one to answer them.
That was the old J.R. Stults property, as in the guy who owned JR’s Trade Center at 14th and Willamette in Eugene, my barber was a friend of his and said that the house was a mess inside, as did another friend who babysat his sons.
One son owned Mike’s Bikes by the Chambers Overpass for many years, J.R. himself died last year, with most of the cars scrapped, donated to St. Vincent DePaul or overpriced on Craigslist.
J.R. was a very interesting guy…
The Audi 5000 was the most beautiful car in the world, in my opinion, back then. I was increasingly aware of this thing called “drag co-efficient” and the car mags were publishing that figure. OEMs were jumping on that bandwagon in droves thereafter.
What really intrigued me was – are you ready? – the side glass, of course! I understand it was extremely expensive to manufacture the window tracks facing outward, rather than conventionally, and the natural issues that arose in areas in which ice and snow were common. The expense was most likely the determining factor why you didn’t see that adopted across all car lines and became the de facto standard. What the OEMs did do, however, was make the external-facing portion of the window tracks very thin, which (almost) gave the same effect. “Limousine” plug doors became common – see the Chryco Acclaim/Spirit/LeBaron sedans.
Speaking of side glass, the GM 4 door “sports sedans” common in the late 1960’s – early 1970’s had that flush sideglass and I used to mull over and study how the roofline, A pillar and C pillars could be made to be relatively flush with the window glass, but the tendency back then of pillarless hardtop sideglass to “flap” when on the highway would be much more evident if the glass would flap and gaps would be visible outside the profile of the car and probably make a lot of buffeting noise and subsequently drive the occupant(s) out of their mind!
After all these years, yes, the Audi 5000 is still a stunner! Great article!
Interesting post on many fronts.
I often will look at a 30 year old car now, and then think back to what was a 30 year old car then, or a car that was 30 years old when I was a kid, and I too always think they looked some much older back then. But then I think, maybe it’s just the perspective of age, and maybe my kids see a 30 year old car as ancient.
But actually, in terms of design, you’re right. I think the vast majority of advances (for better or worse) have been in technology, not really design.
As for these Audis, I always liked the C1 and C2, but I was blown away by the C3. That’s what I would call an advance over a predecessor model. What a tremendously influential design, and still looks good today, but for perhaps the too-long front end.
My father, who had driven mostly Caddies during the 70s, always loved the Audis but was reluctant to buy a German car. But in 1986, he caved, and leased (only one of two cars he’s ever leased) a 5000 CS, which was a special model with the non-turbo drive train, but with the look (in the back) of the turbo and unbelievable leather/Alcantara seats. i was in around 22 at the time, and borrowed this car whenever I could, and I remember really loving it. And the 5 cyl engine had a great feel and sound that I still remember.
3 years later, he was glad to get rid of it, as it had its problems. But I continued to love Audis and had three of them from 1998 to 2008.
i was a european car snob as a teenager in that annoying way that only teenagers can manage. the audi 5000 blew me away. the aero look, especially the flush windows, made everything else look prehistoric. when the taurus came out, at first, i was mad because of the blatant ripoff. then i began to see the genius of doing a mass market version of an aesthete’s design. now looking back, i still like the audi but i’m shocked at how huge the front overhang was… and i like the 1st generation taurus wagon the best.
We had the Sable wagon as well.
Nowhere as interesting to drive. I did like the radio, though.
My brother owned a C1 back in the 70s. He was living in Minneapolis. It rusted out in a couple of years.
The 5000/100 was available from the outset with a 5-speed manual, and this was the version to have. There was no car sold in N. America that could match the Audi’s combination of style, comfort, build quality (esp. the galvanized body and interior materials), and handling with decent acceleration. Most of the serious problems arose from the automatic versions, especially the turbos. The injected five-cylinder was sporty and reliable, I drove mine (in a Audi 90) over 400k km in Northern Alberta with one head rebuild.
The car illustrated all the strengths and weaknesses of German design and production philosophy in its day. In short: if we can’t sell it in Germany, we don’t care about it. Thus, the air-conditioning was a miserable effort with boat-anchor drag when it kicked in, and the aforementioned automatic sucked the life out of the engine, on top of its unreliability. Both of these optional items were rarely seen in domestic versions.
As Paul noted, the Avant was the style leader, especially the 200 Avant. I love the big Euro 5-door look, and eventually I bought a 2005 Chev Malibu Maxx as a sort of wish fulfillment.
Nice write-up as always, Paul.
