Two days ago Audi started their official 100-year celebration at the Audi Forum which extends through to this weekend. Today, they are hosting a demonstration at the Donauring with the best cars from their heritage collection. Naturally Audi will display some Silver Arrows which is why we chose to highlight their streamlined car of 1937.
Known as the Typ C Stromlinie, this was one of the Grand Prix cars fitted a evocative body shell to reach speeds over 400 kph. It was also raced on the full 12-mile Avus course complete with the ‘Wall of Death’, a section of banked bricks which were only used once for racing in 1937. We can’t think of a better car to represent Audi’s 100 years.
Another important Audi era included the Quattro four-wheel drive system. The Urquattro was released in 1980 and a year later they were at the 1981 Monte Carlo Rally. The ultimate rally Quattro was the dramatic Audi Sport S1 with its shortened body shell and carbon-kevlar bodywork.
The current Audi era, the era of Audi at Lemans, is arguably the most successful. From it, the most winning car is the the R8 which has won Le Mans five times. We also unearthed two concepts: have you ever heard of the Audi Asso di Picche or 1981 Audi Quartz Coupé?