Just some advice I got for all you guys selling your C5 RS6s

[Greyyork]

Although I realize that the demographics for owners of this car widely varies, I still thought it was worth mentioning. My uncle who is now 66, rebuilds and completely restores the oldest cars, that I've ever seen (one being a 38' plymouth). Anyways, I was back stateside for TDY and I went to visit him, we got to talking and I told him I had a 2003 Audi RS6 and he got extremely excited. He said "anyone that's young enough to keep that car for another 10-20 years, would make a pretty penny if they sold it" Basically getting at, only 800 of these specific cars were made and who knows how many originals are left. Think about what collectors want...the rarest and nicest of cars. Me personally, I never planned on selling mine, especially now, but he did also say to try and keep it as stock as possible and if you make any mods, make sure they are classy or easily (cheaply) reversible. Right now the market for them is around 20k, although I've seen one go for 50k, I'd rather hold onto a collectors items. Don't make the mistake of selling yours while it's at it's 20k -/+ value...

[DHall1]

At the rate some of you pay insurance.....that could be a pretty ugly roi.

Uncle does have a point to keep the car mostly stock. I keep mine because nothing else trips my trigger at this point and I enjoy stealth.

[Greyyork]

There are alternatives for insurance. You could always go with liability or in 1 1/2 years I believe our cars qualify for a classic insurance that ranges as low as $25 dollars a month as long as it isn't your daily driver and they pay actual value of the car, not KKB values or insurance calculator values. Then again I think all the insurance and maintenance is the cost you have to pay to enjoy the beast...keeping it around just to sell it is if you would like to make a lot more of your money back, than 20k.

[mik15]

i know the thing with "exclusive and rare car" mostly apply to US soil where only a handful of RS6 C5 were imported, but was looking today on mobile.de, the largest European website for buying/selling cars online, and the RS6 C5 varies in price from lowest 9k EUR(USD 11.5K) with over 150k miles on the clock and it didn't look to be in its best shape and they go all the way up to 37k EUR($47.5k) for a Plus edition with around 37k miles.

The conclusion is that even in Europe where it wasn't such a rare car and the fuel prices are sky high now, the prices are still high for a well maintained RS6, i'd say the average price is around $20k for a car with close to 100k miles, so pretty much the same as in US.
I am sure that many examples of Plus edition, and not only, with super low miles are hidden in garages across Europe and owners don't intend to sell it yet. Same goes for Japanese market where i've seen these cars with very low miles on the clock and in pristine condition.

[Jimmy]

Audis...like Toyotas...are not collector cars.

When is the last time an Audi rolled into an auction house and commanded big money? It has to be one of the race cars from the 30s....and even with that one, no one bought it due to a sketchy and undocumented history.

[Greyyork]

250,000+ 38 plymouths were made. sure not all go for a lot, but refurbished can fetch a few hundred thousand, depending on what exactly was done to it ect... I can't believe you just compared Audi's to Toyotas, but to contradict myself, you're saying a 93 TT supra isn't a collectors item/rare?

[mik15]

or a RS2 or UR Quattro...probably not such big money when compared to other collectible cars, but still...

[DHall1]

I dont think we're ever talking about big money.......but look at the air cooled 911 market. A pristine RS6 is a throwback vehicle with some race car roots...Champion cars. Hand built in limited numbers with true road feel and no global cost cutting on materials. Its got a chance to become something in time.

[A4V8swap]

you're saying a 93 TT supra isn't a collectors item/rare?

You mean the car that sold for that price new, stayed more or less that price over the years and plateaued for that same price? Collectors car? Maybe. Car for profit? Not so much.

[Jimmy]

250,000+ 38 plymouths were made. sure not all go for a lot, but refurbished can fetch a few hundred thousand, depending on what exactly was done to it ect... I can't believe you just compared Audi's to Toyotas, but to contradict myself, you're saying a 93 TT supra isn't a collectors item/rare?

I'm not the person to ask if a Supra is a collector's car. You said that, not me. Perhaps ask Pete Sauer, Keith Martin or Donald Osbourne, they would know. I do know that in the hundreds of collector car auctions and shows I've been to there has never been a 93 Toyota Supra behind velvet ropes or even the mintest stock ones rolling across the blocks, NEVER. Why is that? it's because they aren't collector cars. Rare? sure I guess but they're all over the ricer boards and craigslist for sale. I'm willing to bet big money that there was never and never will be one at Pebble Beach, Greenwich or Amelia Island either. Yes, I did compare an Audi to a Toyota in collector's speak, but you compare an Audi to a 1930's Plymouth? Okayyyyyyyyyyyy ! (in my best Lil' Jon voice)

But folks do 'collect' the oddest things like beer cans, beanie babies, hubcaps and stamps so, sure, there are those Asian car fans I'm sure that might buy one and put it in their 'collection'...

Let's post the industry standard definition for a 'collector car'....for fun....and see what cars really fit into that label.

[Turbowned]

Audis...like Toyotas...are not collector cars.

When is the last time an Audi rolled into an auction house and commanded big money? It has to be one of the race cars from the 30s....and even with that one, no one bought it due to a sketchy and undocumented history.

