Cars That Changed World Rallying, Part 5: Audi Sport quattro

Cliff Chambers
4 July 2025

Retro Rides Originals

European

Cliff Chambers has a long association with rallying, from spending frosty mornings watching cars barrel down Canberra’s notorious ‘Mineshaft’ to later managing Subaru’s Championship-winning team in the 1980. In this series, Cliff takes a look back at the cars that have been most influential in the sport. This is the fifth of 10 instalments.

It is fair to say that no other car has had more influence on the sport of rallying than Audi’s iconic five-cylinder, all-wheel drive, turbocharged coupe.

The Audi quattro (for grammar nerds, it’s always meant to be lower case) won the World Rally Championship in 1982 but was brought back to the pack as rival brands Opel and Lancia developed cars to match the Audi’s advanced technology.

In 1984, Harald Demuth, alongside Willy Lux, won the German Rally Champion title ahead of schedule in an Audi quattro at the International Sachs Baltic Rally, the ninth round of the German Rally Championship (Image: Audi AG)

In response, Audi for the 1984 World Rally Championship developed a Sport version of the quattro on a shorter wheelbase with weight moved towards the rear of the car.

Significant changes included deletion of the central differential and mounting the radiators behind the cabin where they were fed by side- and roof-mounted ducts.

The Audi Sport quattro S1 E2 in AUDI AG’s historical collection – framed by other rally icons and Le Mans legends. — The Audi Sport quattro S1 E2 proved to be dominant in Group B thanks to its extreme performance and aerodynamics, although it could be a handful even for Audi’s very best drivers (Image: Stefan Warter/Audi AG)

Later E2 versions of the Sport were said to be the most powerful of the homologated Group B cars, but were also difficult to handle even for Audi’s ‘dream team’ of drivers.

After winning its second WRC title in 1984, Audi stepped back, leaving the specially developed Lancia Delta S4 and Peugeot 205-16 to do battle.

At Pikes Peak in 1984, Michèle Mouton drove an Audi Sport quattro to victory in the rally car class (Image: Audi AG)

The brand then got serious about a prestigious event in the brand’s most important export market – the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb near Colorado, USA.

First with Michèle Mouton in 1985 and then in 1987 with Walter Röhrl, Audi set and then re-set records for the heart-in-mouth 20km, 4300m climb, which is laced with 156 corners.

Want to know more about the history of automotive rallying? Click here to find out.

Cliff Chambers

Writer & Head Valuer

At age 14, surrounded by stacks of motoring magazines from the local junk shop, Cliff Chambers was warned by a concerned mother that he would ‘Never get anywhere knowing a lot about old cars.’ Seventeen years later when his definitive book, Making Money From Collectable Cars was published, she was proud to be proven wrong.

That was in 1987, but Cliff’s life was already revolving around all things automotive. From working part time in a panel shop while at university, he moved to motor industry consultancy roles and managing a Championship winning rally team.

During the 1990s he joined the classic vehicle insurance industry, at the same time becoming a prolific writer for magazines and motoring websites. Then came his ongoing contribution as one of the country’s leading vehicle valuers.

Away from work, automotive events and objects remain prominent in Cliff’s world. He has owned more than 40 cars now considered ‘classic’ and within his collection of motor-related items there remain some of those magazines acquired as a fact hungry teen.

Cliff brings to Retro Rides a blend of unique industry skills and a love of vehicles that will become more obvious with every contribution he makes to the site.