Real Road Test: 1967 Audi 80 Variant! (not DKW)
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- čas přidán 25. 08. 2024
- An interesting bit of history as I drive an Audi 80 Variant station wagon - a car developed by DKW, with an engine by Mercedes-Benz, sold by Volkswagen! The Audi 80 is front-wheel drive, with the engine slung way ahead of the front wheels. This one has a column gearchange too! Many thanks to Volkswagen UK.
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Hi ! The engine is the "Mitteldruckmotor" - due to its initially high compression of 11.2:1 settled between Diesel- and Petrol-Engines. It was intended for the Mercedes Low-End-Modell W118, which however never came. Back in the mid-60s it was a rather progressive and modern engine and it should be powerful and fuel-efficient. It made it only to the Audi 100 (1st generation) up to 1974 with a 10:1 and lower compression.
Looking closely while you were driving I'd noted that you did most of the tour in 3rd or 4th gear. That thing had a surprising push even in 3rd gear - sufficient to accelerate from out of a roundabout ... where you need to go back to second in a modern 1.2 Liter FSI powered car with 100-something horsepowers but absense of torque ...
And - Yes - these cars were glasshouses. You had a good view to all sides while most modern cars resemble bunkers on wheels with only view slots to look through. They might be better off in case of a roll-over ... but *normally* you try to keep the wheels on the road so better lookout pays for the over all driving situation. (And the fun seeing where you go !)
You should probably try one of the later 90 or Super-90 or the Audi 100 of first generation with stickshift and properly mounted seatbelts.
Thanks for sharing.
Nice video of what was an expensive high powered car back in the day!
Back then nobody bothered wearing a sear belt, so the h/brake & g/change would have been less of an issue.
Super nice looking car and nice history.
Indeed SUPER RARE.
In 1916 started Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen (1878-1964) from Danmark in Germany a factory to make steam engines.
DKW stands for Dampf-Kraft-Wagen.
Had a 1974 Audi 80 and it was quite powerful. The initial low weight got furtherly diminished by the parts rusting away.
There was a nice Aud 100 coupé.
That was fantastic. Looking forward to the NSU big time....Used to see Ro80s on the road regularly until the mid 80s. I guess everyone knows the old story about passing Ro80 drivers greeting each other with raised fingers - the number of fingers = number of engines replaced.
The Audi was beautiful inside and out. Great work here.
Wow, that's a seriously rare car, I wasn't even aware they'd done an estate version!
Looking forward to the Ro80 drive! My mate's dad had one in the early 70s and I can remember it being very advanced.
What a lovely looking Audi.
Clap hand wipers ftw! I used to love them on the old Mercs.
Engineer Ludwig Kraus was from Mercedes.
I know I tend to compare things to my first love, but I think the Renault 16 really got the layout right putting the engine _behind_ the front wheels and yes, a much better gearchange. But that said... it's a lovely-looking car. I really used to like the styling of these older Audis from the late 60s/early 70s, the (F104) 100 being my favourite (especially the Coupé S)
My brother in law sold these new in the states, and we even did a road trip in his demonstrator. It was a pretty amazing at the time. And in only twenty years Audi would own the rally scene, wow.
My GP in my youth had one. Those were doctors that really came to your home, for those who are younger.
Amazing isn't it. There isn't a single car designer (nor state of the art computer software) that would even begin to design such a unique-looking car in this day and age. What an utterly superb piece of automotive machinery. Of all the cars you've tested for us, I would actually ADORE owning this particular masterpiece. The column change and handbrake just add to its charm and appeal. I think I'm actually in love. 😍😍😍😍
You adore an ugly car where you can't reach the handbrake or the gear lever?
Partially agree with You . Such an unique-looking design is mostly due to the rare German taste of giving only 2 doors for their estates . This car is unique indeed . But if you think closer , this Audi estate car took 90% of its design from the VW 1600 Squareback Wagon . Just front fascia and rear lights were removed to a more Audi-esque style .
You learn something new every day, I been around cars since I was 7, but at 52 I find out how Audi does its model names, I didn't know that Audi does its models based on its Horsepower ratings. Also the Audi 80 in the US in the mid 70s was sold as the Audi Fox and the same was still being made in Brazil & sold as a Volkswagen up until the 90s. I thought I threw that trivia in.
Stop knowing Audi trivia.
My father had a saloon version of these when it was new, bought from Drake & Fletcher in Maidstone, who IIRC were also the Mercedes dealers in the town. It was a white 70 saloon with black vinyl trim and a painted metal dashboard. Once he had got used to the column gearchange he liked it a lot and it felt superbly built. He went on to have two 100s later on, a 100 GL and a 100 GL 5E.
