Sunday 18th February 2018

Audi 80: Spotted

With one owner from new, a full history and in incredible nick, this unrestored Audi is a genuine timewarp car

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Alongside 'barn find', the phrase 'timewarp' is one you'll find bandied around in the classifieds all too often these days. Usually, it's attached to a car that's, well, not exactly a timewarp; perhaps a slightly crusty Astra with a saggy headliner, or a Volvo that's done two hundred and twelvety thousand miles.

Not this time. In fact, the seller of this delightful B2 Audi 80 stays away from such hackneyed terminology, instead - seemingly - allowing the car to speak for itself.

This 80 is, to be precise, a 1.8-litre GL, which slots it neatly into the middle of the 1984 range, just before the CL and GL trim levels were dropped in favour of the largely similar SC. Its position in the range gives it such mod cons as electric windows and central locking, as well as the 1781cc EA827 engine made famous in the Mk1 and Mk2 Volkswagen Golf GTIs, albeit here in carb-fed form.

That means this honey gets a heady 90hp - enough to propel it to 60mph in all of 11 seconds dead. Let's face it, though - you're not buying a car like this for performance, and in the real world, that'll be plenty enough to keep up with traffic.

Handling? Do you really care? If you do, you're probably going to be underwhelmed, if not entirely disappointed. The 80 was criticised in its day for quite a bit of body roll - even for the time - and overly heavy steering. Still, you do get plenty of grip - in other words, it'll corner tidily, even if it doesn't feel all that happy about it.

But that soft suspension does mean the 80 is a smooth rider and, combined with the plush velour seats and an original Panasonic stereo, makes this a car for which you wouldn't have to compromise too much in the way of comfort.

Indeed, this is just the sort of classic you could use as a daily driver. For one thing, like all Audis of its era, it'll be robustly built and easy to fix. What's more, it's done 78,000 miles which, while low enough to be appealing, is hardly the sort of mileage that means you'd have to wrap it in cotton wool. It comes with a fresh MOT having been recently recommissioned, and its previous owner has had it since it was new.

There we have it, then. If you want to know what it felt like to be a used car buyer circa 1992, looking at a particularly well-kept example of a tidy eight-year-old 80 with average mileage, you have your answer. How's that for timewarp?

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SPECIFICATION - AUDI 80 GL

Engine: 1,781cc 4-cyl
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 90@5,400rpm
Torque (lb ft): 107@3,300rpm
MPG: 40.1
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1984
Recorded mileage: 78,000
Price new: £7,320
Price now: £2,650

See the full advert here.

[sidewinder500]

I still remember one morning when my dad came into my room and trying to explain that one of his friends dad had a car literally to give away, is now too old to drive, wants to have the car in good hands (sic) and so on...

Was exactly one of these in this exact colour combo, bone stock.

Exciting for a then 19yr old, who had dreams of big block muscle cars or lithe italian sports coupes, at least something cool like a MB 280 TE (the first one)...

Eventually my dad noticed my resentment, albeit reluctant, and I had to pay for myself on my first real car a little while later, which turned out to be a lithe italian sports coupe with slight rust issues instead of a well kept, garaged and tlc'd to the max Audi EIGHTY for god's sake (at that time Audi's image was still soooo drab, you had to be really old to like cars like this)

The path gets beaten soon enough...

Edited by sidewinder500 on Sunday 18th February 00:43