Two stupendously cool Audi Quattros are up for sale. Get saving.
[Not a valid template]Forget your RS4s and R8s – when it comes to iconic Audis, it’s hard to look past the Quattros of the 1980s. A pair of legendary machines from that era are up for sale in the UK this month, although you’ll need a sizeable wallet to be able to afford either of them.
The Quattro was first introduced in 1980 and brought four-wheel drive to the mainstream for the first time. The move to drive all of the the wheels was due to a change in competition car rules, which allowed four-wheel drive cars, and Audi decided that it would suit their rally programme to a tee.
The body shell for the Quattro was based on the existing Audi 80 coupe, but attached to a new floor that allowed space for the four-wheel-drive transmission and independent rear suspension. The engine was a 2.1-litre, five-cylinder unit from the 200 Saloon that produced 197bhp on the road, but a heck of a lot more on the rally stages.
The result? Great success. The Quattro rally car won the World Rally Championship manufacturers’ crown in 1982 and 1984, while Hannu Mikkola and Stig Blomquist drove their Quattros to the drivers’ title in 1983 and ’84 respectively.
Two cars are up for auction at the Bonhams Members’ Meeting Sale in Goodwood, on March 21. The first is Mikkola’s ex-works Quattro A1 Group B rally Car from 1982, which was used in that year’s Monte Carlo Rally, where it finishes second, and then again in the Swedish Rally, finishing 16th. It was used for training for the 1983 season before it was converted to Group B spec and sold. Bonhams estimates that it’ll fetch between $350,000 and $415,000.
If you’re after a road car, what about this 1985 Audi Quattro Sport SWB Coupe? The Sport version of the Quattro had been launched in 1983, featuring a shorter wheelbase and a lighter version of the engine thanks to its aluminium block. It had more power, around 306bhp, and was the first Quattro Audi to feature anti-lock brakes. Only 214 were made, and only 164 sold to customers.
One of the first batch of six cars delivered to the UK, this particular example is in superb condition for a 30-year-old machine, having been restored, and has just 24,285 miles (39,082km) on the clock from only two previous owners. It can be yours for a guide price of between $330,000 and $420,000. Bargain.
Source: Bonhams
