Junkyard Gem: 1990 Audi V8 Quattro

While BMW first put V8 engines in production cars back in 1954 and Mercedes-Benz followed with its own V8 in 1968, Audi didn’t begin building new V8-powered cars until 1988 (sorry, V8 cars built by Audi corporate ancestors don’t count). Finally adding a V8 to their engine stable must have made Audi’s marketers so excited that they decided to name the car that used it after the engine: the Audi V8, sold in the United States for the 1989 through 1994 model years. The V8 was respectably big, impressively fast, and very expensive, and I’ve found a rare example of the breed in a Denver-area car graveyard.

Audi wasn’t doing so well in the United States at the time this car was sold, thanks to the “unintended acceleration” debacle that crushed American sales for all Audis (not just automatic-equipped 5000s) for at least a half-dozen years after the notorious “60 Minutes” piece that aired in late 1986. Bringing over a technological masterpiece like this car sent a message that Audi wasn’t giving up on our continent.

The engine is a 3.6-liter quad-cam rated at 240 horsepower and 245 pound-feet. The base 1990 Corvette only managed 245 horses from its 5.7-liter V8 (though the wild DOHC 5.7 in the ZR1 made 375 that year).

A five-speed manual was available in U.S.-market V8s with the 3.6, but not many were bought that way here. This one has the four-speed automatic. Quattro all-wheel-drive was standard equipment. Note the Unintended Acceleration warning sticker next to the gear indicator.

The interior is full of high-quality leather and wood.

The price tag was intimidating: $47,450, which comes to about $114,361 in 2023 dollars. The 1990 BMW 735i listed at $49,000 ($118,097 today) and the 1990 Mercedes-Benz 420 SEL cost $62,500 ($150,633 in today’s money); neither of those cars were available with all-wheel-drive, which must have made the V8 Quattro a tempting choice for well-heeled car shoppers looking for a big German sedan.

The model name was confusing, though there weren’t any badges proclaiming it. When the V8’s successor showed up (based on a completely different platform), it was designated the A8 and went on sale in the United States as a 1997 model.

Audi followed up its first V8 engine with its first V6 engine, for the 1992 model year in the United States.

It drove close to 200,000 miles during its career.

How could such a rare car end up here? The V8 just isn’t worth very much nowadays, despite its rarity and historical importance, and prospective buyers tend to be intimidated by the meticulous maintenance that these cars need to stay alive.

This home-market commercial appears to have been filmed on this side of the Atlantic.

With Quattro, you won’t need to worry about hitting steamrollers or cats.