As for that interior, though… the Americaner you contrasted it with is sooooo much cooler in my book. The German and Japanese interiors (dashboards in particular) always seem to have the most boring designs ever. For interesting interiors and dashboards for me it’s always been Italy-Britain-USA. Nowadays even Italy and Britain seem to be ripping off the German template (sigh).
I remember these cars growing up in Europe. They were everywhere!! I got to ride in a few C2s and C3s, and they were nothing special. My (then) uncle switched from a 1st gen siebener to a C3 and to me there was no comparison, through this kid’s eyes his older E23 owned this thing (my uncle was a good driver). There’s nothing like a proper RWD, and I don’t care how bad they are in the snow. Yes, I grossly detest the FWD in terms of the driving experience. Not to get off the topic though, I kind of grew up with Audi being this wannabe kid on the block. We never respected them, as all of my friends seemed to end up getting his own 3-series in the condition directly proportional to their pay. As for me… I ended up on the other side of the pond and got into American boats.
Maybe that E23 I rode in a lot as a kid had influenced me in more ways than I give it credit for. 😉
If you had only included that funky/stupid/problematic button that held the window in the track…..
The only lasting thing that came from the 5000 was the god awful shift interlock system that all AT equipped cars sold in the US are now required by law. Too bad it didn’t fix the underlying problem of the 5000’s and their terribly designed brake/power steering/leveling system and archaic fast idle warm up enrichment system. I won’t go into to all of it again but you can see my post in the earlier CC about Audis.
Oooohhhh the irony! I just bought a 2005 Chevy Malibu Maxx the other day thinking about how the shape was derivative of 1980’s Audis.
My mom had one of these 5000’s. I think it was a 5000S. Nice looking. Horrid reliability. She traded it in on a 1987 Acura Legend and never looked back.
Now those vehicles are still on the road. In fact I am now still financing a 1987 Acura Legend that was purchased from me a little over a year ago.
My father ended up with an ’88 Honda Accord EXi (Japanese-built-LXi) in the fall of ’87 because the Acura dealer wouldn’t take his C2 Turbodiesel in trade-on the leftover ’87 Legend Coupe he really wanted.
One of my all time favorites. I distinctly remember when these cars came out, how not only they leapfrogged the previous version (which I had spent time in Germany on the Autobahns and the tiny rural roads of southern Bavaria), but how it positively blew everything else off the road, in terms of engineering, design and aesthetics. Nothing else came close. Ford was right to imitate the car, it saved Ford in the 80’s.
Of course, I didn’t own one back then, I may have had a different opinion of it now…
You guys want to talk about overhang, scroll up to that Impala photo and give the rear end a good long look. Compare the hub-to-bumper distance with the length of the greenhouse or the hood. It looked OK at the time I suppose, but now it looks like one of those unfortunate people with a massive caboose following them around.
At least the Audi’s front overhang was functional.
That was my first impression when I saw the Impala pic – that the proportions were all wrong. I suspect they were going for something that would look good in the 3/4 front views in TV and print ads. That and they figured there would be enough cars on the showroom floor that you’d never have a chance to look at it in profile. That is one seriously big butt! And the thing of it is, the trunk space wasn’t all that hot on those things. Yeah it was wide and fairly long, but it was shallow and the spare tire took up a lot of the space. My first car was a ’66 Impala, and I remember.
A friend of my wife’s had a 5-speed 5000 sedan in, yes, the obligatory gold/brown/gray color. She broke off the key in the ignition switch shortly after buying the car, and when she found out how much the dealer wanted to replace the switch, decided that a spoon handle would work well enough to turn the car off and on, and drove it that way for years. I never did know if she had a separate key to lock the doors.
It was left at our place once when she and my wife went out of town to a conference, so I had a nice back-road drive in it which I thoroughly enjoyed. She owned it for a good five or six years, and ended its career by pulling out on a car that t-boned her on the driver’s side. Low enough speed that no one was hurt, but the Audi was totaled.
I lived in Germany in ’67 and the first Audi, think 103 was really big deal. Based onDFK designed by Mercedes. Was considered holy shit then.
I bought the last generation A4, never hated a car as much. Think how bad it was that I rather drive my wife’s Yaris. The only thing have possitive to say about Audi’s is that they did not go out of style as quickly as other makes.
Pushing fifty years with the same general design, I guess it should be congratulated. But by prefer my Gulf, only thirty something years, and always a pleasure to drive.
