The seller of today’s Nice Price or Crack Pipe A6 describes it as “essentially an S4, Stage 1, in a better package.” Let’s see what that package might realistically be worth.
The Billionaire’s Vinegar by Benjamin Wallace tells the story of a bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite Bordeaux, supposedly once owned by Thomas Jefferson and more recently setting the record for commanding the highest auction price in history for a single bottle of wine—$156,000.
Wine is meant to be drunk. And having a bottle that’s long since passed its best-by date completely defeats that purpose. By then it’s the provenance that defines the value, and obviously anything that can be documented to have once been owned by someone as famous as our third president is going to garner interest.
A similar situation arose with yesterday’s 2000 Mazda MX-5 Miata, as with just 1,188 miles on the clock, it too was egregiously underused. Sadly for the seller, however, that Mazda’s provenance was lacking, and that made its $14,750 price tag a bit too dear for the majority of you. In the end, it fell in a 66 percent Crack Pipe loss. If only there had been some way to connect it with Jefferson, things may have turned out differently.
While trucks, SUVs, and crossovers may be the new hotness right now, the classic executive sedan still holds its own on the Scoville scale. That’s evidenced by Hyundai debuting its luxury brand, Genesis, with a series of cosseting sedans, and the enduring popularity of cars like the Mercedes S class, BMW 5-series, and Audi saloons.
Let’s be frank, however, as aspirational as those cars may be, they all cost beaucoup bucks to buy or lease. The great thing is, all of them have pretty steep depreciation, which makes them much more obtainable a few years down the road.
Case in point, this 2004 Audi A6 2.7t Quattro S-line is a mere fraction of its original MSRP. How much of the original driving experience is left will determine if that fraction is still fungible.
This C5 saloon is fairly uniquely kitted. The engine is Audi’s twin-turbo 2.7-litre 30-valve V6 which gives it up to the tune of 265 horsepower at a heady 5800 rpm, and 280 lb-ft of torque at a quieter 1800 spins. Behind that sits a six-speed manual and Audi’s Quattro all-wheel-drive system.
Wrapped around all that is a Dolphin Grey over black leather sedan that all looks to be in pretty stellar shape for its age. The seller describes the exterior as 8/10 and there are a couple of obvious scrapes in the bumper caps and evidence of curbing on the 18-inch alloy wheels. Other than those minor blemishes, it’s all pretty solid appearing.
The interior is called 9/10 by the seller and presents extremely well in the pictures, showing intact seating surfaces and even working displays in the dash. Also, don’t you appreciate the fact that, in the shot of the instrument cluster the seller has bothered to make sure the fuel tank was full? It’s the little things, right?
The engine bay is equally clean which is laudable considering how tightly packed the whole thing is in there. You do have to remove the car’s entire face to do things like change the timing belt or replace the thermostat, so keeping every panel in place can be a daunting task. As evidence, this car is missing the lid over the battery. The K&N filter sticker is a nice touch, however, and the ad notes that the timing belt and valve cover gaskets were refreshed just last year.
There are 101,750 miles showing on the clock, and the car comes with a clean title. According to the seller, it also features an accident-free history. That seller says in the ad that, this being a private sale, you don’t have to pay sales tax. I guess they’re willing to do the old wink and a nod, here’s your bill of sale for two hundred bucks to show at the DMV routine.
The actual asking price is $6,500, and it’s now your job to determine if that is a fair price for this super saloon. What do you think, could it command that kind of cash? Or, is this S-line’s price just too far out of line?
You decide!
Phoenix, AZ Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to RevUnlimiter for the hookup!
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