5 Facts About the Audi Ur-Quattro Coupe
1. The Ur-Quattro Was First Introduced at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show
The concept for a high-performance, four-wheel-drive car was first proposed by Audi's chassis engineer, Jörg Bensinger, in 1977. He was inspired by his discovery that Volkswagen Iltis could outperform any other vehicle in snow, no matter how powerful.
Bensinger's original ideas was to start developing an Audi 80 variant in co-operation with Walter Treser, Director of Pre-Development. Several iterations later, the company introduced its first Ur-Quattro in 1980.
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2. The Ur-Quattro Has a Couple of Meanings to Its Name
While most are familiar that the word quattro refers to "four," it has often been used by Audi to refer to the quattro four-wheel-drive system.
The original Quattro model, 1980-1991, is also commonly referred to as the Ur-Quattro. The "Ur-" is German for "primordial", "original", or "first of its kind" and in this case, it means "original".
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3. The Ur-Quattro Was Very Successful in Competition
Audi’s Quattro was the first rally car to take advantage of new rules, which allowed the use of four-wheel drive in competition racing. Successful design of the vehicle’s system led it to win multiple competitions over its first few years.
To commemorate the success of the original vehicle, all succeeding Audis with their trademark quattro four-wheel-drive system were officially badged "quattro" with a lower case "q" and in a distinct typeface. It’s a design that has remained nearly unchanged since its inception.
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4. The Ur-Quattro Shares Several Components with the Coupé Version of the Audi 80
Audi’s original Quattro shares many parts and core body components with the Coupé version of the Audi 80 model range.
The Quattro was internally designated Typ 85—this is a production code shared with the quattro versions of the Audi 80 coupé Audi 80.
In terms of unique style, the car’s characteristic flared wheelarches were styled by Martin Smith. It also had independent rear suspension and independent front suspension.
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5. Production of the Original Ur-Quattro Ran Through 1991
The last original Audi Quattro was produced on May 17, 1991. This was more than two years after the first models of the new Audi Coupe range (based on the 1986 Audi 80) had been produced.
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For information on maintenance and repairs, visit our how-to section here.