Top Five Audi Cars from the 1970s
The top five Audi cars of the 1970s reveal a company on the move, establishing itself in the U.S. market and modernizing VW’s lineup.
At the dawn of the 1970s, Audi set its sights on the U.S. market. Betting that upscale cars positioned between Volkswagen and Porsche would appeal to Americans, they sent the Audi 80 and 100 to our shores. Audi marketed the cars as practical, affordable, fun to drive, and technologically advanced. It worked. By 1974 Audi’s annual U.S. sales climbed to over 50,000 vehicles.
The cars on this page represent Audi’s best from that era. Its cars grew larger, more powerful, and more luxurious during the 1970s. By 1980, Audi would launch their legendary inline five-cylinder engine. If Audi started the 1970s with a glimmer of new horizons, it ended the decade with an ever brighter future.
5. Audi 100
The Audi 100 sedan first appeared in 1970 and established a beachhead for Audi in the U.S. The strategy of positioning the 100 as a reasonably priced, upscale car with advanced features like front-wheel drive, disc brakes, and rack-and-pinion steering paid off in spades. It sold well, peaking at over 31K units in 1973. Most importantly, it cut a sizeable chunk out of Mercedes-Benz’s market share.
