We’ve had a number of posts on the 1978-86 Audi B2 (a.k.a Audi 80 in Europe and 4000 in North America), but never a “proper” long-form CC. This one, which I found in Switzerland last summer, was the perfect candidate: not only is it a German-registered car, but it even said “CC” on the rear. It was practically begging to be featured on this site, really, and to be the star attraction of this German 4-door Week.
I rarely get to write up Audis, as the older ones just don’t exist in the countries I’ve frequented recently. I found two or three interesting Audis in my decade-plus time in Asia, wrote up this Quattro a while back, but that’s it. I’ve seen more Lada Nivas, more Morgans and way more 1959 Cadillacs than old Audis in Japan, something that continues to baffle me. But just a week in deep Schweiz and look what cropped up.
Well, are you excited? Neither am I. Non-Quattro Audis of this era are many things — competent, spacious, well-engineered — but exciting? That was never the point. This is an Audi, not an Alfa or a BMW. Italdesign’s Giorgetto Giugiaro (somehow aided by Klaus Luthe, according to some sources) may have been the author of the car’s lines, but the brief was clearly not to design something too left-field. The revolutionary stuff, styling-wise, was best left to the Audi 100. The 80’s remit was more to be a sensible alternative to a Saab 99 or a well-built Renault 18.
The third generation Audi 80 was launched in 1978. Compared to its predecessor, the B2-platform-based Audi 80 (a.k.a. Typ 81) was wider, longer and a shade spicier, especially once the Quattro version joined the range in 1983. The only body variants on offer were a 2- and a 4-door saloon — the wagon version was only available as a VW Passat. The derivative Audi GT Coupé was marketed as a separate model, though it did share a lot of the 80’s bones. Our feature car is a post-1984 facelift model, where the most noticable update was the rear end’s chunky light clusters and larger boot opening.
Audi had a rather large array of two- and three-letter codes to signify trim levels — such as CD, GLE, etc. To add a bit more confusion, they decided to re-name their trim levels when they did the 1984 facelift, which is when the CC was created. It was essentially a “plain deluxe” trim, i.e. one rung above the base model, which was called, simply enough, Audi 80. Fancier and plushier alphabetical combinations were available, which could entail larger engines, but only up to a point: whereas the pre-facelift Audi 80 range had a number of larger 5-cyl. engine options, those were almost all absent after 1984 and made into the Audi 90.
In Europe, the smallest available engine on the Audi 80 was a 1.3 litre 60hp 4-cyl., but I doubt this would be in this rather well-equipped car. It’s likelier to have the 75hp 1.6, or even the “big” 90hp fuel-injected 1.8. There was a 4-cyl. turbo-Diesel too, good for 70hp, but I’m not sure how popular those were in Audi’s domestic market back then, compared to Diesel-mad countries like Italy, Belgium or France.
In most European markets, the standard-issue Audi 80 was a pricey machine, especially when compared to the many rival models from Ford, Peugeot, Fiat, Opel and most of the Japanese makers. They really should have called it “4000” like in the States; it sounds more expensive than 80. Hence why they created the 90 halfway through the B2’s production run. Incidentally, I have pondered and lookeed around for the reason that Audis of this vintage had different numerals according to which side of the Atlantic they were marketed in, but have not come up with a satisfactory answer. Is there such a thing as a satisfactory answer in this instance? CC, as always, will know.
When reading contemporary Audi 80 tests, whether from the Anglosphere (mostly British and American) or Francophone sources, the opinion generally coalesced on the car’s dynamic competence and airy cabin, as well as the feeling of quality it exuded. But nearly all testers also reported a lack of spark, a certain soullessness about the car, that was prevalent among Audis in general, but particularly so in the 80. There’s a bit of that left today, even if the passage of time has imbued it with some cachet. With over 1.4 million units sold (not counting the 90 or the Coupés), the Audi 80/4000 may have been a bit of a cold fish to some, but it was warmly received by many others. Here’s hoping a few of this impressive cohort is still around for decades to come, especially the ones proudly calling out for “CC”.
Related posts:
CC Capsule: 1985 Audi 4000 S Quattro – Sunday Softcore, by Perry Shoar
CC Capsule: 1984 Audi 80 CL – Ready for Loading, by Yohai71
Dash-Cam Outtake: 1986 Audi 80 and Oldsmobile Alero – Double Feature., by Yohai71
COAL: 1980 Audi 4000 – The Boy Embraces His Heritage, by Jim Klein
COAL #7: 1980 and 1986 Audi 4000’s – The Buttoned Down Sports Sedans, by Ed Hardey
Cars Of A Lifetime: 1984 Audi 4000 S Quattro, by JunkHarvester
Thank you Tatra87 for bringing back this car into my memory.
