MEET THE OWNER – JOHN MCLANNAHAN AND HIS AUDI 100 CS

I recently wrote about my amazement in encountering John McLannahan’s 1981 C2-Series 100 CS at this year’s Practical Classics Restoration Show. Equally remarkably, this Audi was once on the verge of plying for hire in Istanbul – so read on…

The C2 replaced the C1 in August of 1976, and its major talking point was the five-cylinder engine for the more expensive models. Even the four-cylinder version greatly impressed Car when they evaluated an LS in 1977:

“Audi dealers see themselves taking away Mercedes 200, BMW 520 and Volvo 244 buyers with the 100LS, but in our view they are setting their sights on the low side and not really doing credit to the design or its designers. It is far too good a car to be lumped in that trio of rather boring and thoroughly square saloons.”

Such a review must have caused great happiness among British Audi dealers, and the days of two-stroke three-cylinder DKWs seemed to belong to another era. By the time Autocar tested the GL 5S version in 1979, the price was a fairly expensive £6,285. However, they believed that “The German reputation for reliability and finish will probably ensure that most buyers will probably go for the Audi rather than any of its rivals here.”

When C3 succeeded the C2 in September 1982, the four-ring badge stood for quality and design integrity around the world. Today you are more likely to find a C2 in a repeat of a 1980s German crime series than on the road, which is why John’s CS turns heads. In his words:

“The Fahrzeugbrief (title certificate) shows that our car was built by Audi NSU Auto Union AG. It was first registered by Autohaus Kober in Esslingen on the 3rd of December 1981 with the plate ES-Y 9912, having come off the production line at Neckarsulm on the 2nd of October. Ten service stamps (at 7,500km intervals) and two owners later, my wife Jacqui bought the car at 76,000km on the 23rd of July 1990, and because she lived and worked in Stuttgart at the time, the car had to be re-registered as S-KS 7657. When she bought it, she had not even passed her test – but a friend of a friend had advised her that he knew of a really good car for sale. He was probably right.”

The 100 was re-registered in Liverpool on the 27th of June 1994 when Mrs. McLannahan relocated to the UK. Sadly, three years later, the rising cost of fuel, repairs and maintenance, combined with LHD not being entirely suited to British city driving, meant a parting of ways. And so:

“The Audi was traded in (at an allowance of £1,200) in exchange for a Peugeot 106. Although the deal seemed very sensible economically and practically, we were very sad to part with her trusty old bus. We often wondered with great fondness whether being LHD, it had actually gone to Russia or Turkey to be used as a taxi – which was what the dealers had predicted. Unfortunately, we could find no trace or record of it anywhere, and (typically) wished we hadn’t sold the car.”

However, by 2006 the McLannahans had moved to a village and they were taking their dog for a Sunday stroll in August. They passed a used car dealership and car storage facility – and “imagine our surprise when we noticed the unmistakable Indiana Rot (red) on the roof of a car which had just been brought out of a warehouse at the back of the site.”

Naturally, an immediate investigation had to be made. “We were delighted to see that the roof was indeed that of the old Audi – which had been brought out of storage to be collected later that day and taken to Turkey to be used as a taxi.” Fortunately, a mere £275 would settle nine years of storage bills, and the helpful vendor even agreed to tow the 100 home for another £10. In addition, “when we looked at the V5, it showed that there had been no official change of ownership.”

Since then, the McLannahans used the Audi as a daily runabout in summer – “spending what it needed and to get it through its annual MOT, but in 2016 we decided to give it a well-deserved bodily tidy-up. We were lucky to find two ‘new’ OE panels, an offside front wing, a nearside rear door and an offside rear door.” In addition, the 100 received a re-spray to ensure matching panels. John points out “the rear doors (over the wheel-arch profile) were clearly the weak points on this model in terms of vulnerability to rust.”

The refurbishment extended to a new radiator, valve seals, master and slave cylinders, a new clutch, front disc brake overhaul, track rod ends, alternator, cam-belts and a new stainless steel exhaust. Happily, “nothing major was on either the WB 2,144cc 5-cylinder engine or the five-speed gearbox.” The cabin was also upgraded, with the seats and door cards re-upholstered. “The original fabric had perished in all of the usual places, and apparently, there was no more of the right cloth to be found. So, we went for a very durable, practical and comfortable faux leather.”

The McLannahans are active members of Club Audi, and five years ago, they took the CS on a tour, including a visit to the company’s museum in Ingolstadt. “Over the 1,800 miles covered, the car never missed a beat and averaged 42.3 mpg overall, obviously feeling well at home cruising down the autobahns and receiving many a cheery wave, toots and thumbs-up from passing motorists. On motorways, I generally cruise at 70 mph, which is 2,200 rpm.”

John has the Audi regularly MOTed, despite it being exempt, “to ensure that all of the vital standards are still met. The model is becoming quite rare now – as far as I am aware, ours is the only LHD one amongst very few RHD versions in the UK.” Today, as the McLannahans have nowhere undercover to keep the 100, “it goes down to my daughter’s house in Suffolk where it spends every winter in the relative warmth of her garage.”

The McLannahan 100 is an integral part of Audi’s history – a car that caused customer defections from many of its rivals. And, had the fates dictated otherwise, it would probably have been the smartest cab in Istanbul.

With Thanks To: John McLannahan