Funny how TV shows have a hand in reviving certain cars from the past and the last series of ‘Life on Mars’ has gone a long way in reminding us how good a car the original Audi quattro was and still is. There was a time back in the late eighties when the only car anybody seemed to be talking about was the ‘quattro’ (always with a small ‘q’ according to Audi) with its permanent four-wheel-drive system and rally-winning pedigree. The car’s shape didn’t really change at all during the eleven years of production apart from minor cosmetic adjustments but the engine did. There were basically three versions. The WR, MB and RR released in that order. Of course the most interesting of the three was the last variant the RR which saw a switch from 10 to 20 valves in 1989 boosting the power output to 220 bhp. Performance figures are highly respectable for a car born two decades ago and a quattro would still embarrass many of today’s high flyers. Click here for a Pistonheads review of the car. For anybody looking to buy a motoring icon we have just been asked to help the owner dispose of his very rare 1990 20 valve pearlescent white example which he has owned for the last 11 years. Click here for more details.
The Car Spy 