Audi introduced the Quattro four-wheel-drive system in 1980. The technology debuted in the original Audi Quattro, a turbocharged five-cylinder coupe first shown at the Geneva Motor Show on March 3, 1980.
Audi engineer Jörg Bensinger developed the idea after observing that Volkswagen’s four-wheel-drive Iltis military vehicle performed exceptionally well on snow. Audi adapted the concept for a fast road car, pairing permanent four-wheel drive with a front-mounted engine and turbocharger. The result gave the Quattro strong traction on slippery surfaces and helped challenge conventional assumptions about performance cars.
The Quattro became especially famous in rallying. Audi’s four-wheel-drive rally cars gained a major competitive advantage after regulations allowed four-wheel-drive cars to compete in the World Rally Championship. The system’s name comes from the Italian word for “four,” and Audi later used lowercase “quattro” branding for many four-wheel-drive production models. Subaru, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW also developed four-wheel-drive vehicles, but Audi introduced this particular system in 1980.