The 80s were a roller coaster for Audi. At the beginning of the decade they seemed poised to overtake BMW and Mercedes as the no. 1 German luxury car maker. But then the U.S. media came out with a fabricated report on unintended acceleration in their 5000 model and their reputation and sales plummeted. Only by the new millennium did their sales return to per-acceleration debacle levels. Today, they are just another fancy and expensive brand, fully revitalized and emboldened.
The 4000 was otherwise known as the "80" B2 platform. It was offered in North America from 1980-1987 with either gas or diesel, and either front- or four-wheel drive.
This is a rare diesel FWD version. Audi put a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder turbocharged diesel engine under the hood, most likely a Volkswagen unit.
The styling is also sourced from Volkswagen. This was when Audi was still borrowing heavily from them, so the 4000 can easily be mistaken for a Fox or Passat. That's not a bad thing, as these were angular, sparse and lean looking in a good way.
The seller of this example say it has a 4-speed manual transmission. Early Audi are known for their horrendous reliability, but that was mostly related to automatic transmissions, so the stick shift and relatively simple diesel engine are a relief. But the seller does say this has electrical lighting issues. Fortunately, they say it's otherwise in working order, and welcome test drives. If you're looking for a fuel efficient commuter car with flaws, this could be it.
Available here on craigslist in Klamath Falls, Oregon for $1,500 or best offer.
Apparently, no effort was spared in staging the car, photographing in it an beneficial manner, or providing a thorough description.
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