Audi Quattro | PH Auction Block

There has probably never been a better time for homologation specials than in the 80s. Much of this is thanks to Group B, as manufacturers are keen to prove that their cars can withstand the rigors of the World Rally Championship, which required them to build a handful of road-going specialist vehicles to meet entry requirements. The Lancia Delta S4, Peugeot 205 T16 and Ford RS200 are still among the most iconic cars ever homologated, and although they were neither the first nor the last of their kind, few have the limits of performance of a “normal car “ moved as far as the rally machines of four decades ago.

Additionally, this decade saw the introduction of technologies that have actually had an impact on the entire automotive industry, unlike the hyper-complex hybrid vehicles that Formula 1 has been pushing since 2014. For example, twin turbocharging was first introduced on the Delta S4 and although not ubiquitous, it has appeared in numerous VW and Volvo products as a clever way to reduce turbo lag. And although turbocharging itself was used in road cars long before the golden era of rallying, there is no denying that rallying has contributed to its wider adoption. But of course the real game-changer was all-wheel drive, made popular by models like the Audi quattro we have here.

Admittedly, the quattro wasn’t the first performance car with all-wheel drive (Jensen had famously beaten the Germans with it over a decade earlier with the FF), but the boxy coupe sold in significantly larger numbers and can lay claim to revolutionizing the car Rally scene. It took three wins in its first WRC season in 1981, before winning two drivers’ and two constructors’ championships between 1982 and 1984 (not necessarily in the same year). Lancia famously beat Audi for the manufacturers’ title in 1983. However, some outrageous tactics were used, considering how superior the all-wheel drive quattro was compared to the rear-wheel drive 037 in all but tarmac rallies.

Towards the end of the Group B era, Audi’s competitors developed their own four-wheel drive systems and it wasn’t long before Lancia and Peugeot were claiming rally victories. These were essentially mid-engine prototypes, while the Quattro remained closely linked to its road-going counterpart until the regulations were abolished in 1986. But while it wasn’t as dominant as our rose-tinted memories would have us believe, its impact on rallying – and the automotive industry as a whole – is undeniable.

Luckily, Audi’s rally machine (apart from the Sport variant) is far more accessible than many homologation specials of the time, as it was built in comparatively large numbers. However, being an ’80s car, many of them are a little rough around the edges. However, that is not the case with this example, as it looks almost as good as it did 40 years ago. And for good reason: the seller has gradually restored the bodywork throughout her ownership, correcting any remaining blemishes before it is picked up by the winning bidder. The interior remains unchanged except for a Sony CD headset that doesn’t look too out of place. The seats, steering wheel and floor mats with Audi logo are all original and from the pictures alone you can smell the scent of the beautifully aged leather.

The rest of the car remained unchanged, with the wonderfully unorthodox 2.1-liter inline-five turbo engine developing its original output of 200 horsepower. Although the car has covered an impressive 134,600 miles, it has only done 1,000 of them since 2008 and has been off the road since 2022. Accordingly, a little “recommissioning” might be required to get it going again, but fortunately it already is. It is said to be in “good mechanical condition” anyway. The guide price is between £32,000 and £34,000, making it far from the most expensive Quattro currently on offer. The call for proposals begins on Sunday.