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Car and Driver

• This impressively maintained 2001 Audi TT Quattro with only 41,000 miles is up for auction on Bring a Trailer, with bidding scheduled to end on Monday, November 14.

• This particular TT, with Audi's all-wheel-drive Quattro system, produces 225 horsepower from a turbocharged inline-four connected to a six-speed manual transmission.

C/D did a 40,000-mile test on a 2000 TT Quattro, remarking at the time that it was an "enduring joy to the eye." Twenty years later, I agree with that sentiment; its looks have held up over time.

First-generation Audi TT Quattros certainly aren't the rarest of sports cars, and conventional wisdom might point out that any 21-year-old car is a crapshoot from a reliability standpoint. Yet I was immediately drawn to this well-maintained, if lightly used, TT for the simple fact that I grew up in one of these. This 2001 TT Quattro with 41,000 miles is currently listed on the Bring a Trailer auction site, which—like Car and Driver—is part of Hearst Autos.

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The first-generation TT entered production in 1999, but getting this version with the more powerful 225-hp engine equipped with a larger turbocharger meant waiting a full year. This TT is finished in a Lake Silver Metallic paint over a black leather interior, neither of which show the serious signs of aging generally attributed to cars this age. The paint includes a scratch on the hood as well as rock chips on the bumper. The leather of the front seats shows cracking, they do not appear to have any visible tears, and the rear seats look to be in great condition. The remainder of the interior seems to be in even better shape, looking impeccably cared for throughout its life.

The TT is so much more than a one-trick pony. It was a 10Best winner in both 2000 and 2001. It's capable as a sports car, courtesy of the Quattro all-wheel-drive system and 225-hp output. Plus, after spending a considerable chunk of my childhood in the back seat of a 2002 TT, I am uniquely qualified to speak to how surprisingly composed it can be as a family hauler. Until I was 12 years old and my brother 14, we regularly piled into our TT on our way to and from hockey practice with two full-size hockey bags and our father's coaching bag, along with three hockey sticks. Admittedly, the last year and a half involved more than one argument between my brother and me as rear-seat space became more of an issue, but even so, our TT proved a reliable companion through many Wisconsin winters.

The Carfax report for the TT shows accident damage entry in 2003 resulting in damage to the front left of the car, and lists registration and service history with one owner in New York since new. The dealership selling the vehicle wrote a comment on the post explaining that the bumper has been repainted, likely indicating the accident was minor. Current bids on the car are up to $2600, but if recent auctions are anything to go on, this car will likely go closer to $15,000 or $20,000.

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Headshot of Jack Fitzgerald
Jack Fitzgerald
Associate News Editor

Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.