I love that Hubnut has so much fun making the opening Lancaster credits different and fun. First time he did a "PSCHOUUUUU" during that opener. Also, i appreciate the history lesson on the Audi name because i never understood where it came from. I know the original company, Auto Union, was the four rings but was never taught that Audi was one of the four rings. So basically Audi was one of four companies to make up the brand Auto Union?? And somehow when Volkswagen bought all the companies out, they renamed the company Audi?? My first car was an Audi 4000s(an 80 in Europe) here in the states and i just loved it to pieces. No really, it fell to pieces and cost me thousands and thousands in repair bills. Still loved it though. Lol.
I had a 1973 Audi, in 1980. The first front wheel drive car that I ever drove. It was fun as long as you did not have to buy parts. A water pump cost hundreds of dollars in Canada when a domestic car pump was $16!
So it is possible to drive an Audi without being on the phone and 3 inches away from the car in front! Well done Ian, you're proof that an Audi doesn't necessarily turn you into a selfish twit when you get behind it's wheel.
I’m not even in the Audi, but I’m convinced I can smell those leatherette seats, oh memories, and those little windows you opened in the front are called fly windows, my dad loved those and still thinks cars should still have them
They are called quaterlights in England. My father used to go on about missing them when he had to open the window to though his cigarette out 😂
Me too Paul Francis. Now there’s memories
I drive this car in the 80tis . I love this car forever ! So much Beautiful ! So thank you very much to Show this car !
My tearaway uncle had the saloon version of this car. He used to zoom around at 80 - 85 mph in the thing, no seat belt, puffing a pipe. He was some sort of top secret Navy submarine electronics chap, tall and thin.
Nice condition and seems to be thoughtfully restored or looked after and nice old school sound.
Thanks Ian.
Dear Ian,
My Norwegian grandmother had an A 60 in about 1970 after two Austin 1100s. I remember this sort of car, but she hung onto the gears higher than you! She wa a mental driver!!
No doubt the reason the Austins died early.
My grandfather had a pair of AMC Rambler Classic Staiton Wagons at the same time. Such a contrast. He said the Volvo [Amazon and 145] were too narrow! After the A60 my grandmother went for for a VW Golf Mk2, and then Square Passat.
Happy days!
Nice old car - Can't wait for the RO80 test!!!!!
Here is a bit of trivia for you. After August Horch had been removed from the company bearing his name that he founded, he was in the process of starting again. Unable to use his name, he was struggling to come up with a new one for his fledgling car company. His son was a latin scholar and mentioned that as "Horch" means "to listen" in German (where we get "hark" from), his son suggested using the latin word for "to listen" - Audi. The rest, as they say, is history.
Lovely old car even with it's little Foibles, I like interesting stories of how the badges of car makers come about, thanks for that one.
Opening Quarterlight windows...yes please.
What a gorgeous jiggly car ... and an encyclopaedic run down on the history - excellent
I’ve had Audi A4’s, and currently an S4 V8 ... yes the engines are mounted north south, and yes they are a pain in the ass to get at anything ... that’s a bit of a trademark right there ;-)
I owned two Super-90 Variants, plus a 4-door parts-car, between 1977 and 1992, and have been told the Super-90 Variant was only sold in North America. All had floor-shift here, with springs instead of a prop-rod for the hood. "70 sedans had the long tail-lights and the curved dash wrapped in brown faux wood. '71 and '72 got short, fat tail-lights off the 100 model with a flat faux blond-wood covered dash. All US models got 7" round US-legal headlights for a slight bug-eye look. "72 engines lowered compression to allow regular unleaded gas, as unleaded was only widely available in regular at the time. Horsepower dropped from 100 US to about 85, with about a 10% increase in fuel consumption.
The Super-90s had some very unique engineering, including 4-wheel torsion-bar suspension and inboard disc-brakes.
Fortunately, for a front-drive, they were fairly easy to work on, and I enjoyed driving them, as my Audis were quite trouble-prone over the years I had them. Rust and lack of parts finally killed mine by 1992.
Happy Motoring, Mark
You must pull some lamb-wool seat covers over the vinyl!
Gorgeous looker, no unsightly rear doors to spoil the long lines. Nicer to look at than drive, one suspects.
The good old days when cars come in colors! They were good in the snow!
Ooo the F103....my Uncle owned F102 ( two stroke) and did buy a Super 90 in 1969. When I was a little boy...i may hold the wheel when go for a drive. ( yeah...the '60s, safety wasn't the first concern of ppl😜).
