An Audi chassis engineer named Jörg Bensinger was put in charge of testing the Iltis, and it was during one testing session in the middle of a Finnish winter that he discovered the remarkable abilities of four-wheel drive.ĭespite being simple in construction and packing a mere 75 horsepower, Bensinger found that the Iltis was absolutely untouchable on the snow, with no other car or truck at the time able to keep up with the small vehicle no matter how powerful.Īs a result of the Iltis’ abilities, Bensinger became obsessed with the idea of creating a four-wheel drive road car. Volkswagen’s prototype used a unique four-wheel drive system, which had been cobbled together using parts from an old Audi 100 saloon. With no Quattro, it’s entirely likely there would be no STi, no xDrive, no Jaguar AWD, no nothing.īut as incredible as the legacy of the Quattro has been, the story of its origin is even more incredible, and it all began with a humble Volkswagen army truck.Īudi’s original Quattro and the four-wheel drive system which now bears its name owes its existence to the Volkswagen Type 183, a small military truck built for the German army.īetter known as the Iltis, the truck had been created on the underpinnings of the Munga jeep, a military off-roader built by DKW, a company which Volkswagen would later dissolve and merge into Audi. Known primarily for its all-conquering rally abilities, as well as for its famous stint on Ashes to Ashes, it’s almost impossible to exaggerate the effect that the original Audi Quattro had on the car world. Nowadays the word quattro (always with a lower case Q) is known as Audi’s trademark for its four-wheel drive system, a badge borne proudly on all Audi vehicles in that distinctive typeface that’s remained nearly unchanged since its inception.īut originally, the name belonged to the Audi Quattro, the first proper passenger car with proper four-wheel drive, and one of the most revolutionary vehicles of all time.
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