Audi 80 Guides, Photos and Videos

The Audi 80 was a compact executive car produced by the Audi subdivision of the Volkswagen Group across four generations from 1966 to 1996. It shared its platform with the Volkswagen Passat from 1973 to 1986 and was available as a sedan, and station wagon) — the latter marketed by Audi as the Avant. The coupé and convertible models were not badged as members of the range but shared the same platform.

In North America and Australia, the 80 was marketed as the Audi Fox for model years 1973–79, and as the Audi 4000 for model years 1980–87 in the US. The Audi 90 was an upmarket version of the Audi 80, although all North American sedans of the B4 generation were called Audi 90. The convertible variant was marketed as the Audi Cabriolet.

Under Audi's platform numbering convention, the 80 is classified as a member of the B-series or B platform family of vehicles, with the four generations of 80 being numbered as B1, B2, B3 and B4; its replacement – the Audi A4 – continues this sequence with platform numbers B5 through to B9. Originally this numbering convention ran concurrently with that of the Volkswagen Passat, the first generation of which was essentially a badge engineered clone of the Audi 80. This link was severed in 1988 when the Passat moved to a non-related, transverse-engined, VW-specific platform for its 80-unrelated B3 and B4 versions. It was again based on the Audi A4 (B5 or "8D" platform) for its B5 generation, and returned to transverse once again for its B6 and up generations.

The Audi F103 series, based on the DKW F102 but with an all-new range of four-stroke engines developed in conjunction with Daimler-Benz, was sold between 1965 and 1972. It comprised several models named for their horsepower ratings. From 1966 to 1969 this series included an Audi 80, and there were also Audi 60, 72, 75, and Super 90 models available over the years.

This model debuted in Europe in 1972 as the Audi 80, and in 1973 in Australia and North America (Canada and the USA) as the Audi Fox, and was available as either a two-door or a four-door saloon (sedan). It effectively took the place of several models that Audi had discontinued (the F103 series, which included the first model designated as an "Audi 80"), and provided the company with a viable rival to the Opel Ascona and the Ford Taunus (Ford Cortina in the UK), as well as more upmarket offerings including the Alfa Romeo Alfetta and Triumph Dolomite.

The Audi 80 B1 was only the second modern-era Audi product to be developed entirely under Volkswagen ownership - Audi chief engineer Ludwig Kraus had famously been disparaging about the outgoing F103 series, referring to it as the "bastard", owing to its Auto Union/DKW bodyshell and Mercedes-Benz engine. The B1 was a clean break from the Auto Union era, being equipped with.a range of brand new 1.3- and 1.5-litre SOHC inline-four petrol engines - the first appearance of the now legendary EA827 series of engines, whose descendants are still used in VW Group vehicles to the present day. The internal combustion engines were available in various rated power outputs. For the 1.3-litre engines, (identification code: ZA) was rated at 55 PS (40 kW; 54 bhp), code: ZF was rated at 60 PS (44 kW; 59 bhp). The 1.5-litre (codes: ZB, ZC) at 75 PS (55 kW; 74 bhp) for the ZB and 85 PS (63 kW; 84 bhp) for the ZC.

On the home market, two- and four- door saloons were available in base trim (55 or 60 PS, called simply Audi 80 and 80 S, respectively), as L models (LS with 75 PS engine) or as a more luxurious GL (85 PS only). In September 1973, Audi added the sporty 80 GT (two-door only) featuring a carburettor 1.6-litre engine (code: XX) rated at 100 PS (74 kW; 99 bhp).

The Audi 80 had a MacPherson strut front suspension, and a C-section beam rear axle located by trailing arms and a Panhard rod, and using coil springs and telescopic dampers.

Audi's design and development efforts paid off during the 1973 European Car of the Year competition where the 80 won ahead of the Renault 5 and the Alfa Romeo Alfetta.

A facelift in autumn 1976 brought about a revised front end in the style of the newly introduced Audi 100 C2 with square instead of round headlights, 1.6- instead of 1.5-litre engines (still of 75/85 PS) and a new 80 GTE model with a fuel-injected version of the 1.6-litre (110 PS (81 kW; 108 bhp)) replacing the former 80 GT.

In certain markets a five-door "Avant" (Audi's name for an estate/wagon) variant was offered — effectively a rebadged Volkswagen Passat with Audi front panels. This version, first seen in mid-1975, appeared in the United States, South Africa, and several other markets.

The Fox originally had a 1.5 litre engine rated at 55 hp (41 kW; 56 PS), attached to a four-speed manual transmission. Subsequent versions came with 1.6-litre engines rated at 83 hp (62 kW; 84 PS). By 1978, ever more stringent emissions rules meant that this had dropped to 78 hp (58 kW; 79 PS). Four-speed manuals or three-speed automatics were on offer, in all three bodystyles. Aside from the required larger bumpers, early models looked very similar to their European counterparts, while facelift versions (model year 1977) received a large black grille with double, round headlights, without the wraparound turn signals used elsewhere. There was also a sporting GTi package on offer in later years. The B1 platform was dropped from the European market in 1978, although it was sold into the 1979 model year in North America.

