Overview

By Jeremy Walton

The word ‘quattro’, chosen by Audi for its pioneering high-performance four-wheel-drive cars, immediately captures glamour and excitement in the minds of all motorsport enthusiasts. This book, written by a leading journalist and quattro devotee, explores 24 years of factory-prepared and factory-supported quattros in motorsport, from 1980 to 2004. It is a tale that extends from rough rally stages to race tracks, from pine-fringed ice trails in the depths of European winters to the shimmering heat haze and melting asphalt of Texas street racing. Along the way, it explains how quattros collected four world rally championships, five American driver/manufacturer crowns and a single-year haul of seven international touring car titles, plus numerous other honours.

• With the five-cylinder turbocharged quattro in its original form, rallying in the early years yielded numerous wins, most of all in 1982 when seven victories in 11 world championship rallies brought the first title.
• With the short-wheelbase Sport added to Audi’s armoury, 1984 became an all-action, all-conquering rallying season with two more world titles won, for drivers (Stig Blomqvist) and manufacturers.
• Three stunning Pike’s Peak wins were achieved in America in successive years, for Michele Mouton (1985), Bobby Unser (1986) and Walter Röhrl (1987).
• Starting with double championships for the 200 quattro in TransAm (1988) and the 90 quattro in IMSA (1989), racing success unfolded in America. Exuberant Hans Stuck was the star driver, but consistent team-mate Hurley Haywood captured that 1988 title.
• Touring car campaigns during the 1990s brought huge success, starting with fearsome V8 quattro ‘racing limos’ in Germany. Global achievements followed with A4 quattros in many national Super Touring series throughout Europe and in Australia, including Frank Biela’s 1996 title-winning campaign in Britain.
• Audi continued to win on track in the new millennium as race versions of the S4 and RS6 captured five SCCA GT Championship titles in America.

Jeremy Walton is an award-winning author of more than 30 motoring books and one racing-themed novel. All matters Audi are an area of special expertise and his earlier books about the marque (2003, 2004 and 2007) are regarded as benchmark works and have been published in both English and German. He has worked for Motoring News (weekly newspaper) and Motor Sport (monthly magazine) as well as Ford Motor Company’s competition and Advanced Vehicle Operations. Besides writing, his motoring activities have included TV advertising, automotive consultancy and race driving in touring cars. He lives in Wiltshire.

Reviews

“Jeremy Walton knows his stuff and, after a brief delve into the black and white history books, gets rapidly on with the job in hand… The story unfolds, punch by punch, not without some excitement I should add… profusely illustrated… worth every penny.”
retro-speed.co.uk

“This book is super thorough… it is as comprehensive as a book could be on an individual car… a double thumbs up from us.”
mycarheaven.com

“Jeremy Walton was required reading by every motorsport enthusiast for the best part of forty years, his wit and wisdom forming a fan-base… he is the many-storied, revered author and devotee of the [quattro] brand… this excellent book is beautifully written and illustrated.”
business-money.com (Iain Robertson)

“A crucially important aspect of this book is the fact that Jeremy Walton has followed quattro history from the earliest days. He really does know what he is talking about, not least because he has made it his business to find out, in addition to which he was ‘there’ during those exciting early years at the start of the quattro story… First class: buy it!”
wheels-alive.co.uk (Kim Henson)

“Since the Quattro’s introduction in 1980, Jeremy Walton has been fascinated by the cars and their technology (he describes himself as a Quattro zealot) and as a road tester, car book author and racer himself is well placed to relay both the competition story and the engineering that made it possible… Walton has had much direct experience with the Quattro, whether interviewing insiders, investigating engineering, driving both road and rally versions, and sitting alongside the great Audi pilots to experience the car at full chat.”
Motor Sport

“Jeremy Walton has unleashed his prose and technical knowledge on this pre-emptive nuclear strike-level rallying legend… intensively detailed… excellent.”
jimdonnellyonwheels.com

“A brilliant, beautiful read… Jeremy Walton pens this book with years of expertise. His knowledge and hidden tidbits span cover to cover, and his pace is comprehensive and fluid. The photographs are crisp and colorful, and even the black and white pictures offer a window into time.”
lacar.com (Collin Morgan)

“This 40th anniversary tribute to Audi’s game-changer goes far beyond the familiar story of the four-wheel-drive car that revolutionised rallying.”
Classic Cars

“A fantastic read for the quattro fan.”
taketotheroad.co.uk

“Like the cars themselves, this is a well-paced story giving the full picture of both Audi’s automotive history and other four-wheel-drive car developments.”
Best of British

 “Walton’s writing is nice and crisp and tight. The guy knows what he is talking about, and it shows. This is not Walton’s first go-round either. It turns out he’s written over 30 books, and this is his fourth book about Audi alone… Walton’s book is for more than just Audi fans, but for anybody who likes racing, engineering, rally cars, or is just a gearhead in general. It’s filled with stunning photos and informative technical drawings. If you are into cars at all, this one needs to be on your bookshelf.”
automoblog.net

“A must for all Audi connoisseurs.”
theracerhead.com

“Perhaps this book’s greatest asset is that it is almost entirely first-person observation: the author was present at the very beginning and has managed to retain first-hand connection with the quattro throughout the 25 years of this absorbing adventure and this endows his story with absolute authenticity.”
Guild of Motoring Writers

“Prominent automotive journalist Jeremy Walton — a fan of the automaker’s quattro cars from the start — authored this richly illustrated 304-page hardcover… If you’re susceptible to the technological fascination of Audi, you will find this title hard to put down, and a key resource for your bookshelf.”
Hemmings Motor News