Good Find Friday features interesting vehicles we’ve found for sale while conducting market analysis or appraisal research. They are not for sale by Wolf and Mare and we have no business relationship with the sellers. We just think they’re worth learning about and sharing with our readers!

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Last week, I wrote about what I consider the best cars from the period I call “Peak Volkswagen,” or cars produced during the reign of Ferdinand Piëch. Today’s Good Find Friday car is a vehicle that hails from the same exciting period of Volkswagen Group history. While it’s not yet available for import, the Audi TT Quattro Sport is a clubsport inspired special edition that may be rising in value.

In 1994, Audi was on the brink of exiting the US market entirely after a spate of negative public press. In addition to the overwhelming success of the B5 Audi A4, the brand was saved and its image significantly boosted by the reveal of the Audi TT concept at the 1995 Frankfurt Auto Show. Designed to set a new and fresh direction for Audi’s design language as well as fill a sporty gap in the brand’s vehicle lineup, the TT was an immediate hit. Designed by Thomas Freeman, who penned the New Beetle for Volkswagen, the Audi TT shares a similar approach of radical simplicity in form. The response was so overwhelmingly positive, the car was put into production with a design nearly unchanged from that of the concept.

The somewhat portly but very capable Mk4 Volkswagen Golf platform provided the general underpinnings and the car’s turbocharged 1.8-liter engine, which was available in higher-output 180hp or 225hp options. While front-wheel drive was standard, Quattro all-wheel-drive was an available option. The car’s packaging supported practicality as well as performance, with a small but usable rear seat and a hatchback cargo area. The interior was also remarkably unchanged from the concept, and used premium materials accented with aluminum trim. The optional “baseball” stitching on the seats is an eye catching but perhaps polarizing choice.

A series of high-speed accidents soured the initial release of the road car, with Audi forced to recall the car and improve its stability via a rear spoiler and retuned suspension. Once these issues were resolved, the first-generation Audi TT was successful enough to be produced in numbers exceeding 270,000 and be refined over two succeeding generations until its cancellation in 2023.

Today’s Good Find Friday feature is a special variant of the first-generation Audi TT called the Quattro Sport, a driver-focused limited edition introduced at the end of the Mk1’s life cycle. Currently for sale by the selling dealer in Vailhauqués, France, this car is offered at a price of €24,990 or $28,865.

Exterior features of the Quattro Sport include Phantom Black paint, bodywork cribbed from the 3.2-liter VR6 powered TT, a prominent rear spoiler, black-finished dual-exhaust outlets, and 18-inch multi-spoke wheels.

Weight-reduction being a priority, 75 kilos were shed by deleting the rear seats and mounting a pair of color-matched Recaro Pole Positions. Today’s car is fitted with leather reclining buckets, which appears to have been an option. Cars with Pole Position seats seem rather rare, as most on the market feature the Comfort Seat option. The battery was repositioned to the rear of the car for better balance and the air conditioning system was deleted as standard. In common sporting fashion, Alcantara lines the steering wheel, handbrake lever and seat inserts. The Alcantara on the steering wheel of today’s car looks quite worn, and would benefit from recovering.

The only engine available in the Quattro Sport was the 1.8-liter turbocharged four, but it was tuned to generate 240hp over the stock 225, and power was delivered through Quattro all-wheel drive. 0-60 sprints were clocked at a respectable 5.7 seconds or so.

With just 60,000 miles on the odometer, the car is said to have been well-cared for and the mechanicals sound. Coil failure, valve cover gasket leaks and timing belt service are common needs for the 1.8T engine. Other than that, things to look out for are worn suspension components and broken trim, as interior bits for 25 plus-year old Audis are getting scarcer.

The Audi TT Quattro Sport was produced by the high-performance subsidiary of Audi, quattro Gmbh, in very small numbers. Around 800 cars built in right-hand drive configuration for the UK market and only 368 delivered elsewhere in Europe as left-hand drive. Color options for the Quattro Sport included Misano Red Metallic, Avus Silver, Mauritius Blue, Light Silver and Phantom Black. Non-black Quattro Sports all had Phantom Black-painted roof and c-pillars, making them a bit more unusual.

Very few Quattro Sport Audi TTs are on offer at one time, with standard TTs and 3.2VR6 cars making up the bulk of listings. Auction sales are similarly sparse, with only 2 having sold in the last 4 years. Prices appear to have climbed significantly in that time, as those two examples sold for under $15,000. Today’s car, then, may be optimistically priced at nearly $30,000. That said, I haven’t found a current listing under €20,000.

Though it bears a clear connection to the New Beetle’s retro styling, the Audi TT’s design represented something totally new and fresh at the time of its release. As a result, it avoids the negative perception common to nostalgic rehash cars. It retains a bit of a “soft” image, but the Quattro Sport is a great answer to this, especially when fitted with the racy bucket seats.

Today’s black car is very cool, but a car in Misano red is the one to get, in my opinion — especially if you can find it in left hand drive. Low miles early Audi TTs in great condition are starting to bring similar prices, making the Audi TT Quattro Sport a fun car that may appreciate over time.

Unfortunately, the only issue is that values may have risen beyond your means by the time you can legally import one into the United States in 203. In the meantime, maybe look for a low-miles, great condition Audi TT 3.2.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Wolf and Mare provides car finding, appraisal and auction services for sellers and buyers of collector European cars. We also provide importation services. Give us a call or drop us a line!