Before 1980, four-wheel drive was for farmers.  True, there had been experiments with 4wd performance cars before, but as the 1980s hove into view 4wd was the province of Land Rover and Jeeps.

And then along came the Audi Quattro. At a stroke the world of the performance car was turned upside down.  The Quattro had masses of power from its turbocharged five cylinder engine and, thanks to the quattro system, had the grip to exploit that power.

This unique combination of driving safety and dynamic performance stunned everyone who drove the car.  Quattro became a buzz-word, synonymous with performance and technical achievement.  And pretty soon the amazing car was changing the face of rallying.

Even in 1980 it was inevitable that the Quattro was the start of a revolution.  Today every manufacturer worth his salt seems to have a turbo four wheel driver in his repertoire, while the four wheel drive principle has filtered down to comparatively humble saloons and hatchbacks... Audi still leads the way with a quattro version of every model in its range.

Even with the benefit of hindsight what is more amazing, perhaps, is that the Ur Quattro, the original Q, car, is still in everyday use.

Yes, there have been modifications along the way, but the basic style and concept is just as it was back in 1980.  The Quattro still ranks as one of the world's great cars with levels of performance and grip the envy of its rivals.