1987 Audi Quattro 10V

• A UK-supplied, right-hand drive, 10-valve car showing 83,000 miles
• 2,144 cc, inline 5-cylinder, 10-valve, SOHC with a turbocharger and intercooler generating 197bhp
• Classically presented in Tornado Red and accompanied by a good history file
• 13 stamps in the service book and a fresh MOT until 11th October 2021
• With its complement of manuals, books, original brochure, invoices and spare keys
• Hugely innovative in period and consequently now very collectable

Audi's Quattro is a legend that re-wrote the form book in International Rallying, as well as causing rival manufacturers to rethink their offerings and was, quite literally, a trailblazer. The story began with Audi chassis engineer Jorg Bensinger, who spent a Finnish winter testing the Volkswagen Iltis - a four-wheel-drive West German military and forest service vehicle - and found it could outperform all other machines on snow, whatever their type or power output. He put the idea of a four-wheel-drive version of the Audi 80 Coupe to the company's hierarchy and, well, you know the rest. The resulting model was launched to great excitement at the 1980 Geneva Salon and then released to European customers later the same year powered, initially by the WR, 2144cc in-line, five-cylinder, 10-valve SOHC unit with turbocharger and intercooler.

Whilst the engineering is pure-Teutonic, the styling was overseen by Yorkshireman Martin Smith who was tasked with turning the elegant but mundane Coupe into the distinctive, flared-arched Quattro charger. This was the first time the mass car market had been introduced to the intoxicating combination of turbo power and four-wheel drive, and the results were spectacular. The road-going Quattro was clearly a success for Audi, with nearly 11,500 cars produced, but it was as a world-beating rally car that the model really gained its fearsome reputation. Throughout the early 1980s until the end of the Group B era, Quattro variants won 23 WRC rallies at the hands of rally legends Michèle Mouton, Hannu Mikkola, Walter Rӧrhl and Stig Blomqvist including two world championships and twice championship runners up.

Offered here is a UK-supplied, right-hand drive, 10 Valve that's showing just over 83,000 miles. Classically finished in Tornado Red with a tidy interior in Grey Herringbone cloth and Black and Red Plaid. This charming example is supplied with a good history file, the Service Book displays 13 stamps and it's accompanied by the normal manuals, books, original brochure, invoices, fresh MOT and spare keys.

Silverstone Auctions encourage any inspection between 29th October and 12th November of this highly desirable 1980's icon.