1985 Audi Quattro

The Audi Quattro was a very successful competitor in international rallying and was renowned for its above-average traction. Its story began with Audi chassis engineer Jorg Bensinger, who spent a Finnish winter testing a four-wheel-drive Volkswagen named the Iltis, used for the West German military as well as the forestry service. What he found was that it could outperform all other machines on snow. Inspired, he put this idea of a four-wheel-drive version of the Audi 80 Coupe to the company's management. The resulting model was launched at the 1980 Geneva Salon and released to European customers later the same year. Power was initially from a 2144cc inline, five-cylinder, 10-valve SOHC unit with turbocharger and intercooler.

The Audi won the 1982 and 1984 Manufacturers' Championship and in the Drivers' one for Hannu Mikkola in 1983 and Stig Blomqvist in 1984. Female French ace Michelle Mouton became the first woman to ever win a World Championship rally while piloting a Quattro.

The Quattro enjoyed two engine upgrades and continuous development, however, it remained true to the basic concept and appearance that enthusiasts had come to love. It had its own dedicated assembly line and crew, around 11,452 examples were built between 1980 and 1991. Production was supposed to fade out around 1988, however, there was still strong demand from around the globe, particularly from the United Kingdom. This demand meant it remained in production long after the 80/90/Coupe that it was derived from had disappeared from the scene.

Audi Quattros are referred to among owners and enthusiasts by their engine codes. The earliest 2144cc, 10V were the 'WR'; the 2226 cc 10V being the 'MB' engine, and the later 20V being the 'RR' engine.

by Daniel Vaughan | Aug 2017