Audi Quattro 20v Turbo: former UK press car heads to auction

Ever dreamed of starring as Gene Hunt in the Ashes to Ashes TV series? If so, this 1989 Audi ‘Ur’ Quattro could be for you. 

Heading to auction next week with H&H Classics, the Tornado Red coupe was one of four cars used by Audi in the UK as press demonstrators. 

Taken from the final run of Quattro production, and with an iconic colour combination, this four-wheel-drive Audi could be hot property under the hammer.

Four to the floor

When first launched in 1980, the Audi Quattro helped banish the idea that four-wheel drive was only for off-roaders. Its combination of a Quattro drivetrain and 200hp 2.1-litre five-cylinder turbocharged engine created an all-weather GT car.

Audi updated the Quattro throughout its production run, in part to ensure it would remain competitive in the World Rally Championship. However, later developments were purely for the benefit of the road car, after the wild Group B rally monsters were outlawed.

The Quattro up for auction was built in 1989, a year which saw Audi give the boxy 4WD coupe its final update. Many enthusiasts value these later cars, built until 1991, as the pick of the bunch.

A Torsen centre differential was fitted, with the turbocharged engine now a 2.2-litre five-cylinder unit featuring 20 valves. Output was increased to 220hp, with a top speed of 143mph.

Restored and enhanced

The Quattro heading to auction was first registered in October 1989, then used as an Audi press car alongside three consecutively registered siblings. 

It took part in a magazine group test against the rival Lancia Delta Integrale, and featured in other articles. Sold into private hands in 1993, the Quattro then passed through another owner it was bought by the current vendor in 2017.

By this point, the Tornado Red paintwork had faded and the original 20v motor had been removed. It led to a five-year cosmetic and mechanical overhaul, including sourcing another 2.2-litre 20v engine.

Modern enhancements have been applied to the five-cylinder engine, including an upgraded turbocharger and a Scorpion exhaust system. The result is an output in the region of 300hp, with new Brembo brakes added to bolster stopping power.

Fire up the Quattro!

Audi sold only 295 right-hand drive Quattros fitted with the 20v engine, meaning they were rare from the outset. 

Being a former press car brings extra interest to this example’s provenance, as might the enhancements undertaken as part of its recent restoration. 

Ahead of the sale, H&H Classics have given this retro rally star a guide price of between £40,000 and £50,000. 

Those wanting to relive the 1980s can place their bids on Wednesday 24 July 2024, when the H&H Classics sale takes place in Buxton, Derbyshire.