OMG, memories of returning to San Diego after a six-month deployment in 1985. My cousin Felice had joined the Navy after me and met a man in corpsman school and married him. My stupid-assed lead petty officer forgot to tell me that she had called, so I missed their wedding. But she wanted me to come up and see her new apartment in Riverside. I caught the bus, and she and her new husband met me at the station in their brand new Audi 5000! Her hubs had purchased it with his re-enlistment bonus IIRC. What a stunner it was – burnt orange with a burnt orange/dark brown interior. The IP looked like something out of a science fiction movie. I didn’t care too much for the husband – he was a bit of a twat. But I tolerated him and his patronizing attitude towards my cousin just so I could be near that Audi. He had duty on Sunday of that long Labor Day weekend, and she took me for a long drive up the Pacific Coast Highway in that glorious piece of machinery, and my cousin and I caught up on family gossip and compared notes on Navy life. Power everything and the sunroof was so quick at first I thought I broke it!! And she introduced me to real Mexican food. That was one of the most fun weekends I had in California. She’s still married to the guy and they have a couple of kids – and a minivan. But I was in serious lust with that Audi. It actually played a role in me deciding to buy a Volkswagen Dasher, the first car I ever owned. BION, there were some similarities, mainly in the driving position and the firm, sprightly way they handled the twisties, although the Audi was far more quieter and plusher than my comparatively proletarian Dasher.
Y’know, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen a C2 on the street in L.A. (and I do tend to notice these things), and I don’t think I’ve ever seen a C1 in the wild. Of course, having said that, I’ll probably run into one tomorrow, while I still don’t have a functional camera…
Instead of the Cutluss and Couple Deville I think you should put a picture of the Audi’s real competition from the USA….the Pontiac 6000 STE. I remember the Pontiac giving the Audi a real run for its money back in the day. I believe many magazines even thought it was a better car than the Audi in many respects.
Excellent point. I remember many mags giving the STE a lot of credit at that time. It kind of amuses me to think of that period, where a pushrod powered V6 A-body sedan could run with the Audi 5000’s of the day.
If I had been truly interested in sedans back then (I was in my early 20’s), I probably would have gotten one of those instead of my less than stellar Trans Am.
I remember the Audi 100 (C1) well, and got to drive one when it was fairly new. My girlfriend’s folks traded their ‘JFK’ Continental for one, while hanging on the the Karmann-Ghia. It made a big impression. Lighter, more stylish, and less expensive than the stolid Mercedes sedans of the time. Smoothest and most responsive sedan I had driven up to that time.
I haven’t seen one in many years, not even here in rust-free Oregon. I’m looking forward to reading its history. Auto Union’s set of brands is fascinating, as is the origin of the Audi name.
I had a ’78 C2 (used of course). I loved that car and how it drove. Horrible reliability, especially if it ever overheated.
Of the C series Audi’s, I like the C3’s best, they had the cleanest looks and I think the most timeless design of them all and that’s saying a lot for the mid 1980’s as many cars kind of went over the top in one fashion or the other and dated fairly quickly.
Don’t get me wrong, I love the general aesthetic of the early to late 80’s chiseled looks, while not quite as aerodynamic looking as their bubble counterparts in more recent years,they were I think more aerodynamic than they appeared and may well be even more aerodynamic than some of the cars made today with their more swoopy curves and general looks.
That said, I remember seeing these all over as I recall the older 70’s era Fox/100 etc that were sold in the US.
Between 1988-1990, I was attending a local tech college in their TV broadcast Tech program and one of the engineers had either an ’84 or 85 Audi 5000, it had the small square front side marker light that was just before the reflector in that gold and it was the 4 door sedan and I remember seeing it parked out in front of the school at times and I recall it looked good then as I still do even now.
I had a 1985 5000S with a 5 speed. The windows may have seemed clever, but they weren’t well executed. When my driver side window mechanism failed, the dealer told me the best thing to do would be to buy a new door and have it painted to match the car. The car also had a possessed climate control system that tried to freeze me into a block of ice on a 500 mile December road trip. it didn’t act up again that I can recall, but I never really trusted it after that.
Never drove one; or knew anyone who owned one.
I remember when the Audi 100 came out: Mercedes luxury for the masses, with the added draw of FWD. I liked the style; I liked the engineering; but at 14 I lacked a job or driver’s license.
Since then, they’ve moved aggressively upscale. Daimler was once part-owner of Audi; since that tie has been cut, Volkswagen Group has been trying to out-Daimler Daimler.
Alas, I’m older and not that much richer; and the last thing on Earth I need is a car that costs a fortune to buy and would test the patience of Job.
