08399 Audi Sport quattro SWB Rallye Monte Carlo 1985

The successful Audi quattro, first presented in 1981, was soon to be replaced by the Sport quattro in 1983. Over the long term Audi was ultimately unable to keep up with the new, pure racing machines of the competition with a car based on a production vehicle. The primary difference between the Sport quattro and its predecessor was its shorter wheelbase. The visual similarity between the two cars was however deceptive - the Sport quattro was a complete new development. In 1984 Audi signed Walter Röhrl, a driver who already had two Rally World Championship titles under his belt. In 1985, when the Sport quattro entered its first full rally season, Röhrl, the "Genius on Wheels", competed in the Monte Carlo Rally along with his team colleague Christian Geistdörfer. Their remarkable success saw them take second position overall.