No speed limits...and a lot of fun, when overtaking the Beetles- 2Cv etc....( I know....but who cares when your young.😜😜😜😜)
The father of a friend of mine owned a Super 90 in 1967 and he told me that he did chase the BMW 1602s from the overtaking side on the Autobahn at 170 km/h. The Super 90 engine (1760cc/ 90hp) was then used in the Audi 100 Limousine "S" between 1968 and 1972 until the basic engines of the Audi 100 were the same like the VW Passat TS (1570 cc 85hp )
what a beautiful car never seen one
Very civilised, very nostalgic. All that was missing was the pipe and driving gloves.
I actually bought some driving gloves. But I forgot to wear them. Even though it was so obviously necessary to wear them.
Good choice from the VW collection - I knew Audi had emerged from the ashes of Auto Union at some point in the second half of the 20th C, so good to see what with and a bit of the story around it. My friends mum used to give me a lift to school in an 80's, then 90's Audi 80 - which still makes up almost all of my experience of being in an Audi.
The problem with the gear lever shows, it was constructed as a left hander. Because then the gear lever is on the right side from the steering wheel.
Lovely car, classy, stylish, understated and very practical. Column gearchange apart it appears pretty modern too for a late 60's car. You can still see DNA from this car in modern Audis. A friend has an early 2000's Audi S4 and the engine is almost located ahead of the front axle line in that. Again at the time journalists complained of understeer but I've driven it and there's so much grip even in the wet you'd have to be seriously irresponsible to get anywhere near its limits on a public road!
Beautiful thing. History of the name was partic interesting. Thanks Ian !
Loving the retro road tests. It's always interesting to revisit these early models after so many years to test the level of rose tinit on your spectacles . Great stuff . Thanks very much .
My late Dad had an Audi 100 C1 4-door saloon in around 1970/71. I can't tell you what a refined and upmarket car it felt compared to the brit equivalents he'd previously had. Back then, having an Audi didn't have the connotations it has today - it was viewed as pretty exotic and certainly very continental. I was beside myself when he then replaced it with the legendary 100 Coupe S, I was the envy of all my school mates then and the 1.9 engine felt very powerful and sporty. Loved the review and interesting to see the forerunner of dad's cars.
two very interesting motorcars, my granddad had a chocolate brown 1976 Audi 80 saloon before he bought the Renault 16 TX, the Renault was column change but not sure about his early Audi 80 LS I think that was a conventional 4 speed floor change. This one is very early for an Audi indeed. The absolute beauty of the Ro80 is very distracting, that will make a good video :) plus I like the last 10 seconds of this video
Beautiful gear change in the R16
yes I believe it was very nice, my father also had a 16TS when I was very young, I remember the vinyl seats were hot in Summer, then he got a Marina Coupe and they were the same type of seats but the Renault seats were very soft and smoother.
I want to say that the gear shift lever itself is mounted at the wrong angle. I've seen the four door version of this before and recall the knob at the end being nearer the wheel than it is here. As if the mounting bracket may not be quite the right one.
What a beautiful restoration. Interesting video too.
Frankly baffling !!!! Brilliant, feel I'm going to be learning again, thanks HubN
The first Audi 1909 - 1913 was phenomenal! And also the second first Audi of the renaissance 1965, 1975...
That is a lovely car - crisp clean styling - space. I like it.
I wish they still made cars like this...really nice 😎👍👍
Never knew that there was an 80 Variant on sale in the 60s. The first Audi 80 I remember was on sale in late summer 1972.
Excellent. A thoroughly desirable motor. Thanks for a great video Hubster
I can't remember seeing this Audi live back in time in the Netherlands, nice video and history lesson, thank you Ian.
Lovely old thing! Many of the interior bits appear to have a strong Volkswagen flavor to them.
A merc engine, a stick gearshift, the first Audi, the first Audi 80, and those seat belt low points were original. I remember as a kid who loved cars, there were lots of cars with seat belt points as low as those and many were a costly option. All in all, a fantastic test. Keep up the good work.
Great green colour for this lovely survivor.
Another Superb Road Test From You Ian! My Education Has Been Furthered! As I Wasn't Aware Of The Audi 80 Estate Variant From Then! Beautifully Restored Though! You Could Tell That Unmistakable German Quality And Attention To Detail! The Joy Of Vinyl Upholstery From That Era! There Was A Feeling That They Had Put Much Effort Into Making That Fake Wood As Real As Possible!! A Nicely Designed Shape To! Brilliant Review Ian! Can't Wait For The RO80 Test!!!!!
I couldn't help notice that the Volkswagen car park is designed to European standards, which makes it a lot easier to get in than get out.
EEEE!!! You!!!
