Audi introduced the first generation Quattro (Italian for ‘Four’) at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show.
As stressed in its designation, the Audi Quattro featured a newly-designed four-wheel-drive system and proved a real contender in rally competitions. In fact, the German manufacturer was the first to introduce all-wheel-drive into rallying and won its very first race as a result of this ‘innovative’ solution. The car was available for the large public in late 1980 and was equipped with a 2.1L inline-5 cylinder 10 valve SOHC engine delivering 200 hp. Interior and exterior design underwent several changes throughout the ’80s, with the introduction of liquid crystal display (1983 and 1988), new dashboard (1984 and 1985) or new sloping front grille (1985 facelift). Also, Audi Quattro’s engine was changed to a 2.2L 5-cylinder inline DOHC unit in 1987, boosting its power rating to 220 hp and topping around 230 km/h. In motor sports, the Audi Quattro was one of the most successful cars ever made. Most of its innovations - like the power-shift gearbox, predecessor of the Direct-Shift Gearbox - were later fitted into road-car versions of the Quattro.