Audi presented a redesigned 80 based on the B2 platform (Typ 81) in September 1978 and deliveries of the four-door sedan began a few weeks later in Europe. Deliveries of the fuel injected GLE and two door bodied cars began early in 1979. The redesigned car was first seen in North America in 1979 (as a 1980 model). Audi continued to use the 80 nameplate in Europe, but badged their Typ 81 as the Audi 4000 in North America. The body of the B2 Audi 80 was designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. No Avant variant was available, as the Volkswagen Passat filled that role, as the B2 was intended to move the 80 upmarket from the mid-sized family segment to a compact executive model pitched to rival the BMW 3 Series. The B2 also acted in a de facto sense, as a replacement for the ill-fated NSU Ro 80 which ceased production the year before, since Audi dropped the NSU brand completely following that car's demise. The corresponding B2 version of the Passat appeared two years later, and although the two cars shared the same platform and running gear as before, the Passat had a much stronger visual identity distinct from its Audi 80 sister in comparison with the B1.

The 80 first became available with four-wheel drive in 1983. The model was essentially an Ur-Quattro without the turbocharger and with saloon bodywork. The four-wheel drive 80, however, weighed more than a front-wheel drive Audi 100 CD with the same 2144 cc 136 PS (100 kW; 134 hp) engine, and with its worse aerodynamics it was slower than the larger, better equipped, and lower-priced 100. Top speeds are 187 and 199 km/h (116 and 124 mph) respectively, with similar fuel economy advantages for the larger 100. The 80 quattro received twin headlamps, a front spoiler with integrated foglights, and a body-coloured rubber spoiler on the rear. There was also a "quattro" script on the bootlid and a twin exhaust. The luggage compartment was marginally smaller (mostly in height), which meant only a temporary spare tire could be fitted. The 80 quattro was a bargain compared to the Ur-Quattro, but less so in comparison with the two-wheel drive 80 GTE or the 100 CD, although they did not offer the impressive road holding that the quattros do.

In Europe, the 80 was the standard model, while after a 1984 facelift the Audi 90 was launched as a larger-engined version of the 80; with more options, and, aside from the 70 PS (51 kW; 69 bhp), four-cylinder 1.6-litre turbodiesel (TD) engine which was also available for the 80, two five-cylinder in-line petrol engines — a 2.0-litre with 115 PS (85 kW; 113 bhp) and a 2.2-litre with 136 PS (100 kW; 134 bhp) which was later modified into a 2.3-litre. The 2.2-litre was available with a catalytic converter and power ratings of 115 PS (85 kW; 113 bhp) for front-drive and 120 PS (88 kW; 118 bhp) for quattro models. European models had two headlamp casings, while North American models generally had quad headlamps.

In 1983, the 80 Sport was introduced in the UK, based on the GTE. It came with quattro-style Ronal alloys, rubber rear spoiler, deep chin spoiler, striped charcoal Recaro interior, and optional body graphics including full-length "Audi Sport" stripes. In the U.S., a special commemorative-edition version, the Audi 4000CS quattro, was made for the 1985, 1986, and 1987 model years.

Mid-1984, for the 1985 model year, Audi gave the B2 a subtle facelift with tail lights resembling the ones of the Typ 44 Audi 100, and different front and rear bumpers and headlights and an updated interior. In Europe, engines with catalytic converter emissions controls were made available for the first time. The 1.6- and 1.8-litre engines were replaced by newer iterations of the same, enabling the fitment of catalytic converters.

The B2 platform proved to be both quite versatile and quite profitable; many components were shared to or borrowed from the Audi Coupé, Audi Quattro and Audi Sport Quattro, which in the process helped to cement the company into the public eye after their quattro permanent four-wheel-drive system proved useful in various forms of racing.

The saloons were offered until late 1986 in Europe and 1987 abroad, and the B2-based Audi Coupé lasted through to 1988 (as an early 1989 model) before being changed. The Coupé shared many components, and its basic body shape, with the original Audi Quattro.

The North American Audi 4000 was first introduced for the 1980 model year, with a 1588 cc inline-four with 76 hp (57 kW). This engine came in for some criticism, being somewhat buzzy and underpowered for a car in this price segment. Audi did not offer an automatic transmission, as the engine could not quite cope. A five-speed transmission was also not available until the 1981 model year. For 1981, the 4000 received a long-stroke 1.7-litre engine and a standard five-speed manual (with a three-speed automatic still available). The new engine was a fifty-state version with a three-way catalyst, and power dropped to 74 hp (55 kW). Nonetheless, more torque and the new gearbox translated into better performance and improved gas mileage.

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