I drove a Rover Vitesse though a hedge once because I couldn't find the exit to the car park.
It was after my father's wake and several bottles of red.
Having arrived home after a lot of Sweeney style driving I remembered my Nan & her husband were in the back.
@@pureboxofscartcables 😁😁😁
So when people say it's the LT van engine it's a durable design. I love them. When I have my old first year 1976 / 77 model year ( i think it was August to October I forget.. C2 Audi 100 up and running I am considering donating it to Audi UK it's highly original 40,600 miles from new 2ltr been of the road 30 years and finding parts is slow and expensive.
When I finish the mechanical work brakes etc. You are welcome to have a test run. Can't be many in Scotland due to rust. A rare survivor. Original sills inner and outer front, rear valances are mint as are wheel arches. Cream Brown, burnt orange interior and fake wood.
Oddly enough the Kurt Lotz era 1968 to 1971 is my fave dispite the resulting quality drop and poor decisions. He was more an accountant rather an engineer.
I’m loving your world Ian, I’m loving your world and I loved this Audi. Pete UK
Well I've not seen one of these for many, many years. Thank you for the history lesson Ian.
She's a lovely little design always liked Audi's earlier cars Especially the Audi 100 coupe s models lovely looking cars. I only owned one Audi an Audi A6 P reg 1.8 quattro model bought on a whim after my MK3 Cavaliers bodywork was starting to fall apart enjoyed learning the history of these cars quite fascinating alwats a joy Mr Hubnut.
I grew up driving a '67 VW. The seat design, vinyl and headliner are %95 the same. Down to the hole poked in the skirt of the seat from operating the front seat release lever.
Never heard of an Audi Variant. I remember the VW Variant well.
Audi estate cars were called Avants
The Ro80 was so far ahead of it's time, remarkable car. Can't wait for the HubNut review
Interesting bit of kit that..... Ignoring the rather odd column shift... I remember my dad having an Audi 100 saloon which went like the clappers for its day until a fuel leak set it on fire.
And a nice bit of history Mr Hub.... Learn something new every day!
And the nsu - Nazda have a lot to be thankful for there - I remember a fried had 2 - one with original rotory and it was amazing, turbine smooth with a 3 speed semi auto box (pneumatic clutch).... I heard that most ended up with Ford engines when supply of engines ran out and bankrupt nsu but I don't know if its true or not.
I enjoyed the drive in country as much or more than the road-test. My sedate uncle had a new Audi saloon in '68 we had a new Cortina. I remember my father's envy / jealousy. That was about the radio: an item gapingly missing in this A80. Roll on the Ro80
I actually own two Audi 80 variants from 1968 here in Sweden. A green like this, and a white with red interior 😊
Great video.always liked these lesser known German cars.I can recall as a boy when these audi cars appeared they were considered quite high end luxury vehicles.here in Glasgow D kw junior and borgward were not uncommon in early 1960s and nsu prinz4 was very popular right through to the mid 70s
Enjoying your review's, very natural and relaxing. Teaching me about motors I never knew existed. Top content!
My great-aunt had a DKW F102 back in the sixties (the predecessor to this model and looks largely the same, but ofcourse it was 2-stroke), then they moved to the US for her husbands work and they got a Ford Mustang. I wonder how many people have gone from a DKW F102 to a Ford Mustang!
I went to uni at Cranfield... My grandpa had DKW and my dad had a type 3 VW. Very relevant vid!
I had as a child, a a Corgi model of a RO80 which was the talk of the school! Doors bonnet and boot all opening and working suspension. However, best of all, when you pushed down the front suspension the headlights came on and similarly the rear lights with the rear suspension! Coolest corgi in town by a country mile!
That audi wood dash looks lovely
Ha ha yes.. Much plastic wood. Karman Ghia had the same approach..
My first car was a 61 Merc 220s with the column shift. Such a better way of shifting with your hand close to the steering wheel, on a tight country road you only have your hand off the wheel for half a second to move your hand to the gearstick and grab second before a tight corner and then that super fast motion to shift to third and fourth all the time in front of a steering wheel that feels like its a metre across with screaming redlining twin carb 2.2 litre 6. I think I need to get to rustproofing that car and driving it I miss it looking at this beautiful audi.
Interesting that even the early models had the tendency to take up two parking spaces
I begged my father in the 70,s to buy one of those Audi’s, I always thought they were way ahead of other cars in there range... still looks great thought. Love all the glass in those older car gives the car a great panoramic view from inside
I used to have a F102 nice car and an Audi 80 I bought in Holland and had the Swedish custom pulling it to
pieces as it was a popular car by drug couriers. When I arrived in Stockholm one of the rear wheels fell off
a cop car behind me pulled up and the cops were laughing saying "we know you lads drive with bald tyres
but when you drive without wheels we have to say stop!"