Great storytelling and discussions.. growing up in the Sacramento, CA area since 1979,
Rarely see these on the road. There is a big classic Audi mechanic shop in Davis, CA where I just saw a custom fabrication 88 turbo Quattro hatch done, but only time I saw these back in the day was on screen E.T. the extra terrestrial! How did everyone miss that in the reviews. It was the car Henry Thomas brother backed out in the driveway seen. I see the AG and VW evolution. Very similiar to some VW golf gti jetta interior. 1980s Audi
5000 ARE most definitely p.o.s. lol
There’s a guy in placerville, ca phone# 1530-503-5494
http://sacramento.craigslist.org/cto/2906085633.html
begging to trade his mint 85 Audi 5000 75k for anything.. lol
Mr Niedermeyer, as clever as those flush mounted windows are, the Aussies outdid the Germans with the VT-VZ Commodore. No bolts and with a system that looks like magic until seen in detail.
Not a single noise around the windows.
Isuzu used a similar system with their last Impulse/Storm.
американские авто 70-х 80-х очень классные
Park this next to an Eagle Premier. They look almost identical
Great write up and comments.
This piece sparked memories of an ’85 5000S Turbo a buddy acquired in high school. Finished in the obligatory gold/brown, it was a sharp car, and at ten years of age, still looked remarkably fresh. It was also about the freshest German ride a 17-year-old bus boy could acquire outright, by lawful means.
Although I was unequivocal in my approval of his acquisition, I also recall offering a candid and unsolicited warning concerning the electrical nightmares this mistress from Ingolstadt might carry (I’d recently had a love affair with a high-mileage E28 5-Series that my Father terminated due to mounting repair bills).
My most vivid memory of this car was perhaps six months after its acquisition: hot Florida sun. Sunroof stuck open, windows inoperable (and fully closed). Heater blasting (IIRC to avoid overheating) with a wary eye on the coolant temperature gauge (there were multiple gallon milk jugs of hose water in the backseat because she was spewing coolant…) How cool we must’ve appeared, sweating our asses off in that icon of 80s German style.
End of the line: after six months with a dead battery and open sunroof, the car (and its fascinating interior patina of dead leaves) was donated to our high school’s autoshop. Perhaps those boys are still attempting to exorcise those electrical demons, among others. Or locate the battery under the rear seat.
I just bought today a 1982 Audi 100 C2 . 1 lady owner from new with 72k , garaged all it’s life. In total original unmarked condition.
First one I’ve come across in the last 10 years of trading cars!!
Audi 100 C2 1982
Always liked the C series. Through all the iterations. Alas, never owned one. However I have had Audis form the Mid 70s through the 80s and into the early 90s. First was a Fox Saloon. Follwed by a couple of 4000 saloons. All handled as if on rails. Buld quality and the safety of the passenger cage were shown whn i was rear ended by a semi hauling ketchup… (Gad you can imagine the scene if that lad had spilled) The rear was crumpled nearly up to the rear window yet all four doors still opened and shut as designed. One reason why I bought another. The other being the handling qualities. Reliability of the 4000s were far better than the Fox. (Both known as the 80 everwhere but N.A.) But I would welcome any of them into my hands, again. They are beyond rare even in the rust free U.S. Southwest.
I just bought a 1991 Audi 100 base on ebay for $450. I needed to do some work on it but I like how easy it is to work on. For instance to change oil and filter just reach under the front. No need to jack it up in the air. The old Bosch injection is simple. All the hoses and sensors etc are readily accessable. I have owned lots of different cars both foreign and domestic and they have all needed fixing now and again. None were as easy to work on as this type 44. Except my 1931 model A Ford! It helps that I worked as a VW/Audi/Saab mechanic for a while back in the 1980’s.
I want to add that this 1991 C3 is completely rust free and everything works on it now that I have owned it for a month. It is the silver color with a grey cloth interior. No rips or worn areas inside and only a couple very minor dings on the exterior. It has the 2.3 I5 with a 4 speed auto. I like the way it rides and handles and was out in the snow storm today with no problems at all. Love the huge trunk and the comfortable seats. This is a terrific car especially for $450!
My family owned an ’86 5000S for a time in the early 90’s. Nautical blue with tan leather and black carpeting/dash. I still think those were great-looking cars–yeah, long front overhang, but the lines were super clean and even elegant. Very well proportioned, and understated without being bland. Loved how it drove, too–it was Dad’s car but I got the opportunity to drive it from time to time. Felt much faster than the relatively low HP figure (something like 130 for the non-turbo verison) would suggest. And it did understeer, but compared to our other two vehicles at the time, both large RWD GM boats, it was refreshingly crisp and felt solid at speed.
