Audi Quattro Tornado Red

Audi Quattro Tornado Red

Revolutionary and influential for its day, the Quattro was conceived and designed by the visionary Audi in-house engineer Jörg Bensinger and his team at Audi AG, part of the Volkswagen Automobile Group. A new concept, the Quattro linked the features of four-wheel drive (hence the name Quattro), front engine layout with a turbo charged engine and 5 speed manual gearbox. Classed as a mid-sized two-door coupé with a 2.1 litre engine – which was upgraded to 2.2L later on – the Audi Quattro was assembled in Ingolstadt in Germany and launched at the March 1980 Geneva Motor Show, selling at £14,500, a good £5000 less than its rivals.

It was produced solely as a left hand drive car until 1983 and until the end of production in 1991, the style changed little. The flat fronted radiator grille housed four separate headlamp lenses which were modified over the years. Additionally, a sports version was introduced in 1984 which proved highly successful as a rally car, attracting the famous rally drivers of the day, notably the Swedes! Highly distinctive with its sloping back and customary spoiler, almost 11,500 of the Audi Quattro were made before it ceased production in 1991 in favour of the Audi S2.

Our Audi Quattro is registered C684 LOH from 1985 and is decorated in the car’s signature Tornado Red with black trim and detailed silver wheel hubs. The interior is black. The distinctive radiator grille is also black while the four Audi rings, recalling the amalgamation of four key German motor manufacturers in 1932 including Audi, are reproduced in silver on the radiator and in graduated black to silver on the sides. With its pedigree and versatility, the Audi Quattro is sure to provide lots of model surprises for Oxford enthusiasts in the near future.