Up until the early 80’s, compact, rear-wheel drive cars such as the Lancia Stratos and Ford Escort dominated world rallying. It took the ingenuity of the Audi engineering team and the release of the Audi Quattro in 1980 to change that.
The Audi Quattro story begins in 1977 during the winter testing of Volkswagen’s Iltis jeep. Audi engineer, Jorg Bensinger noticed that despite it’s relative low power output, the Iltis all-wheel drive outperformed the more powerful two-wheel drive Audi being driven alongside it.
Inspired by what they witnessed, Audi engineers wasted no time in developing a more powerful all-wheel drive prototype vehicle, dubbed the ‘A1’. The car was an instant success at its first trial in the deep snow of the Austrian Alps. The go ahead to enter production came soon after in May, 1978 when, then Volkswagen Chairman, Toni Schmucker, drove the vehicle over a wet, slopping field, himself.
The secret was in the hollow shaft, which contributed to a lightweight, compact design and the ability to distribute power in 2 directions. The car was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1980, under the name Audi Quattro.
The Quattro was an instant hit and with its 147kW, five-cylinder turbocharged engine also proved popular on the rally circuit, where it heralded the dominance of all-wheel drive vehicles. Audi dominated between 1982 to 1984, by which time other manufacturers caught up to all-wheel drive systems. Audi’s dominance on the rally circuit extended to the US and Australia.
The Quattro all-wheel drive system has evolved over the years to become a sophisticated piece of technology that now graces many Audi models, including their diesel range and SUVs.
In Australia, Audi entered a joint venture in 2001 with local company, Astre German Automotive PtyLtd to creating Audi Australia Pty Ltd, the sole importer and distributor of Audi vehicles in Australia.Audi is gaining ground in Australia and innovative technologies such as the Quattro all-wheel drive system have played and continue to play, a major role in their local success.
If you’re still enjoying the German engineering of your Audi Quattro, it’s reassuring to know that Transgold stocks over 20 replacement suspension, transmission and engine mounting part for models going back to 1995.
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