1995 Volkswagen Corrado VR6

Finished in the classic combination of black coachwork with a black leather interior and BBS alloy wheels, ‘N848 RDU’ is a fine example of the iconic Volkswagen Corrado VR6.

First registered in 1996 making it one of the last VW built, it’s been in the seller’s care for the past ten years during which time he’s invested significant sums to keep it in the condition you see today. 

Having covered an average of only 4,300 miles a year, the seller’s only driven it on high days and dry days – and having ticked this model off his list, despite being well into his eighties, he’s decided to swap it for something else with a V6 under the bonnet.

He’s an inspiration to us all, isn’t he?

Black is a helluva colour to keep looking good, but when you put in the time and effort like this there’s no finer hue, is there?

It does take effort though, so it won’t surprise you to hear that the Corrado’s had some work done over the years including a respray in 2017 prompted by peeling lacquer, something that’s a well-known Corrado issue. 

And it’s a mark of the care with which it’s been curated since then that the paintwork shines so brightly that it looks like the car has been doused with water.

That beauty is more than skin-deep too because the underlying panels are completely free of dents, dinks, and ripples. Dial in tight and consistent shut lines and excellent lamp lenses and badges, and the result is a car that could hold its head up in any company.

The clear front indicator lenses give the car a surprisingly contemporary look, while the colourful rear lights and boot spoiler mark this as being very much a car of its era. 

And a very fast one for its time, too; the larger-than-normal tailpipe is a statement of intent, as are the split-rim BBS alloy wheels.

Relatively small by the standards of today’s cars, the wheels are in fine fettle being largely free of scuffs and scrapes and showing only light scratches to a couple of the rims. They’re also fitted with matching 195/45R16 Uniroyal RainSport 3 tyres, all of which are date-stamped 2017 and show legal tread. 

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. 

As for cosmetic issues, there a large chip at the top of the offside C-pillar, flaws in the paint near both windscreen washer nozzles, flaking paint at the to trailing edge of the roof near the hatchback, bubbling at the base of the rear wiper arm, and a scuff on the nearside door mirror casing.

This might sound a lot but we think that black is also one of the easier colours to match, so making localized repairs shouldn’t be too difficult.

There’s also a small crack in the perimeter trim of the offside door mirror casing.

The black leather interior includes heated front seats, an option that would’ve been quite the thing back in the latter days of the 20th century – and is still a feature you’ll appreciate in the 21st. 

In fact, there’s an awful lot in there that you’ll still appreciate including good leather trim throughout, including on the excellent door cards.

The lettering on the switches and controls is still bright white too, the dashboard is a model of clarity, and the rear seats are in an even better condition than the front ones.

And the front ones are very good indeed as the driver’s seat only shows very light cracking to its outer edge, leaving the rest untainted by anything heavier than a very light and developing patina; if we were to tell you these seats belonged to a car a third of its age and mileage, you’d probably believe us. 

It’s also a very pleasant place to be more generally; while it might lack some of the more overtly sporting styling cues of some of its contemporaries, we think you’ll come to appreciate its calm, elegant simplicity along with its flawless ergonomics. 

Quality is always prized and cockpits in affordable sportscars don’t come much better than this. 

Surviving features include the first aid kit, which has probably endured because it fits into the rear armrest so neatly that most owners probably wouldn’t have even noticed it was there.

The boot is nicely trimmed, and lifting the black carpet trim out shows only solid metal underneath. The boot also provides a home for the jack and the space-saver spare wheel, both of which still look serviceable. 

The parcel shelf above it is free of extraneous holes and appears to be unwarped, both of which are rare.

As for stuff the new owner might like to do, some of the stitching to the top of the driver’s seat is easing apart a little, and there’s also a small area of colour loss on the outer bolster.

The door lock is missing its trim on the nearside too, the pop-up aerofoil on the sliding sunroof is a bit rusty, the offside trim in the driver’s footwell is cracked, and the gear-lever surround has been fastened in with a screw, as has the trim panel to the right of the steering wheel.

Finally, the headlining is wrinkled, so it will probably need to be replaced.

G.L. Motors replaced the front and rear suspension in 2018 at a cost of £1,177. It also sorted out some MoT advisories and undertook some miscellaneous work in the same year, including fitting new front brake calipers and replacing the heater motor; please see the invoices for details but we’ve totted ‘em up for you and ran out of fingers at £4,500.

VRS Performance also reconditioned the cylinder head in 2019, and continued to work on the car in 2020 and beyond. 

As you can see, this attention to detail has paid off because the VR6 engine starts well, idles as it should, and revs with a nicely civilized note.

Well, it does under the bonnet anyway because the stainless-steel exhaust system is wonderfully fruity. 

The engine bay’s appearance is pretty good but there’s plenty of scope there for further detailing if that’s your thing.

The underside looks solid albeit with the odd spot of flaking underseal that could do with wire-brushing off and the surface rust treating. We also spotted the odd drop of oil, so you may want to take a look and try to find the source while you’re crawling around under there.

The Volkswagen’s MoT certificate is valid until May 2026 and, as you’d expect, it was issued with no advisories. 

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and it comes with four keys and two remote fobs.

The history file includes plenty of invoices for work the seller’s commissioned during his time with the car as well as some older bills and expired tax discs and MoT certificates. 

For many of us cars from this era are the sweet spot in the classic world; as safe and reliable as a much younger vehicle, they are still capable of serving up all the thrills and performance any sane driver could ever ask for.

And this is doubly true for the VW Corrado VR6. 

Still largely underappreciated, we suspect it won’t be long before the wider world comes to appreciate how well screwed together they are – and how astoundingly fast; fleet of foot and extraordinarily civilized, they handle superbly and the ABS braking system pulls you up four-square every bit as quickly as a modern car could.

They’re still cheap too: We estimate you’re likely to be able get all this for somewhere between £10,000 and £15,000.

Even better, the seller has sufficient faith in his car to offer it with no reserve, so it’s going to sell from the very first bid.

Can’t say fairer than that, can we?

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