Photo: General Automotive inc.
A dear friend of mine used to own a 1995 Audi Cabriolet. When recalling her ownership experience, she said in no uncertain terms it was the most fun car she'd ever driven. Right up until the engine blew up after a year, and it had to be crushed. Such is the gamble you take when owning a used German luxury car.
But by taking a look at a 1996 Audi Cabriolet for sale that's just a year younger, we can start to understand why it's a heck of a car. Provided you can keep the thing running. Built from 1991 to 2000, the Typ 8G Audi Cabriolet was the company's first soft-top convertible in nearly 30 years. It took the basis of its sister car, the B3 two-door hard-top coupe, and lops the roof off. Under the hood of this Cabriolet is a 2.8-liter V6 that made 172 horsepower when new.
Enough power to have some fun, but not so much that it encourages being reckless. This being a front-wheel-drive car, it's not like you'll be drifting in a Cabriolet. Power is fed to a four-speed automatic transmission. Which, while not as pure of a driving experience as a stick shift, does at least make it easier to enjoy the wind in your hair. This particular Cabriolet for sale via General Automotive in Villa Park, Illinois, shows 100,775 miles (162,181.6 km) on the odometer.
Not that you'd know it from the pleasant state of the exterior white paint and the folding ragtop. Inside, tan leather seats almost appear as if they've never been sat in. One can only presume the interior had a full detail sometime recently. There are cars out there with a quarter the mileage on them with interiors in far worse states. But don't be lulled into a false sense of security by any of this. 100,000 miles is a lot for old German luxury cars if they are not maintained accordingly. Considering this, you should check the car's service history records.
But for just $5,000 before taxes and fees, this old beauty is just cheap enough that you might risk winding up like my good friend. Sitting inside a mechanic's office on the brink of tears because their prized piece of German steel just went kaput.
Enough power to have some fun, but not so much that it encourages being reckless. This being a front-wheel-drive car, it's not like you'll be drifting in a Cabriolet. Power is fed to a four-speed automatic transmission. Which, while not as pure of a driving experience as a stick shift, does at least make it easier to enjoy the wind in your hair. This particular Cabriolet for sale via General Automotive in Villa Park, Illinois, shows 100,775 miles (162,181.6 km) on the odometer.
Not that you'd know it from the pleasant state of the exterior white paint and the folding ragtop. Inside, tan leather seats almost appear as if they've never been sat in. One can only presume the interior had a full detail sometime recently. There are cars out there with a quarter the mileage on them with interiors in far worse states. But don't be lulled into a false sense of security by any of this. 100,000 miles is a lot for old German luxury cars if they are not maintained accordingly. Considering this, you should check the car's service history records.
But for just $5,000 before taxes and fees, this old beauty is just cheap enough that you might risk winding up like my good friend. Sitting inside a mechanic's office on the brink of tears because their prized piece of German steel just went kaput.
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