Audi Motorsport in the rear mirror

Sporting, progressive technology and emotional design are the primary components for the success of the Audi marque. The genes for this originate from 25 victorious years in motorsport. If the legendary days of the Auto Union Grand Prix car of the 1930s are excluded, the AUDI AG motorsport history began in 1981 with the Audi quattro, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2005. The dominant victories with the “original quattro” in the World Rally Championship, during the 1980s, were an important factor in the market success of quattro drive and clearly demonstrated that the company slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik” should be taken at face value.

The Audi motorsport history of the modern age begins with the quattro. However, the roots stretch a long way back: Even in the 1930s, motorsport is of paramount importance within Auto Union, as it was known at that time. The unforgotten Auto Union “Silver Arrows” caused a sensation in Grand Prix sport between 1934 and 1939. In 83 races, no less than 42 victories were won. Tazio Nuvolari, Hans Stuck and Bernd Rosemeyer are the stars before the Second World War abruptly ended all motorsport activities.

At the beginning of the 1980s, Audi revolutionises the World Rally Championship with four-wheel drive. In 1981, Audi won three World Rally Championship rounds straight out of the blocks with the “original quattro”. Michèle Mouton causes a sensation at the San Remo Rally: She is the first and, to this date, the only woman to win a World Rally Championship round. In the following years, Audi wins the Manufacturers World Championship twice with the quattro; Hannu Mikkola is Rally World Champion in 1983 and Stig Blomqvist in 1984.

The Audi quattro is not only successful in rally sport: Audi wins the prestigious hill climb up the legendary 4301 metre high Pikes Peak in the US State of Colorado three times in succession. Michèle Mouton triumphs in 1985, the American motorsport legend Bobby Unser wins in 1986 and Walter Röhrl in 1987. The powerful Audi Sport quattro S1, with almost 600 hp, storms up the peak in record time.

Following their successes in rally sport, Audi dominates on track at the end of the 1980s with quattro drive. Hurley Haywood secures the title in the fiercely competitive American TransAm Championship with the Audi quattro 200 in 1988. Audi won a total of eight races. One year later in the USA, Hans-Joachim Stuck celebrates seven IMSA-GTO victories with the Audi 90 quattro.

Audi returns to Europe with the Audi V8 quattro. quattro drive also overcame the opposition in the popular German Touring Car Championship (DTM): In 1990, against the toughest of competition, Hans-Joachim Stuck takes championship honours at the first time of asking, one year later Audi successfully defends, as first ever manufacturer in the DTM, the championship. This time Frank Biela clinches the championship. The DTM victories are the beginning of a success series in touring car sport lasting almost a decade.

Audi writes a further successful chapter in motorsport history with the Audi A4 quattro: The production based Super Touring Car is the master of its class and starts a unique worldwide triumphant procession. Frank Biela wins the 1995 Touring Car World Cup. 1996 is the year of years: Seven championships from Australia to South Africa is the upshot. The Audi A4 quattro also keeps winning in private hands: Christian Abt wins the German Super Touring Car Championship (STW) in 1999.

The Audi R8 triumphs three times in succession at probably the world’s most demanding car race, the Le Mans 24 Hour race. In 1999, Audi finishes on the podium at the first attempt, one year later Audi monopolises all three steps on the winner’s rostrum. The Audi’s are triumphant again in 2001, this time with the cars equipped with the new FSI-technology. Audi proves yet again that the company slogan "Vorsprung durch Technik“ is a force to be reckoned with. Audi finally writes motorsport history with their third victory in succession in 2002. As a result, the Le Mans trophy officially becomes the property of AUDI AG – it can be seen at the Audi museum mobile in Ingolstadt. In front of 200,000 spectators, Audi’s importer teams Audi Sport Japan Team Goh, Audi Sport UK Team Veloqx and Team ADT Champion Racing (Audi Sport North America) score a 1-2-3 victory for Audi in 2004. In 2005 the fifth victory from a total of seven outings was achieved – an impressive balance.