Twenty Months Gone: 1987 Audi 5000 S – NOW $9,999

August 24, 2023 Update – Three months after the expiration of their last Craigslist ad, the seller of this 1987 Audi 5000 we’ve been tracking the sale of for two years posted a fresh ad.  This time around, the seller provides a whole new set of pictures and a revised $9,999 asking price. There is a reason this well-maintained, low-mileage, rare 5-speed survivor has not sold after two years on the market: the seller continues to ask double what the market typically expects to pay for this vintage of Audi.

June 1, 2023, Update – While this “Classifind” expired recently, given the seller’s history, we suspect it may not actually be sold yet.  For now, we’re labeling this ride “Sold?” However, we will keep an eye out for an updated listing.

April 20, 2023 Update – After a nearly one-year lapse following the expiration of their last Craigslist, the seller of this rare 1987 Audi 5000 S we’ve been tracking the sale of since August of 2021 just posted a fresh ad.  This time, they took updated pictures and increased their asking price to $13,995.

July 29, 2022, Update – While this “Classifind” expired recently, given the seller’s history, we suspect it may not be sold yet.  For now, we’re labeling this ride “Sold?” However, we will keep an eye out for an updated listing.

July 7, 2022 Update – After staying strong for months asking $11,995, the private seller of this rare Audi we’ve been tracking for over ten months and counting just lowered their asking price by two thousand from $11,995 to $9,995.

June 16, 2022 Update – The Internet and GuysWithRides never forget a classic ride.  Our hunch in March was correct as the seller apparently sat on the car for another three months before deciding to offer it once again.  In their latest listing, the pictures, description, and asking price of $11,995 remain the same.

March 24, 2022 Update – While this “Classifind” expired recently, given the seller’s past history, we suspect may not actually be sold yet.  For now, we’re labeling this ride “Sold?” However, we will keep an eye out for an updated listing.

February 16, 2022 Update – In a bizarre move we will never understand, after several months without a sale at $9,995, the seller raised the price of their ’87 Audi 5000 back up to their original request of $11,995. They have been trying unsuccessfully to sell this Audi since August of 2021, so the low 59K original miles and desirable five-speed manual clearly have not been enough to motivate someone to buy this rare car.

January 7, 2022 Update – We just confirmed the listing for this “Classifind” expired, so with no replacement found, we’re assuming this ride “Sold?”  unless we come across an updated listing.

November 26, 2021 Update – After a three-month hiatus following the expiration of their August listing, we came across a new Craigslist ad for this rare-in-the-U.S. ’87 Audi 5000 5-Speed. Compared to their original listing, the private seller just lowered their asking price by two thousand dollars to $9,995, which is still well above the current NADA guidelines and is likely why the car remains unsold.

September 16, 2021 Update – We just confirmed the listing for this Audi “Classifind” expired, so with no replacement found, we’re assuming this ride “Sold?” unless we come across a fresh listing for the car.

Cars always tend to slip beneath the radar as if they were never quite special enough to be wildly sought after, but you still take note when they do show up. The Audi 5000 is a perfect example of this, as there was nothing particularly exceptional about it aside from its punchy five-cylinder powerplant and ground-breaking Quattro all-wheel-drive. This blue 59K 1987 Audi 5000 “S” sedan with a desirable five-speed manual for sale first appeared in August 2021 on Craigslist in North Port, Florida, in seemingly excellent condition and under 60,000 original miles for $11,995. Comparing this price against the NADA Price Guide confirms this private seller has his front-wheel-drive 5000 priced well above the “High” retail estimate of $4,125. While we can appreciate the incredible survivor the Audi may very well be, this price seems to be outpacing the market by a fair margin.

The 5000 was a game changer for Audi in more ways than one. When it arrived on the scene, there was nothing like it. Anything from GM in the mid-sized category was a joke compared to this stately German sedan, built with high-quality materials and exceptional road manners. Then, the unintended acceleration story broke. Looking back, most people will agree that the 60 Minutes investigation was essentially a hit piece on the automaker, with the acceleration issues caused by poor driving, not a gas pedal with a mind of its own or a brake pedal that lost the will to stop. Still, an aura hung over the model, but smart enthusiasts can look past that veneer and enjoy the hotter takes on the bread-and-butter commuter sedan, opting for the turbocharged, Quattro-equipped model with a five-speed manual.

Check out this 1987 vintage Audi PR video posted on YouTube that was the company’s way of trying to convince potential consumers that unintended acceleration was an industry-wide problem rather than an issue specific to Audi products:

A clean Audi 5000 in a hard-to-find car in any form, particularly in turbocharged wagon form. Even so, decent drivers still sell for under $10,000, so the seller’s ask is definitely a stretch for a naturally aspirated, front-wheel-drive model. It certainly looks like an impeccably maintained example, and few left fall into that criteria. Plus, many of the standard-issue 5000 sedans you still find are almost always equipped with an automatic transmission, so a 5-speed model is definitely a find. The seller has spent a decent amount on recent maintenance, including a new clutch kit, master cylinder, and slave cylinder; new engine and transmission mounts; a new power steering rack, brake rotors and pads, and new fluid in both systems. It’s pricey, but if you want a 5000 in your life and can’t find any in decent condition, at least it may be worth conversing with the seller.

Here’s the seller’s August 2023 Description:

1987 Audi 5000S, 5cyl, 2.3L, 5 Speed, all power, low miles 58700 mi
– Excellent condition. Run and drives are amazing. No rust. Original paint. No serious scratches or damages. Never was an accident.
– The Suspension system is in excellent condition.
– New clutch kit, new master cylinder, slave cylinder.
– All engine & transmission mounts are new.
– New power steering rack, new PS fluid, new brake fluid.
-New timing belt kit with water pump
– New brake rotors and pads.
– New AC compressor
Serious buyer only.”

Here’s the seller’s original description:

1987 Audi 5000S, 5cyl, 2.3L, 5 Speed, all power, low miles 58700k
– Excellent condition. Run and drives amazing. No rust. Original paint. No serious scratches or damages. Never was in accident.
– The Suspension system is in excellent condition.
– New clutch kit, new master cylinder; slave cylinder.
– New timing belt kit w/water pump, new seals for the camshaft & crankshaft.
– New A/C compressor belt, alternator belt, and power steering belt.
– All engine & transmission mounts are new.
– New power steering rack, new PS fluid, new brake fluid.
– New brake rotors and pads.
– New hydraulic lifters
-New A/C compresor installed, but I haven’t added the freon yet.
AC is currently not working.
Serious buyer only.

This was the seller’s original description:

“1987 Audi 5000S, 5cyl, 2.3L, 5 Speed, all power, low miles 58700k
– Excellent condition. Run and drive. No rust. Original paint. No serious scratches or damages. Never was in an accident.
– New clutch kit, new master cylinder, and slave cylinder.
– All engine and transmission mounts are new.
– New power steering rack, new brake rotors and pads, new PS fluid, brake fluid.“

Do you have an Audi 5000 story you’d like to share?  Comment below and let us know!