Audi Quattro Price Guide

The Audi Quattro, or the Ur-Quattro as enthusiasts call it, changed motorsport and the car industry in a single stroke. By proving that permanent four-wheel drive could make a road car devastatingly fast rather than merely surefooted, it created a template that every performance manufacturer eventually followed.

The Car

Launched at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show, the Quattro was born from VW Group’s military Iltis: during cold-weather testing of the Audi 80, development engineers noticed the four-wheel-drive Iltis keeping pace with more powerful front-driven Audis on icy roads. The production Quattro used a turbocharged 2.1-litre five-cylinder producing 200bhp through a permanent four-wheel-drive system with manually lockable centre and rear differentials. The body was essentially a two-door Audi 80 Coupe with boxy flared arches penned by British stylist Martin Smith. Engine capacity grew to 2.2 litres in 1987, and the final 20-valve RR engine of 1989–1991 produced 220bhp with a Torsen centre differential replacing the manual lock. Around 11,452 Quattros were built, with 2,710 officially imported to the UK.

What Goes Wrong

The five-cylinder is a robust engine that tends to get smoky and noisy with age rather than fail dramatically. Cracked exhaust manifolds are the signature Quattro problem, often caused by failure of the right-hand engine mount which takes the weight of the canted-over engine. Replacement manifolds are available through Audi Tradition but are expensive. The turbo on early 10-valve MB engines lacks water cooling and is more prone to seal failure than later units. Parts are notoriously difficult to source; rear light lenses and windscreens require scouring donor cars. Blown turbos and howling driveline components are the mechanical nightmares to listen for during a test drive.

Which One

The 20-valve RR engine is by far the best to drive: smoother, more responsive, and possessed of a torque peak at just 1,950rpm that makes it extraordinarily flexible. Only 600–610 20v cars were built, making them the rarest and most valuable. The earlier 10-valve WR and MB engines are more characterful and have superior mid-range torque according to some owners. Tornado Red over grey interior is the iconic combination.