The Audi Quattro may not have been the first four-wheel drive production car (that honour belongs to the 1966 Jensen Interceptor FF), but its place in history is assured. Thanks in no small part to its enormous rallying success, the Quattro popularized all-wheel drive, and is now regarded as one of the most influential and important sports cars of the 1980s. The brainchild of Jorg Bensinger, an Audi chassis engineer, development work was started in 1977 and, three years later the finished product was released. Although the floor pan had much in common with the Audi 80 and the running gear was largely taken from an Audi 200, the Quattro used a manual centre differential lock (operated by levers next to the handbrake) to govern the 197bhp and 210lb/ft power outputs delivered by the 2.1-litre in-line five-cylinder turbocharged engine. By the time this particular car arrived in 1990, the crude cable-operated 50:50 split differential had been replaced with a much more advanced Torsen (torque sensing) diff and the engine had been uprated with double overhead camshafts and a larger 2,226cc capacity, upping power to 217bhp.

Offered here is a very late production car and, indeed, it's believed to be the penultimate 20V Quattro delivered to the UK. First registered here on 17th January 1992, this lovely Quattro is superbly presented in Titan Grey with a mid-grey, half-leather interior and is one of only 295 right-hand drive examples. The Quattro has an indicated mileage of 95,821 at the time of cataloguing. During the current ownership, the Audi has been diligently maintained including an investment of over £3,000 with Audi and VW specialists, AM Cars, in March of this year, the full details of which are in the car's history file. The vendor has also recently fitted a Blaupunkt Bremen radio and the current MOT is valid until 13th June 2023. The history file is good and includes service records, detailed information of the car's life including an engine rebuild and a set of manuals.

The value of 20-valve Quattros has been increasing exponentially and this super example appears attractively guided given its condition, sensible mileage, good history and the fact that it's one of the very last of these remarkable cars to arrive in the UK. Your early inspection is welcomed and encouraged to fully appreciate this very special Audi.