This is a good example of a 80s boring car. The oversized ugly plastic rear lamps, the cheap black plastic bumpers and mirrors, undersized wheels with dull matt grey covers, bland stying with too large front overhang. Hard blocky black plastic forming a dash with unfrivolous gauges on the inside. Many dead blank switches to remind you there had been options unticked.
I am glad the auto world went better after this.
Early units looked a little bit better – resonably at least. See the UK registred copper coloured car in image four.
I don’t remember any 5-cylinder diesel on the 80? Only diesel available AFAIK was the 4-cylinder 1.6, both aspirated and turbo, the same used in Golf, Jetta, Passat, T3 etc.
Anyway, a little consideration from Italy about the “diesel-mad” countries. While our market share of diesel was for sure higher than Germany or Northern Europe, at the time in Italy diesels were hit by an additional road tax, the dreaded “superbollo” so we weren’t at the same level of France or Belgium, especially when the tax was even raised in late 80s. After the “superbollo” was abolished (in 1992 for new cars), diesel share grew steadily during the 90s and peaking on very high levels in the 00s/early 10s.
Of course bigger cars had a proportionately larger share of diesels even during the “superbollo” times, and some categories (taxis, hire cars, commercial vehicles) were excluded from the tax.
Yes, it was the 70hp 1.6 L turbo diesel four, not the five.
Fixed that, grazie!
Thank you for the background on the Italian tax situation — always fascinating to see how the auto sector can be skewed one way or another with that. What about the price of Diesel at the pump? It was famously cheaper per litre in France (because less taxed) for decades, for instance. This, in conjunction with lower annual/road tax and better mpg, turned France into a nation of oil-burners in the 80s and 90s…
My father had one of these in the late 80s, almost the same as this except for the colour, which was more silver/blue. It had a 3 speed auto, a carburetor 4 cylinder, I thought 1.8, but maybe it was a 1.6. It was certainly slow and rather noisy. It was ponderous to drive with slow and dead steering. The interior was like a posh Golf apart from the four rings on the steering wheel. Whatever number was attached to the boot lid, it had the impression of being there just to make up the numbers.
The letters and numbers game is really a rabbit hole. Used to mean something – i.e. Chrysler 300 or MB 500, but geez Cadillac- what the heck is a 300 or a 400??
Well I don’t find these boring, and by sheer coincidence was only just saying so yesterday in my capacity as Deputy-Vice Sub-Chair of the Society of Catalogers of Historic Railway Junction Levers (1957-61 Chapter), and to universal agreement, I might add.
Sometimes, it’s good to have a square hip, as Lewy Hewis once sang, and these are one of those. You might, in an alternate consideration, think the body to be elegantly airy, understatedly minimalist, or perhaps just composed, and the interior likewise: the modern madness into which we sink further daily shows that calmness and reason are high virtues much missed. Why, perhaps less folks would be inclined to act upon their lowest instincts behind the wheel if the dashboard they faced was not shouting at them in angles through an irritated screen, or if the body outside wasn’t scowled up angrily for revenge at any perceived slight?
The Autocar test that I found from ’79 loved it, mainly complaining that it was a very expensive car. (Considering it’s a VW in an angular frock, they’re not wrong, but this hasn’t stopped that parent company from making large profits from the same thing of perceived Audi poshness for the past 50 years).
I like them too, and always have. However, I suspect – based upon experience – that you’ve not seen many older Audis mainly because they all lie spread out in small and decayed amounts of parts along the sides of most highways, by which I mean, they were all of them such delicate flowers, for ones so chiseled and Germanic and rectilinear. Delightful and wieldy as they were when operable, it only ever took a large sneeze inside one for all the windows and at least two doors to blow off and never fit on again, and a really large crashing bump would leave no more than a driver skidding along in a firm-ish seat and grimly outheld steering wheel down the middle of the road whilst leading a pile of blowsy componentry tinkling everywhere behind him.
Btw, in Oz, you could get one of these four doors, uniquely, with a petrol five. Given they weigh about as much as a ballerina’s tutu, they were very speedy and highly-praised machines, but as per their habits I mentioned, I haven’t seen one in literally 30 years.
(Autocar test link)
https://www.flickr.com/photos/triggerscarstuff/18650300559/in/album-72157654189370339/
O yes “perceived Audi poshness”. They’ve been laughing all the way to the bank since they took DKW off Mercedes hands 60 years ago and gave it a different name.
There was one for sale in Donnybrook WA when I did a season there the powertrain was soaked in oil and it didnt start easily, yeah it was cheap but where do you get parts for it in the outback, I bought a cheaper rusty Mitsubishi instead.
“I rarely get to write up Audis, as the older ones just don’t exist in the countries I’ve frequented recently. … something that continues to baffle me.”
There is a simple explanation: rust, rust, rust. The fact, that these cars were disigned as lightweights to get a good power/weight ratio didn’t help either.
In Europe, most of these type B2 Audis had disappeared from the roads after 10 years of duty (as did the Audi 80 B1 and the first / second generation VW Passats).