Of course I wasn’t the one paying the repair bills, which is why I had a hearty laugh at the “maybe the owner is just hoping one of them will actually run” comment. Mechanically ours was fine, until the steering rack finally started to go at around 110K miles, when we finally sold it. No issues whatsoever with the auto trans and the only problem with the motor was a leaky head gasket. But EVERYTHING electrical failed. Well, everything except the power seats. But everything else. Climate control, window motors, sunroof motor, dashboard lights, power antenna…I could go on. The local Audi specialst, who we were on a first-name basis with, explained that there were three different wiring layouts in ’86 and we got the middle “transitional” one. Just a mess.
In full knowledge of all that, I’d still love to own another someday, preferablly a turbo quattro Avant.
No matter what is said about the Audi, I still would rather have the Cutlass Supreme in 1983!!!
My father had an `81 5000 S. Five cylinder, all medium green, no turbo.Total piece of crap. First, the air conditioning switch went. Dealer said 275.00 to fix. Bought a three position toggle switch, fixed it ourself. Price-2.75. Next, the brakes locked up This one was on the dealer, but we were car less for almost two weeks. Locked up again about two weeks later.Same deal. Car started to burn oil-about a quart a week, but it was already too late. We were stuck with the infamous one that went into “drive” all by itself, so we were very careful when we drove it. He wouldn`t let my mother drive it, and I can`t blame him. Car was impossible to start on cold days, but once it did start,it stalled continiously. Radio was stolen, so we were the first ones in Brooklyn, NY, to put a “no radio” sign in the car.My father , a Cadillac man owned a `78 Fleetwood Brougham before the Audi, and he rued the day he traded it in for this POS .After he passed away,my mother sold this crapper and got an`80 Monte Carlo. A few years lated on the “Morton Downey” talk show, they had a show devoted to the safety of the 80-83 Audi 5000s. A representive from Audi promised that all would be repaired as “the final solution” to the problem. Nice choice of words, huh?
My father-in-law had on of these, and was quite proud of it…Audi being a high-class brand seldom seen in his South Louisiana town. Drove like a dream, looked better than anything withing 100 miles, and was the apple of his eye. For about a year. Then, despite the expensive maintenance, things were continuously going expensively wrong, and the (typical) Audi dealer did his level best to make him hate the brand. Successfully.
After 18 months he sold it, and refused to even consider a VAG car ever again. The experience made him a loyal Lexus customer. As he has said, they don’t drive as well, but they are real cars that never break, not rich boys’ toys. He said he replaces his Lexi when he likes the new one better, not when it makes him feel like an idiot for having bought it.
As a side note, that Audi dealer went bankrupt a few years later, to my FIL’s everlasting delight.
I have two Audi 5000’s. The sedan is my daily driver and the Avant is in storage to be the next daily driver. I was really drawn to the design and its road manners. They have very little collector value so you might as well enjoy the drive.
For the past 5 years I have been driving my 1987 5000S Quattro 550 miles every week commuting to and from work. The car is driven through all four seasons on the Detroit freeway system. I am lucky that I am traveling in the opposite way of traffic and get to enjoy a nice high speed cruise of which is the ONLY reason to love an Audi 5000. It has a great seating position, large greenhouse, wonderful road feel, and the I-5 engine sings a nice song at speed.
These cars need so much more than just maintenance. It is very challenging to keep them on the road, especially finding parts.
My definition of German reliability is that the car will be reliable if you continually repair it.
But when the 5000 is fully sorted (before the next problem) you will see a big smile on my face at 80+ mph !
We almost bought one used. I remember the Cadillac sourced HVAC controls and power seat controls, all shiny in chrome. The deal breaker was the steering, I know in Germany there’s “sneeze factor” , but it was like pulling on a rubber strap.
I once owned the best selling car in the US for 1983 (Olds Cutlass Supreme Coupe) for 13 years just like above except mine was green.
Nothing fancy by Audi standards, but parts were dirt cheap, design was a simple as a lead pencil and just as reliable, and any mechanic worth his weight in salt could repair it for a reasonable fee.
When you buy your first car on your own, sometimes you want the sure thing. At that time, Audi wasn’t the sure thing.
These were great Audis. That does not mean they are great Cutlasses or mid size Fords or Cadillacs. This was from an earlier time when quality suddenly meant benchmarking the competition. It is quite understandable that a bunch of engineers sitting around in 1983 will think the Audi is the more interesting thing going. At the same time, a new design had to be compatible for the world market and was costing so much to bring to market that the risks became sky high.
Thus this Audi lead to a terrible downturn in the quality of auto engineering. Really at no fault of Audi. If it was my power to do so, I would label it a deadly sin for all the copycat automakers around the world. Do you own work, find new roads.
Deadly sin? This isn’t an American car! Everything was perfect.
Careful John T.!
