Lot 283 - 1988 12850 1988 Audi Quattro MB Turbo

Audi's headquarters are in Bavaria and has been a wholly owned (99.55%) subsidiary of Volkswagen AG since 1966, following a phased purchase of its predecessor, Auto Union, from its former owner, Daimler-Benz. Volkswagen re-launched the Audi brand in 1965, with the slogan or tagline of  'Vorsprung durch Technik', meaning 'Progress through Technology'. The Audi image at this time was a conservative one, and so a proposal from chassis engineer Jörg Bensinger was accepted to develop the four-wheel drive technology in Volkswagen's military vehicle for an Audi performance car and rally racing car. The performance car, introduced in 1980, was named the 'Audi Quattro', a turbocharged coupé which was also the first German large-scale production vehicle to feature permanent all-wheel drive through a centre differential. Prominent wins in rallying proved the viability of all-wheel drive racing cars and so the Audi name became associated with advances in automotive technology.

This 1988 MB Turbo has been much loved over its previous tenures and, as such, is fantastically presented with Group B Rally body styling as a testament to the Quattro's rally pedigree. With extensive documentation of all the work carried out coupled with upgraded brake callipers, brake discs, exhaust, steering wheel and clutch, this car is presented in great condition and, obviously, a real head turner. The current owner is fastidious in his attention to detail and has ensured that this Quattro has been maintained to a high standard and has even gone to the trouble of retro fitting parking sensors and heated seats making this a usable yet barnstorming road going example of the 1980's Rally car. With MB Turbos offering 197bhp, a top speed of 143mph and a 0-60 time of 7.1 seconds, this is no sheep in wolf's clothing and still has the capability to see off competitors today.

*Offered with a spare set of full winter tyres*