I've been trying to think of a reason why you shouldn't buy this 2001 Audi A6 that's going under the hammer at next month's Classic Car and Restoration Show. I mean, it's practically a new car.
It's the right colour (Jasper Green). It's done what is described by Iconic Auctioneers as a ‘remarkable’ 6606 miles from new. And after thirteen MOT tests since 2006, it hasn't collected a single advisory to its name. If it sells for its pre-auction estimate of £10,000 to £12,000, it could be one of the bargains of 2025.
And because the mileage isn't park-this-in-a-museum low, you won't be afraid to drive it. Instead, sit back and enjoy the smoothness, torque and economy of the 2.5-litre V6 TDI engine as you live out your senior management dreams, wafting between Welcome Break car parks and soulless business parks along the M4 corridor.
Sure, an expected 35mpg isn't spectacular in an age of fizzy three-pot petrols achieving 50mpg, but this A6 stems from a period when diesels reigned supreme and didn't attract the attention of folk who enjoy gluing their hands to pedestrian crossings. It'll sprint from Costa Drive Thru to motorway slip road in 8.6 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 140mph, assuming you live in Duisberg, Darmstadt or Düsseldorf, and not Durham, Daventry or Dunfermline.
The C5-generation A6 (Typ 4B) arrived in 1997 and, like the A3 before it, showcased Audi's new design language previewed by the TT concept car of 1995. Beneath its Bauhaus styling, the A6 was essentially a larger version of the Volkswagen Passat, with aluminium four-link front suspension at the front and torsion beam at the back (quattro models had double wishbones).
Unlike its predecessor, which had evolved out of the Audi 100, the C5 was an entirely new design. Few cars have aged so gracefully; in profile, the A6 looks understated, classy and elegant. The curved-roof is very Volkswagen Group at the end of the 1990s, but check out the glorious gap between the round arches and the tyres, not to mention the small wheels. Actual sidewalls and 16-inch alloys – remember when ride quality was a thing?
On the inside, there's not an infotainment system or Virtual Cockpit to be seen, just a cabin that we may have criticised for being too sombre in 2001, but today looks classical and restrained. It's rare to find a Volkswagen Group car of this era with buttons that haven't been worn out by countless touches by greasy fingers. Most amazing is the fact that the digital displays appear to be in full working order. What were we saying about sticking this in a museum?
According to Iconic Auctioneers, the A6 was ‘used lightly over the first seven years by its first owner and hardly at all by its next owner and then his widow’. It's still wearing its original Lincoln Audi number plates and dealer sticker, and was recently serviced by Leicester Audi at 6578 miles.
In its day, the C5 Audi A6 battled with the BMW 5 Series (E39) and Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W210) for senior management supremacy, but CAR liked it enough to call it ‘the most intriguing new car in the class for years’, adding that it was ‘truly a step ahead’. This is your chance to find out what all the fuss was about.
As for reasons why you shouldn't buy it, do check out the cost of tax (VED). Because it was registered in April 2001, the CO2 emissions of 216g/km means it slots into tax band K, resulting in an annual cost of £415 – and this is likely to increase as the war against diesel cars continues. Still, £415 a year is better than spending the same amount every month on a finance deal for a new Audi.
The 2001 Audi A6 will be offered at The Classic Sale at the Classic Car and Restoration Show on Saturday 22 March 2025.