These Audis were great lookers. That’s different from being great looking automobiles. An automobile needs to be mobile. By itself (auto). These Audis were such reliability nightmares that they really should have been called “maybemobiles.” When they did run properly, they were no paragons of performance, either. For something that looked like it should be quick, this Audi was a painful letdown.
My feeling is that a half-baked product like this would have failed anyway; either make it a better car or exit the market. What Ed Bradley and the dishonest liars at CBS did was to make impossible a followup, with a car that was actually COMPETENT.
It didn’t help that the target audience for the Audi 5000 was the image-conscious 1980s suburbanite to whom the appearance of upward mobility was what counted. Being seen in an Audi after all that splashy, unjustified bad publicity could result in ostracism at the country club and the mall. “WHYDONTCHAGETA (Mercedes, BMW, whatever the latest fashion of the upturned-nose types was that month)?”
There are very few cars that scare me in the used car business.
This is most definitely one of them.
I remember working as an auctioneer at a place that I called, “The Red Light District” back in 2000. I sold one of these for $40 at an inop sale where cars were regularly held in a back lot. One dealer was notorious for holding every vehicle he could buy and then selling them all when the price of steel peaked. In the meantime, he would try to do whatever he could to sell the parts off of what was there already.
Well, lo and behold, the guy who bought the Audi was not that dealer. We helped him jump the battery and the Audi briefly roared back to life. It was beautiful for about two minutes.
Then a small army of noxious smells entered into the equation. To this day I don’t know exactly what oily residues created a smell that orginated from the 7th Circle of Dante’s Inferno. But it was a horrific olfactory combination of mineral oil, smoking engine innards, and a heater core that was spewing a small river of old coolant into the passenger floor and vents.
In a few months, the Audi followed a long line of LeBaron convertibles, Ford Tempos, and Buick Skyhawks straight to the jaws of the crusher. I’m sure they were all recycled into something far more useful to humanity; such as Chinese washing machines.
That ’53 DKW was actually designed in the late ’30s and would’ve been their car for the ’40s, except for the war. I have a ’57 DKW F93 Sonderklasse 2-door in my driveway that looks very similar, except mine has a wrap-around back window almost like the 1950 Studebaker coupe. They pioneered mass-production front-wheel-drive with the 1931 DKW F-1, but they kept on with two stroke engines far too long.
Daimler Benz bought Auto-Union/DKW in 1958 and attempted to market them in the US, but in 1960 the new American compacts pulled the rug out from under the weaker imports. The final coffin-nail for DKW was the oil-injection system introduced in the early ’60s so buyers wouldn’t have to remember to dump a can of 2-stroke oil in the gas tank with each fill-up. Unfortunately, the oil-injection was unreliable at sub-freezing temperatures, and the company wound up buying engines instead of selling cars.
So Daimler Benz designed a new 4-stroke OHV slant 4 for the final DKW – the ‘mid-size’ F102, just before selling Auto-Union to Volkswagen in 1965, which brought that car out as the F103 – the first postwar Audi. We got those here from 1970 – 72 as the Super 90 sedans and wagons. Introduced in 1968 with US sales beginning in 1970 their first big seller here. The F104 Audi 100, was powered by a similar Super-90 FWD setup, in a body that, not accidentally, looked very similar to the smaller Mercedes of that time.
As for my own Audi experience, I drove a couple Super-90 wagons between 1977 and 1992. Loved the ride and handling and cargo-room. The reliability? Not so much! Along with a long list of ‘normal’ repairs, I had to rebuild an engine and transaxle, then replace the steering-rack and rear torsion-bar. When I couldn’t find aftermarket, dealer parts were usually very pricey.
To be fair, my Audis were very used, with an unknown history, and at least had virtually no electrical gadgets or electronics to worry about. Plus, for a FWD, they were relatively easy to work on. What finished them was when the parts supplies finally dried up in the early ’90s.
Today, if I had some of Jay Leno’s garage-space and money, I wouldn’t mind having a mint-condition early 100LS in my collection.
But as nice as the recent Audis are, I don’t want one.
Happy Motoring, Mark
I never realized that the old Taurus looks like a fat Audi from the side. Hmm…But man, talk about a spartan interior-yuck. The Taurus’s interior isn’t what I’d call luxurious either but it’s much more inviting.
One of my uncles had an Audi 5000 and he’ll probably cuss Audi until his dying day.
Yeah, I’d take the ’83 Cutlass hands down.
Dom, did you ever check out the Mercury Sable’s interior? Much more “upscale” than a Taurus.
It is, kind of. I had a first generation Taurus and aside from some chintzy preskool plastic knobs and such, I liked it.
