Here’s a way to guarantee you stand out: Buy an Audi 100.
Not the newer one, the one made in the 1980s. You want the one with the bigger silver Audi rings and fresher body, the one made from 1968 to 1976.
This is the car Audi made secretly at first as a way to claim brand individuality under Volkswagen ownership. (In 1966, Auto Union, an amalgamation of four German automakers that was the immediate predecessor to Audi, became a wholly owned subsidiary of Volkswagenwerk AG. But the carmakers that had been moved to VW headquarters in Ingolstadt were forbidden to develop their own vehicle. Head of Development Ludwig Kraus broke ranks, but early reviews proved so successful VW decided to produce it shortly after its debut.)
The Audi 100 was the first car Audi ever sold in the U.S. It's not expensive. It's not powerful. But it's rare: Of the 1 million collector cars Hagerty insures, only six of them are Audi 100s.
“If you came across one, it would be a very affordable way to have a unique vehicle that you’d likely be the only one to have at your cars-and-coffee meet-up or the local car show,” says Jonathan Klinger, the vice president of communications at Hagerty.
If you want to own a vintage model that shows you’ve put some real thought into your purchase, they’re ideal. These are the starting point for all modern Audi cars, the first of the breed. (Bonus points for looking cool.)
“It’s an appealing choice for the enthusiast interested in a significant, practical, and very rare German car,” David Traver Adolphus, the heritage car expert at Hemmings, wrote in the company’s annual classic car report.
One look at that fresh face, and you’ll be sold.
The History
Audi started importing the 100 series for the 1970 model year, even though it had shown and started hyping the car in 1968. The idea was it would help convince American consumers Audi could compete with the other European luxury brands entering the U.S. at the time—namely, BMW and Mercedes.
“The Audi 100 was a car that was developed when the European luxury brands were starting to be more relevant globally,” said Mark Dahncke, Audi’s general manager of communications. “The big U.S. titans were losing relevance because of the gas crunch and also, honestly, because of their design. The Audi 100 was a step to bring in a European solution: something that was compact but usable, drivable but functional.”