The Audi Fox shipped to US soil with a 1.6-liter inline-four capable of a paltry 81 horsepower. It was never meant to be a fast car, but that didn’t bother the owner of this rare Avant variant. Jonathan Yost knows a simple recipe to make a slow car cool.
“I intended to keep it old school… mostly original. And, of course, get it as low as possible.” Smart man. Ditch the ‘s’, and turn slow into low.
In 2017, Jonathan flew north from the Los Angeles area to Oakland, California to pick up the car from a VAG enthusiast, only to find out as he drove home later that weekend that the engine was running poorly due to a burnt exhaust valve. While this immediate disappointment might leave a sour taste in the mouths of some, it didn’t deter Jonathan from his ultimate goal of turning his old and slightly run-down wagon into something special.
After spending a decade at Lamborghini wrenching on rare European cars, a little exhaust valve wouldn’t get in Jonathan’s way. So, one new cylinder head later, it was time to dive into the aesthetics.
The wagon “had seen better days and had been repainted here and there over the years,” Jonathan says, which was rectified by a fresh coat of its metallic Marathon Blue, a color from Audi’s ’76 paint palette.
Inside, a glossy 1980s-vintage wooden Nardi steering wheel pairs well with the shift knob and factory woodgrain trim.
While Jonathan went to great lengths to personalize the Audi — adding a few touches from Lamborghini along the way — it’s great to see much of its original character and charm is still maintained.
I love the textures on cars from this era, and it’s impressive to see how well the materials have held up. On that note, a replacement dashboard and door panels were sourced to tidy up the cabin, and a Pioneer stereo has been added along with a subwoofer.
Jonathan would have to build a custom air suspension setup from the ground up to get the car to sit how he wanted. No off-the-shelf air ride kits existed for the chassis, but, like that pesky exhaust valve, this wouldn’t get in the way of his vision. Shocks designed for a Volkswagen GTI were mated to modified strut housings, and dual Viair 444 compressors are connected to dual Specialty Suspension tanks that reside, unsubtly, in the trunk. A custom-built panhard bar helps in the handling department.
The air suspension plays nicely with face-mounted BBS RF wheels measuring a small but appropriate 15×6 inches. It’s often tempting to run larger and larger wheels as ride heights get lower, but it’s refreshing to see that Jonathan didn’t succumb to this.
Low-profile Euro bumpers further tidy up the exterior, and you may have already noticed that the side strips, side markers, and antenna were shaved for a clean smooth finish all around the big flat body.
In this form, albeit at a stock-like ride height and with factory wheels and steering wheel reinstalled, Jonathan’s car was used in an Audi commercial for the RS6 Avant. You can watch that by hitting the play button above.
After keeping and driving the Avant for a few years, Jonathan eventually sold the car. He moved on to other projects including a 964 and a 993, which he ultimately turned into a Porsche 911 GT3 RS that’s currently paired with a modified Honda CR-X. He’s also moved on from his job at Lamborghini, choosing instead to wrench on exotics for his own company, Yost Auto Tailoring, in Costa Mesa, California.
Despite being surrounded by supercars all day, Jonathan says he still has a soft spot for the Avant. “I wish I still had it, it’s just such a special, unique car that you never see on the road.”
Trevor Ryan
Instagram: purposebuilt_trevor
www.purposebuilt.media