My point was that at least the Taurus (not to mention the Sable or even Continetal) interior looked like somewhere I would actually not mind spending time-even were they just family sedans and not luxury cars. That Audi interior portrayed (even when new) looks Spartan to the point of ugliness. Audi does a much much better job with its interiors these days, not to mention the whole cars. I wouldn’t kick an A6 or A8 out of my garage.
If you actually sat in that interior for a little while, you might reconsider. The seats were extremely comfortable–Germans have been good at that for quite some time–and the materials all felt very high quality. I particularly remember being impressed with the thickness of the carpet. The shape of the dash was common for the time, not particularly beautiful, but functional. Also take into account that the picture posted in the article shows an interior that has been made tired and drab by both the passage of time and the monochrome black color. Ours had tan seats and door panel tops, and it livened up the look considerably.
I love Paul’s ‘deep history’ articles. They jog the brain into new and interesting pathways. So while we’re at it, were Gilbert & Sullivan early rappers??
My Mother LOVED her Audi 5000….when it wasn’t broken.
When it did die; she made my Father’s life miserable. (Feminine Logic?)
When it was stolen from a mall’s parking lot; Mom & Dad bought a new Mercury Sable.
Similar styling, but MUCH MUCH MORE reliable.
Good article, Paul: the photo juxtapositions are telling and I like the rhythm of the piece. The final duo of photos makes a cracking punchline.
I quite like the Cadillac even it’s not what I’d suggest my students would do. The Audi people were educated (I believe) at the Ulm Design School which had intensely intellectual course material. These students were asked to consider radii, topology and Gestalt visual theory. The Cadillac designers followed another agenda which suited the US as much as Audi’s vision suited Europe.
My friend had a white sedan I don’t think it was the Quattro or turbo. It was automatic and the body was flawless except for a missing trim on the back bumper that Audi wanted some ridiculous sum to fix, so she ignored it. This was after the unintended acceleration debacle so she picked it up for $500. I never heard any problems with reliability mechanically speaking but a couple of window switches and power locks didn’t work. I lost touch with her shortly after so I never heard how it worked out.
The price of repairs and the lack of manual transmissions in the ones I saw for sale made them a no go for me. I liked the Quattro coupes that came out around the same time but they were way out of my meager budget so I settled on a first gen GTI instead. I used to get a kick out of the odd part that had the Audi logo on it and some of the cross catalog parts that would fit vw’s or vs versa…
Thanks for the article! I was 14 in 1984 when one of the families in my carpool got a new 5000……wow. That was like arriving at school in the Space Shuttle. It was so smooth and silent. As an example of the style and taste changes it wrought, I think they traded an LTD for it. It made my mom’s 240D seem ancient in looks and feel. I bought a used 1996 A6 around 2000. It was beautiful to look at inside and out, but not quite as enjoyable as I thought it would be as an adult. It didn’t seem as smooth or silent as I remembered the 5000 being. And after having to be towed twice, and then the sunroof failing, and then the alarm going off for no reason about every week, and then the transmission making weird noises, I decided to exit Audi ownership and haven’t been back. My Land Rover LR4 has been MUCH less trouble after 5 years and 90,000 miles, so that’s really saying something.
My father sold Fords in the 80’s while I was in high school. For many reasons because of this, I’ve always been interested in car design so I paid close attention to all the new and upcoming models. I remember being particularly excited about the new 86 Taurus cause it looked a lot like the Audi 5000. Finally after months of anticipation my dad told me they got their first Taurus and it was locked up in the back lot. I hounded him all afternoon until he finally took me to see it. It was behind the fence and partially covered in plastic but there it was and yes it did look a lot like the 5000.
The 5000 influenced so many cars. Another one I noticed is the back of the 86-89 Accord looks like it too… just a different color block configuration.
My main point of fondness with the C3 is that effortless high speed cruising north of 90 mph. Although 110 is all, that seemingly tender little 1.8 can manage, it will stay right there all day and won’t struggle too much getting there.
Everything about the car is airy, light, lithe and nimble, and despite the ageing plastics one by one unleashing more rattles, there is still a feeling of “just right” amount of rigidity and soundness, as opposed to the somewhat overdone vaultness and isolation of a mercedes w124, I also spent plenty of wheel time in.
Saddling that masterpiece with heavy, power consuming and failure-prone auxiliaries is just plain wrong, and putting some elbow grease into parking maneuvers and bearing the heat on those days of the year are the only major sacrifices, since serving the right gear at the right moment and starting up and single-handedly keeping the engine in perfect idle on warm-up at any outside temperature is a pleasure, a vinyl buff or a mechanical watch connoisseur could easily relate to.
