1991 Audi UR Quattro 2.2 Turbo RR 20V

The Audi Quattro may not have been the first four-wheel-drive production car (that honour belongs to the 1966 Jensen Interceptor FF), but its place in history is assured. Thanks in no small part to its enormous rallying success, the Quattro popularized all-wheel drive, and is now regarded as one of the most influential and important sports cars of the 1980s. The brainchild of Jörg Bensinger, an Audi chassis engineer, development work was started in 1977. Three years later the finished product was released. Although the floor-pan had much in common with the 80 and the running gear was largely taken from an Audi 200, the Quattro used a manual centre differential lock (operated by levers next to the handbrake) to govern the 197bhp and 210lb/ft power outputs delivered by the 2.1-litre in-line five-cylinder turbocharged engine. By the time this particular car arrived in 1990, the crude cable-operated 50:50 split differential had been replaced with a much more advanced Torsen (torque sensing) diff and the engine had been uprated with double overhead camshafts and a larger 2,226cc capacity, upping power to 217bhp.

This special 20V (20-valve) car is the ‘Holy Grail’ of UR Quattros and is finished in Tornado Red with a grey half-leather and cloth interior. Unusually, it's only had one previous owner and he cherished it for 29 years until 2020 when it was purchased by our vendor. Initially registered on 1st August 1991, this special example is one of the final 50 produced and is one of only 295 right-hand drive examples.

In our opinion, what really sets this example apart from others is its thorough and extensive history file which contains a staggering 30 stamps in the service book and is accompanied by invoices, MOTs etc. Pleasingly the original bill of sale is also included which shows that the first owner paid the grand total of £33,760 in August 1991, which was a significant sum of money at the time. Here at Silverstone we love it when we are offered a car that was purchased from new with the intention of keeping it for a long time and there is a lovely paper-trail demonstrating care and attention for nearly 30 years.

The most recent service was a major one, which included a cambelt change and the indicated mileage is a mere 75,900, at the time of cataloguing, which works out at just 2,400 miles per year, all supported by the comprehensive history file. We highly recommend any interested parties come see the car and history file for themselves as this really is special. The value of 20-valve Quattros has been increasing exponentially and this lovely example appears guided sensibly, given its condition, sensible mileage, extensive history and the fact its one of the last examples produced of an iconic car.