Blast from the past

The Audi 80 was the brand’s first million-seller and set the stage for what was to come.

In 1972, Audi produced a car that would not only go on to become a resounding commercial success, but half a century later, still be regarded as an automotive pioneer.

21 June, 2022


The Audi 80 debuted in 1972 and by 1973 had been voted Germany's ‘Car of the Year'.

Times change and technology and fashion change along with them. Looking back at a vehicle that was first unveiled 50 years ago, it can be hard to appreciate just what a game changer it was, receiving both critical and popular acclaim right off the bat and spawning a succession of models that continue to this day.

The Audi 80 debuted in 1972 and by 1973 had been voted ‘Car of the Year'. It represented the very innovation that marks the company to this day with its lightweight construction and economy, yet it was an inherently sporty car that was also designed to be a ‘reliable family car’ as opposed to a style icon.

Timing played its part too, the introduction of the lightweight sedan coinciding with the oil crisis which took hold globally in 1973 and made the original Audi 80 a particularly attractive proposition.

Designated the ‘B1’ the Audi 80 was designed by a team including Hartmut Warkuss and was premiered at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. 

With the two-door model weighing in at just 835kg, it set new standards in lightweight construction and with inclusions like negative steering roll radius (the first time this handling system was employed in a European mass-produced vehicle) it boasted superior handling and stability particularly under braking.

Head of development at the time, Ludwig Kraus, employed a race philosophy with the construction of the B1, having his engineers scrutinise every facet of the car to see where weight could be saved without compromising quality or strength. The result, with its torsion crank axle with spring dampers on the rear and McPherson struts and wishbones up front was a spritely car that delivered on both comfort and handling.

Four engines were available at market launch ranging from1.3 to 1.6 litres, with power outputs ranging from 40kW right up to 74kW. It featured valve control by overhead camshaft with toothed-belt drive and maintenance-free hydraulic tappets, and Head of Technical Development Ludwig Kraus, came up with the idea of a modular-design series, designing the four-cylinder overhead camshaft (OHC) engine at the time. 

Head of development at the time, Ludwig Kraus, employed a race philosophy with the construction of the B1, having his engineers scrutinise every facet of the car to see where weight could be saved

The Audi 80 enjoyed motorsport success as well – here in the hands of Stirling Moss in the British touring Car Championship.

“In an impressive way, the Audi 80 demonstrates that Vorsprung durch Technik is a tradition at Audi"

Oliver Hoffmann

With the new generation of OHC engines and its many technical highlights, the Audi 80 quickly became a huge sales success and by the end of the model’s production in the summer of 1978, more than one million B1 models had rolled off the assembly line. Of course this was just the beginning and the B1 gave way to subsequent models right up to B9 – along the way becoming the Audi A4 which continues to be a tremendous success to this day. Indeed from B1 to B9, more than 12 and a half million cars were produced.

“In an impressive way, the Audi 80 demonstrates that Vorsprung durch Technik is a tradition at Audi,” says Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board of Management of AUDI AG for Technical Development. The Audi 80 and its successor models have always been pioneers of major innovation. The four-cylinder TDI, the quattro drive with the self-locking centre differential, the dual-clutch transmission, and the rear-axle sport differential – not to mention the five-cylinder turbo engines as in the first RS model – have repeatedly demonstrated the brand’s willingness to continually push the envelope.