Hans-Jürgen Abt and his team have pulled off a real coup with the presentation of the Abt Ur-quattro: The spectacular retro version of the vehicle icon was the surprise at the end of the "Friends of ABT" event, at which the company's new products were presented to more than 250 invited partners, media and friends.
Only 30 examples of the special model will be built - all were sold within three hours.
In the interview, the CEO of the Abt Group also talks about why the original quattro will always have a special place in his heart and how the crazy idea for the new edition came about.
What special story do you associate with this car?
Hans-Jürgen Abt: "When I took over the tuning department at Abt from my father at the end of the 1980s, the Ur-quattro from the showroom was my dowry, so to speak. I then widened the car on the fenders and converted it with parts from the Sport Quattro, for example with the front grille, lights and white magnesium rims - so it was an absolutely unique piece. I drove the Quattro myself for two or three years, and since then it has been part of our company as an exhibit."
How did the idea for the new retro version come about?
"It was a real undercover project that was developed together with our Managing Director Thomas Biermaier and the company LCE on Lake Constance. The Ur-quattro is probably the most traditional Audi in the Volkswagen Group and also has an emotional significance for our company - so we thought about what we could do with it. The result is our modern interpretation of a true icon."
Which detail do you particularly like?
"The car is an absolute work of art. From all the Kevlar carbon parts all around and the invisible roll cage to the modern technology such as ABS and the 2.5-liter engine with 530 hp. Incidentally, mine 'only' had 450 at the time. The chassis is original on every example, so the car is registered as a classic car and can be driven with an H license plate. I am particularly proud of the interior - a very special variant of our Abt Individual program, which is also available for other vehicles."
The car was a secret project that was only presented at the end of the "Friends of ABT" show - just as Steve Jobs from Apple used to have a surprise ready at the very end.
What was the response from the guests?
"Gigantic and even better than we had hoped. Our idea was that guests could order the car on the same evening at a special price - which was a bit crazy, as there wasn't even a flyer or website for it. And yet all 25 of the cars we had originally planned were sold out within three hours. So as not to disappoint some loyal customers, we were even able to promise five more cars the next morning after consulting with all the buyers."
Bringing tradition and innovation into the present day - how important is this guiding principle for the entire Abt company?
"First of all, we are pleased that we have obviously met the taste of our customers with this project - this also makes us a little bolder with some other ideas that we still have in mind. Basically, however, it also reflects the spirit of Abt: we always want to reinvent ourselves, we want to go into the future with fresh ideas and know-how in technology and design."
Asking the CEO of the Abt Group about his favorite car is of course difficult with so many high-performance models. But where would you place the Ur-quattro?
"The Ur-quattro was the first car in my heart and has never completely disappeared. This retro version has rekindled that love."
