What: 2014 Audi A4 quattro Color: Audi exclusive Imola Yellow(imolagelb; non-metallic Uni; Y1C; Audi) VIN: WAUDFAFL6DA156015 Mileage: 81,795 miles Price: $14,995 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Addison, TX Link: Apex Autosports
A part of the tailored car segment we find to be most interesting are older examples, leaving us interested in how they’ve held up and how they price in against comparable cars of their age. Maybe even more interesting is the specification, because back in 2014 most car brands like Audi weren’t offering Audi exclusive tailoring quite as broadly. Colors or options chosen can be a real head scratcher at times, and we think this car qualifies.
For starters, it’s an A4 2.0T in Premium specification. On Audi’s version of the “Good, Better, Best” scale, Premium is entry-level, and you can see that here with the basic non-LED headlights or lower-grade infotainment configuration with controls up on the center console versus behind the shifter. Whomever ordered this car, ordered it about as basically as one could. That said, they did opt for quattro all-wheel drive and chose to stick with the “base” manual transmission – optimal configuration in our book.
At the same time, the original buyer chose to elevate the price by several thousand dollars by choosing Audi exclusive paint. In this case, the ad doesn’t list the color but we have confirmed it is Imola Yellow. This particular yellow was introduced as a standard offering on the B5 S4. It’s graced any number of Audi performance models, including most recently the Euro market Audi RS 4 Avant edition 25 years. It remains a well-loved Audi color as a result.
This particular A4 looks well-preserved. 81,000 miles is low for a ten-plus-year old car. We do see some wear in the photos, including some possible scratching on the infotainment screen and a smudge of some sort appears on the passenger top side of the dashboard. Even still, we suspect this car would be a great get for someone seeking a unique yet affordable car.
What: 1999 Audi A4 Avant 2.8 quattro (MT6) Color: Laurel Green Metallic (lorbeergrün; metallic uni; LY6R / 7N; Audi) Chassis #: Unknown Mileage: 185,664 km, 115,366 miles Price: €11,350 CarFax: N/A Window Sticker: N/A Location: Lahn Dill Automotive, Herborn, Germany Dealer listing:Link
Why We Love It:
It’s cars like this that make our staff come to blows. Why? Perhaps a better question is why not?
How does one define a “tailored driver” and thus, should a car be posted to this website? So far, we’ve focused with few exceptions on cars that are special ordered from a marque’s in-house tailoring department or others remastered by firms with a niche specialty for building consistent and commissioned reimagined automobiles.
So, what of a truly exceptional standard spec built from the factory order book? In their day (particularly days when brand order guides were vastly deep and rife with costly complexity), they were a clearly tasteful expression by a buyer who knew their way around the configurator without necessarily ringing up the tailor. Take for example this 1999 Audi A4 Avant we’ve found for sale in Germany.
We actually dug out our 1999 A4 catalogue to verify this one. Laurel Green Metallic (a.k.a. Vorbeer Metallic) was indeed a standard color in that year. In the stock color palette, it suffered from a relatively low take rate that made it somewhat rare, rarer still in North America where we don’t believe it was offered at all.
At the time, Audi had an interesting way of pre-packaging color combinations, with three grades of A4 – Advance, Ambition and Ambiente. Laurel Green was offered in Ambition and Ambiente, optionally paired in either case with Ecru (light tan) Buffalino Leather as seen in this car. This car was built to Ambition spec.
As factory specifications go, this car is a notably luxurious German build. It foregoes sporty options like a wild color or sport design steering wheel, yet focuses on a handsome color combination, luxurious cabin and large displacement engine (2.8-liter V6). For that, it offered a comfortable environment that was perfectly capable of autobahn-storming.
By 1999, Audi’s A4 had received its mid-lifecycle product improvement, also known more commonly as a facelift, which included updated door handles, lower inset foglights and other subtle upgrades. This particularly well appointed survivor also got quattro all-wheel drive, ESP, and a host of options listed below. Add that to the enthusiast-darling Avant (station wagon) body style in a rare or never-available color and you have the makings of a winner for the discerning aficionado seeking a car from this late 90s / early 2000s era.
The dealer shares that the car appears to have had two owners prior to this, with maintenance carried out regularly. The service book was maintained without gaps to 66,969 km by the Audi dealer. The original car invoice is also included and seen in photos shared.
That said, the dealer also shares that the car did have “an encounter with a bollard” that required the hood, bumper and associated parts to be replaced with original Audi parts. Beyond that, some wear and tear can be seen in photos, but surprisingly little given the age.
All things considered, a nicely appointed A4 Avant is a great way to affordably get into this space. The hotter S4 and RS 4 versions are definitely more sought after, though few will be appointed as uniquely as this A4 2.8 quattro.
Options Listed:
ABS
ESP
electric glass sliding roof with sun protection/blind
Concert
All-wheel drive
Factory-fitted navigation system in the speedometer
Xenon headlights
Headlight washer system
Roof rails chrome
Full-leather seats Ambition leather Buffalino
PDC rear
Seat heating with seat bolster heating
Leather steering wheel
Decorative inlays, walnut root wood
Armrest front and rear
Heated windscreen washer nozzles, front
Leather handbrake lever and gear knob
Servo
Tachometer
ASR
Central locking with radio
Electric windows 4x
Electric exterior mirrors
Electronic immobilizer, with anti-theft alarm system and interior monitoring
Through-loading with ski bag
Make-up mirror 2x
Airbags (head, front and sides)
Split rear seat
Original 16-inch alloy wheels
Automatic climate control
Lumbar support, electric. adjustable in front seat backrests
Outside temperature display
Cup holder
Fog lights
8 speakers (active)
Colored glazing
Rear headrests
Front seat adjustable
Spare wheel in driving tires
Three-point automatic belt for middle rear seat
Side protection strips in vehicle color
This is one of our Euro market finds, so the usual caveats apply for our primarily North American readership. For Europe and other markets, we focus on cars older than 25 years, meaning a relatively easy import into the USA. This is often done by working with firms such as our friends at Orchid Euro, you can have the car purchased, transported to port, shipped to America and cleared through customs for clients seeking this sort of service.
What: 2017 Audi A4 Color: Audi exclusive Toucan Yellow (Tukangelb; LY1H; Audi) VIN: WAUENBF40HA067620 Mileage: 42,000 Price at Time of this Writing: Auction CarFax:Link MonroneyLabels.com Window Sticker: N/A Location: Palm Harbor, FL Auction listing:Link
Why we love it:
If Tailored Driver is about anything at all, it’s about the desire to be uncommon. By that metric, the initial owner of this 2017 Audi exclusive Toucan Yellow A4 can certainly be considered a kindred spirit. Beyond the fairly rare Toucan Yellow exterior, this Tailor opted for Nougat Brown sport seats with Dark Walnut high gloss trim. We like all of these thing independently. Together? Well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
