Audi Cabriolet Price Guide

The Audi Cabriolet was the company’s only convertible throughout the 1990s. A handsome, well-built open-top based on the B3-generation 80 platform. It was not fast and it was not exciting, but it was refined, solidly engineered, and dripped with the kind of understated quality that made it a quiet status symbol.

The Car

Produced from 1991 to 2000, the Cabriolet used 1.8, 2.0, and 2.6-litre V6 petrol engines alongside a 1.9 TDI diesel. The 2.6 V6 is the most desirable, offering smooth, effortless performance. The electrically operated fabric hood was well-insulated and watertight. The body was galvanised and resists rust far better than contemporary rivals. Princess Diana famously drove a dark green 2.3-litre five-cylinder example, which boosted the car’s profile considerably.

Buying

Hood condition and mechanism are the primary concerns. The electric motors and hydraulic rams that operate the roof can fail, and replacement parts are expensive. The V6 engine is robust but check for oil leaks and coolant hose deterioration. The Cabriolet is the most affordable open-top Audi of its era and offers a level of build quality that contemporary BMW 3 Series Convertibles cannot match. The Quattro represented a very different strand of Audi’s 1980s/1990s output; raw performance versus refined cruising.