While the Quattro stole all of the headlines for Audi, the reality is that it was an expensive vehicle at the time – very expensive. As a halo car for Audi, the purchase price of the Quattro was around $35,000 in 1983 – more money that most of the competition that was, at least on paper, faster. Remember, a 1983 Porsche 911 coupe would have only set you back around $32,000 at the time. It was, then, the Audi R8 of its day, and like the R8 it had a limited market. Audi’s solution to the problem was to take all of the underpinnings – virtually unchanged – and pop them into the more pedestrian 80 platform. Marked as the 4000S quattro in the U.S., it developed as a legend in its own right, with a carved-from-granite drivetrain that seemed unbreakable and great handling. True, at the best part of 2800 pounds but with only 115 horsepower, it won no drag races, but the versatile small sedan took the Audi fanbase to new levels. It was, in many respects, the Audi S4 of its day. The interior and exterior received substantial upgrades for the 1985 model year, making the first year model a one-year stand that has many fans. They’re rare cars to see today, especially in great condition:
