The idea was simple, even if the execution proved a little less so. The Audi TT (Mk1) represents excellent value for the money—both as a world-renowned automotive design that is steadily becoming a classic sports car and as an affordable, surprisingly practical daily driver.
When Audi’s current design chief, Massimo Frascella, joined the brand in 2024, he cited the first-generation TT as his automotive design taproot—the car that inspired him to pursue a career in design.
Of course, Massimo’s praise was really just a reminder. The TT Mk1 has enjoyed a loyal, design-focused following ever since the Audi TT concept debuted in 1995.
Even before that, though, I’d been warming to the idea of the TT as an undiscovered youngtimer classic—a car that remained relatively inexpensive to buy while delivering an engaging driving experience in spades.
Back in 2023, I happened to be in Los Angeles and reached out to Freeman Thomas about grabbing lunch. He’s one of several talented designers credited with the TT Mk1. The initial idea for the car traces back to a moment when then-design chief J Mays walked past Freeman’s desk, picked up one of his early TT sketches and shared it with Ferdinand Piëch. The rest is history.
Today, Freeman leads the rebirth of the iconic Meyers Manx dune buggy brand, working from its Orange County design studio and manufacturing facility. Before we headed out in a Manx for burger, I met Freeman in his lobby where I couldn’t help but notice an Aviator Grey TT Coupé tucked away in the corner. It was a highly desirable specification: a 225 hp 1.8T quattro with the 3.2-style front spoiler, rear spoiler and factory 18-inch wheels.
As Freeman tells it, the car has something like 32 miles on it. It was the last TT built for California and was produced specifically for him, explaining both its unique equipment and the Aviator Grey paint, which almost certainly would have required an Audi exclusive order that late in production when the shade had been phased out of the standard colors palette.
Color me inspired.
Aviator in the Crosshairs
Fast forward to 2025 and I’m talking to another Californian. This time it’s a friend of a friend with another Aviator Grey 225 hp TT Coupé. He’d owned it since 2013 and was looking to send it off to a good home. The car had a handful of modifications, all carefully selected to improve its dynamic capabilities as a hobby track car. Better yet, it was priced extremely fairly.
Already inspired by Freeman’s car—the original designer’s own blank-sheet specification—it wasn’t lost on me that this example was remarkably close to the same configuration. The OEM-plus nerd in me knew I could bring it even closer if I wanted to. I was intrigued, so I bought it sight unseen, wired the money and shipped it back to the East Coast.
The plan was simple: undo the hardcore track modifications in order to make it more livable, use it to teach my kids how to drive a manual, enjoy it as a more frugal daily alternative to my thirsty SQ8 and eventually let one of my daughters commute to her summer job in it.
When the car arrived, I was finally able to take stock of what I’d purchased. The interior was in remarkable condition aside from the inevitable sagging headliner. So was the paint. The weighted shifter felt fantastic, and the combination of a Haldex controller and custom Bilstein coilovers transformed the handling, even if the suspension was brutally harsh over Pennsylvania pavement.
Nevertheless, I’d fallen a bit in love with it.
So had my friend Ben, who had also been looking for an affordable toy. I’d originally tried to sell him on the car before deciding to grab it for myself when he took a pass. Here on the East Coast though, the car’s appeal was also not missed on Ben. Every time he’d see it at Cars & Coffee, he’d admit he regretted not making the move.
My plan was still to keep the Aviator Grey Coupé.
But plans change.
TT Pivot – Audi exclusive Nogaro Roadster
While searching classifieds for Tailored Driver, I stumbled across another TT Mk1—a Roadster in Ohio. It was adult owned, largely unmodified and listed simply as “Blue.” In the photos, though, it looked suspiciously like Nogaro Blue even though the car was very fairly priced and maybe even a little low for any TT Roadster with that mileage and condition.
Running the VIN confirmed it. “Do you think the original owner doesn’t know what he has?,” I asked myself?
The TT Roadster was an early Audi exclusive order, dating from a time when special-order paints were especially uncommon in the United States. Outside of Europe, I’d only ever seen one other Nogaro Blue TT Mk1 here.
