Top 10 Cars Every Car Guy Needs to Know

1980 Audi Ur-quattro

An Audi without quattro is like a clock with no hands, a screwdriver without a handle or a sundae sans hot fudge. The two were made for each other.

For more than 30 years now the brand of four rings has been installing its unique all-wheel-drive system in a wide range of products, from sporty two-doors to full-size SUVs.

These three-plus decades of four-wheel fun began at the Geneva Motor Show in March of 1980. Audi introduced a squared-off coupe designed for both the road and rally races. The car is now referred to as the Ur-quattro. That curious two-letter prefix is truncated German and meaning “original,” as in “the original quattro.”

Developed under the watchful eye of Dr. Ferdinand Piëch, this legendary Audi packed 200 horsepower under its hood. Throwing common sense under the bus right along with Sir Isaac Newton, it was produced by a five-cylinder turbocharged engine displacing just 2.1-liters.

The company’s penchant for engines with an odd number of cylinders stands today, as does its love affair with all-wheel drive.