Otto Explains — Legendary Cars
The Legendary Cars That Defined Audi
Short Answer
Seven cars changed Audi more than any others. The 1965 Audi brought the name back with a four-stroke engine, the Audi 100 of 1968 secured the company’s independence within Volkswagen, and the Audi 80 of 1972 became the first Audi built more than a million times. The quattro of 1980 lifted the brand with permanent all-wheel drive, the A8 of 1994 took it into the luxury class, the Q7 led it into SUVs from 2005, and the e-tron of 2018 began its electric era.
How did the 1965 Audi bring the Audi name back?
It ended the two-stroke era. Auto Union had relied on the DKW two-stroke engine for too long and fell into a deep crisis. Engineer Ludwig Kraus adapted a four-cylinder four-stroke engine developed in Stuttgart for the DKW F 102 body, and in 1965 the car went on sale simply as the Audi, reviving the well-established Audi name. It was the company’s first post-war car with a four-stroke engine; under Volkswagen the two-stroke was dropped, the F 103 series that grew from this car was built until 1972, and Audi calls it the turning point in both technology and sales. It became the basis for a complete range of Audi models.
How did the Audi 100 save Audi’s independence?
By succeeding against orders. Volkswagen had barred Auto Union from developing its own cars, and in Wolfsburg there were discussions about using the Ingolstadt factory only for the Beetle. Ludwig Kraus, now head of development, had the Audi 100 developed in secret anyway; it was approved only afterwards and presented in November 1968. As the first model with no DKW technology at all, it sold so well that Auto Union kept its independence within the Volkswagen Group. Audi has since built almost ten million cars of this C series, first as the Audi 100 and from 1994 as the A6.
Why was the Audi 80 so important?
It brought volume and weight within the group. Launched in 1972 as the B1, the Audi 80 was the first Audi to be built more than a million times, and with its lightweight construction and new engines it set the trend for Volkswagen Group models of that decade, providing the basis for cars such as the VW Passat. In 1994 its fifth generation took the name A4.
How did the quattro change Audi?
It gave the brand its identity. Audi registered the quattro name in 1979 and unveiled the Audi quattro at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1980 as its first model with permanent all-wheel drive, which Audi calls a crucial step in the brand’s repositioning. Rallying proved the idea: in 1982 Audi became the first German brand to win the manufacturers’ world rally title, Hannu Mikkola took the drivers’ title in 1983, and Audi won both in 1984. Within the same decade Audi extended permanent all-wheel drive to all its model ranges, and it remains a basic feature of every RS model.
Why did the A8 matter?
It took Audi into the luxury class. Audi showed an all-aluminium ASF (Audi Space Frame) study at the 1993 Tokyo Motor Show, and the A8 that followed in 1994 combined a lightweight aluminium body with optional quattro; Audi says it cemented the brand’s place among the premium manufacturers. Its name also heralded a fundamental revision of how Audi names its models: the A6 followed as the successor to the Audi 100, and the Audi 80 became the A4.
How did the Q7 take Audi into SUVs?
Audi says the Q7 and the Q models that followed opened the booming market for sports utility vehicles to the company, and that the Q7 has stood for quattro performance with everyday usability since 2005. The letter Q now marks Audi’s high-floor models across the range, and the third-generation Q7 appeared in June 2026, built in Bratislava like the two before it.
How did the e-tron change Audi?
It began Audi’s electric era. Audi says the fully electric e-tron of 2018 marked the start of e-mobility at the brand, and in 2019 it brought electric all-wheel drive to the quattro family. In December 2022 the car was renamed Q8 e-tron, a name that put it at the top of Audi’s range. The next step came in March 2024 with the Premium Platform Electric (PPE), developed with Porsche: the Q6 e-tron built on it has an 800-volt architecture and is Audi’s first fully electric model made in Ingolstadt. Otto compares the drive types in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric cars explained.
Why aren’t cars like the TT or the R8 on this list?
Because they are icons rather than turning points. Audi says the first TT of 1998 set the tone for its design and that the R8 of 2006 became the sporty icon of its range, and Otto profiles both among his ten iconic Audis. Neither changed the company’s independence, market or technology base the way the seven cars above did.
Common Questions
- When did Audi start using quattro all-wheel drive? In March 1980, with the Audi quattro shown at the Geneva Motor Show. Audi had registered the quattro name in 1979.
- Which Audi was developed in secret? The Audi 100. Ludwig Kraus had it developed although Volkswagen had barred Auto Union from developing its own cars, and it was approved only afterwards.
- When did Audi’s electric era begin? Audi dates it to 2018 and the launch of the fully electric e-tron, which was renamed Q8 e-tron in December 2022.
- Was the Audi 80 related to the Volkswagen Passat? Yes. Audi says the Audi 80 of 1972 provided the basis for Volkswagen models such as the Passat.