Unless you have a crystal ball and can predict the future, who's to say that a low mileage, pristine RS6 couldn't be worth big bucks in the future? Speaking of Toyotas, the 2000GT prices are skyrocketing north of 1/2mil these days. Most of us won't be so lucky because we daily drive our cars, but you can all at least be happy that you bought RS6's and not A8L's of similar MSRP, because look what those are worth these days. Daily driver RS6's will at least stay stronger in value than any other Audi of similar vintage. I'm glad to have bought mine at $23.5k because I can't imagine the value dropping too far below $20k in the next decade unless I double the mileage from when I bought it.

[alrightroad]

Prestine '84 Sport Quattro can easily fetch $100K. So, is that not considered a collector item there Jimmy buddy?

[Corbett]

he did also say to try and keep it as stock as possible

Well shit....

[NSU RS6]

Prestine '84 Sport Quattro can easily fetch $100K. So, is that not considered a collector item there Jimmy buddy?

This is a good call - but there were only a couple of hundred of the Sport Quattros built. There are 40X more RS6's. Also, as high value cars want to be, the Sport Quattro oozes racing testosterone, and has a much more dynamic racing history to back that up. Speaking of testosterone - I would cut my output in half in the form of a left one to have an S1 in my garage.

Of course - articles such as these do help our cause:

http://jalopnik.com/why-the-audi-rs6...ssic-759640980

Our biggest issue will be parts. Audi pales miserably when it comes to supporting their cars past ten years, even their "flagship" vehicles. Sad but true.

Meanwhile a 60hp bathtub that just happens to be an early 1960's Porsche 356 Cabriolet will still find support from Porsche, and could be worth $250k+.

Go figure.....

[Greyyork]

This is a good call - but there were only a couple of hundred of the Sport Quattros built. There are 40X more RS6's. Also, as high value cars want to be, the Sport Quattro oozes racing testosterone, and has a much more dynamic racing history to back that up. Speaking of testosterone - I would cut my output in half in the form of a left one to have an S1 in my garage.

Of course - articles such as these do help our cause:


http://jalopnik.com/why-the-audi-rs6...ssic-759640980

Our biggest issue will be parts. Audi pales miserably when it comes to supporting their cars past ten years, even their "flagship" vehicles. Sad but true.

Meanwhile a 60hp bathtub that just happens to be an early 1960's Porsche 356 Cabriolet will still find support from Porsche, and could be worth $250k+.

Go figure.....

I actually have taken several trips to the audi factory here in Germany and the quattro section (normally off limits) and of course I asked all kinds of questions, but the one that sticks out the most is; How long do you produce OEM parts for vehicles you've produced. Audi's official protocol is to produce any part of any vehicle they have ever produced up until 20 years from the final production date. So in 2024, that's when parts are going to be nearly impossible to come by...that are original. Sure it costs a lot of money, but hey maybe one day it will be worth it.

[NSU RS6]

I actually have taken several trips to the audi factory here in Germany and the quattro section (normally off limits) and of course I asked all kinds of questions, but the one that sticks out the most is; How long do you produce OEM parts for vehicles you've produced. Audi's official protocol is to produce any part of any vehicle they have ever produced up until 20 years from the final production date. So in 2024, that's when parts are going to be nearly impossible to come by...that are original. Sure it costs a lot of money, but hey maybe one day it will be worth it.

I actually have taken several trips to the audi factory here in Germany and the quattro section (normally off limits) and of course I asked all kinds of questions, but the one that sticks out the most is; How long do you produce OEM parts for vehicles you've produced. Audi's official protocol is to produce any part of any vehicle they have ever produced up until 20 years from the final production date. So in 2024, that's when parts are going to be nearly impossible to come by...that are original. Sure it costs a lot of money, but hey maybe one day it will be worth it.

I am trying to remember waaaaaaaaaaaay back in 2006 imagining getting parts for my long departed but greatly missed 1986 4000CSQ. Snork. It was like Audi didn't even acknowledge making the car.

The 4000 was replaced in 2002 with a spectacularly mint 1994 UrS4, which I drove for ten years and sold for $5.5k ($17K total in, including full MRC RS2). The car was also sold with a NOS front bumper assembly, which I bought in 2009, when I was informed by Sunset Audi in Portland, OR it was the last one remaining in US inventory, with only like six left in Europe. Out of curiosity, a year later I played dumb and called Audi wanting to buy a front bumper and got the big NFW it's NLA.

So maybe 16 years on supporting a car - and the ORIGINAL S-car no less. I mean who might need a front bumper? It just gets in the way of the intercoolers right?

Oof. Audi sucks at supporting their cars, especially the "halo" cars. I am not expecting any special consideration for this sedan Audi made that was top shelf 2003-2007.

We will see eventually where the RS6 goes.

I am just happy to be driving one.

[DHall1]

Buy a #2 for daily

Buy a #3 for spare parts

Keep #1 as garage queen for the rainy day. So many cars getting totaled makes me feel good I have a backup in the garage.

Working on #4....start my own little SW Shokan. Lol

[Greyyork]

Audi Americas must be COMPLETELY different than audi Germany...they actually don't keep like 50% of parts in stock. When some one orders a speciality item, they have it made. I live about 45 minutes away from Ingolstat or however it's spelt and it takes 1-2 days to get any RS6 parts, even if you go get it yourself, from their side repair shop.