One to Buy: ex-Herbert von Karajan 1980 Audi Quattro UR
Having introduced four-wheel drive to non-utility type vehicles and changed the sport of rallying forever, the Audi Quattro was arguably the most influential performance car of its era.
It also had a transformative effect on Audi’s image; without it, the company would almost certainly not have become the industrial behemoth it is today.
Each Quattro was hand-built at a special hall in Audi’s Ingolstadt factory staffed by a team of 48 personnel.
It featured a B2 pressed steel bodyshell with fully independent suspension, a permanent four-wheel drive system and a turbocharged and intercooled inline five cylinder engine that displaced 2144cc. Peak output was 200bhp at 5500rpm and 210lb-ft at 3500rpm.
Following its launch at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1980, the first customer cars were delivered in November of that year.
One of these extremely early Quattro road cars (and reputedly the oldest known to exist) is chassis 900061 currently on offer at the Cargold Collection in Germany.
The eleventh road car built, it was originally delivered to Austrian orchestral conductor, Herbert von Karayan.
Renowned for his love of fine automobiles, von Karajan (who sold an estimated 200 million records during his career) had previously owned all manner of exotic machinery to include a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Gullwing, a Ferrari 250 GT Berlinetta Lusso and 275 GTB, a Ford GT40 Mk3, a Lancia Stratos and multiple Porsches (550, 911 2.2 S, a 911 3.0 Carrera RS and a one-off 911 Turbo Spezial).
Chassis 900061 was delivered to von Karajan’s residence in St. Moritz in December 1980 and remains in fantastic condition having covered a little over 140,000km from new.
Reprinted below is Cargold Collection’s description for this most significant Audi Quattro:
Chassis WAUZZZ85ZBA900061
The oldest (!) road-legal Audi Urquattro
First owner "Herbert von Karajan"
Matching Numbers
While the first 50 chassis numbers were reserved for the racing cars, production of the road version officially began in autumn 1980.
Our vehicle with the number 0061 thus left the factory in Ingolstadt as the eleventh road version built. The whereabouts of the first 10 vehicles are unknown, even after extensive research.
While for normal buyers delivery began in January 1981, Herbert von Karajan was able to take delivery of his car as early as November 1980.
We have a copy of the original Swiss registration in the name of the famous conductor from December 1980.
The very early Urquattros have special details such as the cable switches for the two differential locks, the surface-mounted side indicators, the rear window without a bulge and the centre console without a surrounding bead.
On our car, all these things are fantastically preserved in their original condition. The original front panel is also still in place, as is the windscreen seal with rain drain lip.
All in all, this Urquattro is still in excellent condition after more than 40 years. The entire interior is still original, the paint has been renewed once in the original colour.
In the last few years, the matching numbers engine and all attachments have been professionally overhauled. Great care was taken to restore the original parts in order to preserve the unique condition, which was achieved brilliantly.
Take advantage of this unique opportunity to acquire a piece of genuine automotive history.
