Audi was the first manufacturer to send a racing car with four driven wheels into the rally competitions. With the Audi quattro presented in 1980, the Ingolstadt-based company shook up the rally scene with its very first participation. "quattro" heralded a new era. Motorsport was the inspiration for series production. "quattro" became a milestone in Audi's history.
Its first outing as the lead car at the Algarve Rally in the fall of 1980 clearly demonstrated the potential of the new technology.
As early as 1981, the Audi quattro celebrated its first victory at the Austrian Jänner Rally. The international debut followed shortly afterwards at the Monte Carlo Rally. At the end of the first season, Audi was able to record three victories in eight selected rallies.
Audi won seven of the eleven races in the 1982 World Championship season. Michèle Mouton narrowly missed out on the drivers' world championship title. However, the manufacturers' world championship went to Audi.
In addition, Harald Demuth and Arwed Fischer also won the German Rally Championship in the same year.
The lubricant manufacturer Castrol used the successes for its advertising.
