- This article refers to the car named the Audi Quattro. Audi's Quattro all wheel drive system is described on its own page.
The Audi Quattro was a famous and historically significant rally car. It is also the name of the all wheel drive system used by that car and many other Audis since, and of the road-going version of the car.
Audi released the Quattro in 1980. It was an all wheel drive turbocharged car that went on to win rallies and races worldwide. It is considered one of the most significant rally cars of all time, and was one of the first to take advantage of the then-recently changed rules which allowed the use of all-wheel-drive in competition racing. Many critics doubted the viability of all-wheel-drive racers, thinking them to be too heavy and complex, yet the Quattro was an instant success, winning its first rally on its first outing. It won competition after competition for the next two years.
The Quattro is also famous for being a career highlight of one of the pre-eminent women in rally racing, Michèle Mouton.
In 2004, Sports Car International named this car number four on the list of Top Sports Cars of the 1980s.