A well-preserved example with Audi exclusive paint was enough to get me thinking. While the Coupé was incredibly cool, the opportunity to own such a rare specification while these cars remain affordable wasn’t lost on me. Neither was the fact that its Audi exclusive status made it the better foundation for documenting this project across both ooooIYKYK and Tailored Driver.
I pitched the idea to Ben, who remained interested in the Coupé and, more importantly, wanted to preserve everything that made it such a capable driver’s car. He agreed to buy it from me for essentially what I’d paid four months earlier – still a great price.
The Roadster had fewer miles and cost a little more, but the advantages made the pivot worthwhile. Better still, having the Coupé nearby would let me reference everything I’d loved about it as I developed the Roadster—particularly the shifter and the Haldex controller.
Acquisition Road Trip & Summer Kick-Off
The Roadster was located just outside Cleveland, Ohio. Getting there and back would consume most of a day.
Ben was fully invested in getting me into the Roadster and readily volunteered as copilot. We headed out in our household’s Audi exclusive Cumulus Blue A5 Sportback found at CarMax and swung by the bank for a cashier’s check and landed at the seller’s home.
I mention the Cumulus Blue car because the seller asked me about it while waiting in line at the Ohio DMV in order to buy temporary tags.
“What’s the deal with that color?,” he asked. “Is it white… or is it blue?”
“It’s Audi exclusive,” I explained. “You have to special order it and it adds a few thousand to the price.”
“Oh,” he responded. “Sort of like the TT is Nogaro Blue.”
I was surprised. He knew what it was. I hadn’t planned to discuss it as I didn’t want to risk him raising the price. It could have easily fetched more had he named the highly sought-after non-standard color that originated on the RS2. But, here he was at the Ohio DMV informing me he knew exactly what it was.
At that point though the deal was done. I affixed the temporary tags and we head home, making the trip without incident despite tires dating back to 2017 – a nice and easy boondoggle road trip perfect for kicking off the summer.
Driving it home immediately cat light on just how well sorted the Coupé had become. The mostly stock Roadster looked fantastic, but it simply wasn’t as rewarding to drive. The Coupé then had become a blueprint for where I wanted to take the Roadster, but perhaps without the punishing suspension.
Taking Stock
By the time I got home, I had a good sense of what the car needed. The Pennsylvania state inspection revealed even more.
The tires had aged out. The timing belt had apparently never been replaced in 82,000 miles. The stereo buttons showed wear, the tonneau cover was missing, and the factory airbox had been replaced by a K&N cone filter that sounded more like a vacuum cleaner than a throaty on-throttle growl. A noticeable collection of dings could be found on the sides of the car, along with a few scratches from more than two decades of use.
Overall, though, the Roadster was in remarkable condition. It simply needed attention, and honestly that’s part of the fun.
Sometimes things don’t go according to plan. I’d originally intended to buy a Coupé and ended up with a Roadster. Its tiny trunk is nowhere near as practical as the hatchback that will happily swallow a full set of wheels and tires, but the top goes down—and that has made this summer all the more enjoyable even if it will also guilt me to find a spot inside the garage for this particular car even if I’d envisioned no such plan for the Coupé.
A handful of repairs were necessary just to get it through inspection. Nothing major, just the sort of deferred maintenance that often happens when someone knows they’re about to sell an older car. Now I’m the new owner, motivated to sort those little things out.
Where I go from here is the real question.
The car’s rarity makes a compelling argument for leaving it completely stock and preserving it. On the other hand, my experience with the Aviator Grey Coupé showed just how much better these cars can become when they’re thoughtfully and tastefully sorted.
I’ve always been drawn to OEM-plus upgrades. The older I get, the stricter my interpretation of “OEM-plus” becomes. Add the rarity of a largely untouched Audi exclusive Nogaro Blue survivor, and that philosophy becomes even more important.
A friend recently coined a term that perfectly captures the direction I plan to go: “OEM Maxxing”.
The idea is to improve the car using period-correct factory parts or subtle upgrades that are nearly impossible to spot. IYKYK.
Progress has already begun, so expect more updates imminently.
Oh, and that car bra? It made the trip home and no farther. Yes, it protected the paint, which is why I left it on for the drive. But car bras aren’t for me, so it came off the same day. If they’re your taste, let me know. It’s currently taking up space in my garage.
PHOTO GALLERY