My dad had one, an Audi 80 Variant (station wagon), red, bought it in Germany in '66 or '67, I don't remember... great car. We brought it back to Canada in '68, might have been one of the very first ones to be registered in Canada. I certainly never saw an Audi here for years, my friends would all ask "What the heck is that? "... nobody knew how to pronounce Audi either, I got sick of repeating it after a while... couldn't get parts for it, that was a pain...now everybody wants one. Guess we should have kept it, eh? but the rust got it...
My mum has said her Indian friends call Audi’s the “4 bangles car”
Love the channel. So many weird and wonderful cars I've never even heard of and explained excellently. Cheers for the content :)
Audi's history involves the company's Horsch, Wanderer, DKW, Sachsenring, Auto Union, et al. August Horsch founded his own company in the east of Germany (Zwickau) but a hostile takeover saw August ousted from his own company. He started another company but could not use his own name. Now, Horsch means "hark / listen" in German so he used the Latin equivalent for his new company "Audi" which also had the first two letters of his forename. Audi is as we know today, split from the "ring" (that was swallowing the brands into the Sachsenring, brand) taking Auto Union and DKW with it to the west. Horsch, Wanderer and Sachsenring brands eventually died but actually became AWZ / Trabant. The story is a lot more complicated than that but that's a simplified account.
Nice to see the NSU hubnut,remember these from the early 70s👍👍👍
Very interesting to see the earlier days of the Audi 80. I had a much newer '82 model that I enjoyed a lot - stood up well to being used as a van a lot of the time! Not a fan of manual column shift myself. Had a few and Renault 16TX stood out as the best to use and Mitsubishi L300(?) van was the worst. That one gave me back ache from leaning forward for the furthest gears.
I saw a Type 3 Variant yesterday (in Finland). I was awestruck that one of them still existed.
Beautiful 😍 reminds me of our Saab 95 V4 with column change, fixed seatbelt, acceleration on or off. But, handbrake is better located
Very nicely restored sample, looks 'beautiful', though I never liked the 60's style of many German cars, like the fish bowl headlights (exception is perhaps the NSU 1000). Clearly a design from the early sixties, based on the DKW of that era. The Ro80 shows the leap that was being made in the late sixties, such a difference. Eagerly awaiting your video on the NSU!
At 14:16 how many double entendre is HubNut getting into his videos. Enjoyable as ever.
German schoolteachers, in particular Latin teachers, drove these back in the day. Nothing to do with the Audi hooligans known today. Rare find, most rusted away by the mid '80s. Great video!
Very good video Mr Hubnut.
I am definitely liking the little outro's/bloopers at the end of your videos!
My ‘68 Beetle also has those horrible static seatbelts! It’s interesting that they put the Audi’s engine so far forward-it hangs completely in front of the front axle much the way Beetle engines hang completely behind the back axle.
How interesting Mr HubNut, another car I've never heard of or seen before ! In our necks of the woods anyway; great road test, as always.Thank you.
Good god what an interesting engine lay out touch of understeer when pushing on !!
Had an Audi 100 back in the 80s, five cylinder, great car and only car I ever owned went straight through the MOT. Similar odd green colour to the Variant and my brother in law's 80. If you get back into MK let us know and you can have a spin in my Landrover 101. Cheers
DKWs Two Stroke Engine Legacy lived on in its former Factory in the GDR (Trabant).
Great video Ian, thanks.
When viewing from the single door side, I definitely saw MB...Had forgotten about the Auto Union origins of the rings....
Clap hand wipers.....love it! Still favoured on many a Japanese commercial vehicle
Lovely - I miss my early 80s 80. A202XSC was the last car I owned before giving up owning vehicles for over a decade - a hiatus I broke in 2012 when I bought Gloria the Transit.
I didn’t even know this car existed, I thought the first Audi 80 was the 1970s rebadged 1st gen Passat. Thanks Hubbut
The NSU RO80 was very advanced for it's time and a great looking car. The biggest problem it suffered was premature failure of the rotor tip seals but NSU fixed it and made it reliable. Many NSU's in the UK with a seized Wankel engine got re engined with a Ford Essex V4 as they found it was the only engine that would fit without mod's. As an ex Audi driver i was very considerate because i drive all cars like everybody else should. Other Audi drivers gave me a bad name. It's amazing how the Audi 80 evolved over the years.
Good review Ian, lovely example of a very rare car. (Nice colour too, same as my Skoda.) Thanks again as always.
Beautiful station!!!