I should really take the time to do a COAL..
I don’t know what you guys across the pond do to European cars, cars that over here are paragons of reliability, once they get sent stateside, turn into lemons!
Audi C3 with the 5 cylinder had a good reputation as a multi- 100k mile car. Mine had 250k when I sold it on, although I will concede the automatic wasn’t a durable transmission. But then we all drive stick here.
I can remember some parts being a little expensive, but not much tended to wear out until it had some serious miles behind it. The only fault mine had with the electrics was the little graphic display/checklight on the dash which would show random warning signals whenever it felt like it.
But for a 1982 car, the Audi was absolutely mind blowing. It rendered the competition here obsolete virtually overnight. and we didn’t have a single case of “unintended acceleration” in Europe.
Wow someone who spoke up I live in Rhode island I have a 1997 Audi 5000 tubo Quattro 128k pearl white on black 5speed factory fuchs excellent inside few scratches outside.been in garage 10 years daily driven when parked never taken apart .l have 3 4 draw file cabinets of spare parts just about everything but panals and lights so I think I’m ready to get it back too life .how do you think I should approach fuel system cleaning and preparing to start thanks.
I always have been fascinated by the 5000 Line of cars. I am old enough to remember when they were current models and they always stood out to me as a great design, Both the Sedan and the Wagon. Upon looking at these pictures, however, I realize how much the luggage rack on the wagon looks like an afterthought though. Almost too tall and too chrome-y for the design. Almost like it belongs on a 1960’s Volvo Wagon. The Taurus and Sable wagons wore their luggage racks much better and I think those racks were much better integrated into the overall design. The 5000 Wagon looks amazing without the roof rack though.
Everytime I see one of these Audis, the first thing I always think of is the unintended accel thing. Always.
It looked leading edge in 1984. But I do think the Taurus exterior came across less cold/sterile in conveying the aero jellybean theme. As did the Ro80 bridge the gap better in terms of being cutting edge style and aerodynamics. While retaining character and an amiable, and artistic quality, in its exterior design.
Blaming the collapse in Audi sales in the U.S. on the unintended-acceleration brouhaha is like blaming the collapse of Corvair sales on Ralph Nader. Sure, it was a major contributor, but a bad rep due to poor reliability has to take its share blame too. And the Taurus was even more modern looking, much less expensive, and just as good (Rich Ceppos of C/D: “Is this Ford really a breakthrough, a car with European breeding, German-luxury-car moves, a strong dose of value, and all the goodness that can be packed into a cut-rate Audi 5000? The answer is yes.”). Volkswagen-brand sales in America also dipped badly around this time, and they weren’t accused of unintended acceleration so it had to be for other causes.
Maybe it’s just a regional thing, but I prefer the style of the cutlass. Those cushy seats and wood is something I miss in cars these days.
OK, this may be a duh comment to many, and I kind of see referrences in some of the recent comments, but isn’t the second car, in what, the 2nd or 3rd photo with 2 bronzit car, a Ford Taurus? Actually I thought they were even closer to the Audi in appearance than the pic indicates.
Reliability. I worded with a guy that had, had a 5000. One time I made the mistake of saying something about reliability and that was it, he went off. He finished with something about “after all the window switches stopped working it was raining one day. Smoke started coming up from the assembly. I took it straight to the junkyard…”
Or something like that. He didn’t get it new, but I think newish. Said it was great at first, but as time went on… Yes I know, 12 volts shouldn’t smoke with water damage, but it was his story, I wasn’t there and it was a great story.
The smoke may have had nothing to do with the rain/water. I’ve been riding down the road in a buddy’s 80s GTi and smoke starts pouring from under the dash, no water involved.
3 weeks later, the car finally burned itself. Luckily nobody was hurt, but it only had liability insurance, so he was SOL on that one. Probably should’ve done what your friend did when the smoke incident occured, and saved himself the trouble.
Gotta say, as a student/lover of auto design, I’ve always had a soft spot for Audi sedans. The proportions were just right, the overall looks were not too plain, while not being too flashy. Sorta like a hot upper middle class girl. I must also say, their high maintenance needs are similar, too. Haha. Good thing that while I lusted after the girl and the car, I never could afford either one.
So the Taurus went from a traced drawing of an Audi to the assembly line in 3 years or less in the mid 1980s, wow! Ford’s engineers were more advanced than I thought. That would be a major accomplishment, even today!
And Ford had no previous models with similar aero styling, like the ’83 Thunderbird or ’84 Tempo introduced in mid-83? It was all an Audi stuffed into one of those gigantic 1980s Xerox machines. Good to know.