Audi didn’t seriously take care for any rust protection before they launched the jelly bean Audi 100 (Type C3).
As to the numbering being different in the US, that of course started with the C2. Given the the C1 100 quickly got a rather bad rep in the US for being unreliable and brittle, it made some sense to give the successor a new name. And given that the C2 only came with the 5 cylinder in the US, the number 5000 was chosen. So logically the B2 was given the 4000 moniker, which given that the great majority of them came with the four, that too made sense.
But after the 5000 and Audi got a huge (undeserved) black eye for the sudden acceleration (unintended wrong pedal application), it made sense to go back to the global designations (80, 100, 200). So it was all just a detour.
Seeing Audis of this vintage always brings back memories, since my first car was a 1981 Coupe (prior to it being called the Coupe GT).
Incidentally, I had the same type of pale-blue seat covers in my Audi – the reason was because the seat fabric wore so poorly. I bought that car when it was 8 years old, but the driver’s seat upholstery was already shredded – even the fabric on the rear seat was shredding due to the sun load. Still, I loved that car.
I never knew that European Audis had CC (or CD) designations.
Regarding the reason for the North American 4000/5000 names – I’m not positive about this, but I think that when the 5000 was first introduced, Audi’s American marketing folks wanted to emphasize its unusual 5-cylinder engine, so they renamed the car with a name starting in “5.” Once that model name proved successful, they transitioned their smaller model to the same numbering convention.
Later Audis are common enough but these older models are virtually extinct here,
@Tatra87 prego! (You’re welcome!)
For some reason I can’t reply directly under your comment. Anyway, price at the pump was cheaper than petrol, with some oscillations.
The 4000 is not wholly extinct, the quattro variant lives on (if not commonly seen) at least in Colorado. Not seen often, and now an object of auto-hoarders, I know of two people that each have multiples thereof in order to be sure of continued supply for their own uses. It was indeed a very light car, and an excellent handler along with in quattro form being virtually unstoppable in snow what with the 50/50 full time power split and lockable center differential. That top 4cylinder engine you mention was basically the VW GTI engine. In the US the FWD cars were generally 4 cylinder petrol and the AWD cars were 5 cylinder. Some of the early front drivers could though be had with a 5-cylinder and a 5-speed (badged as a 4000 5+5) which was dropped once quattro entered the picture. We also got a couple of diesel versions in the early ’80s.
Many people drop turbo engines into them from either a 10V Audi Turbo Quattro or more commonly and popularly from a 1991 Audi 200 or 1992-1997 Audi S4/S6, where 300-500 hp is not uncommon and more than that is not overly difficult to obtain while remaining reliable (ish).
Here’s a gorgeous one kept by a dedicated fan with a 20V turbo engine, a flawless interior, and a pristine exterior. And it is driven very hard, in this case teaching his daughter to drive on ice at the lake this winter. 🙂
When I was in England in 1986 Audi 80 Sports were all over the place. I don;t know the details but I’m guessing these had the 1.8 liter 4, alloy wheels and a bit of trim.
My father had an 84 4000 Quattro which was fun to drive, except in snow because we only had summer tires. Oddly this car only had electric windows in front. The only real trouble was the radios kept getting stolen and of course rust. By the time I moved west in 1993 the trunk lock had been punched thrice and the rear wheels showed daylight. The car finally succumbed to a failed fuel injection unit in 95 and was replaced by a plain 4000 for a few years.
I prefer the original pre-85 look, while the interior did improve by giving the Quattro auxiliary gauges the “fat” taillights lost the detailing of the early cars. (Following typical VAG practice the oil pressure, voltmeter and oil temp gauges were in a panel ahead of the gearshift and early Quattro models sacrificed these for the diff lock control and indicator lights. Dad solved this by having the stereo shop move the diff lock to the trim panel above the driver’s right knee so he could install a stock gauge panel and instruments.)
One of my most favored of cars. Bought new in 1980. This N.A. spec 4000 served me well for 6 years. traded my 74 Fox in on it at Parktown Porsche-Audi in St. Louis. Might have kept it longer. but a semi full of ketchup reatrended me at the top of an exit ramp on I-44. in summer of 86. Yep took the insurance Money and bought another one, an 86 4000S. Would love to have of the three back today.
I seem to remember these gained traction as ‘company cars’, when there was such a thing.
IIRC, the 1.8 fitted neatly into a tax break point and the cars did seem a lot less primitive than the crude & awful Cortinas and Marinas (Itals). Traded-in according to mileage, no-one noticed the tinworm.
The Quattro versions seemed to act as a real image-booster to the dull versions, and the Audi ‘image’ began to emerge. The rest is history.
Of course, GM’s J-car somewhat squared the circle of a lightweight, thoroughly modern FWD car at a much more reasonable price. The result was inevitable. But by then, Audi was on the radar for the managerial carpet-crawlers.