Errata: Mercedes used an inline 6 engine, not a V6. It's the DTM German Touring Car Championship, not DTW. The mk1 Audi 100 was known as the 100 in North America. It was the mk2 that switched to be called the Audi 5000.
The V8’s brochure also was a thing of luxury. It was a matte black holder with 2 booklets. One for the common main features and one smaller one with real color samples painted on small pieces of paper glued to the pages. I was a 12 yo. boy frequenting the local VAG dealership and the sales representative gave me a copy. It was the greatest thing on earth. I cherished it dreaming that one day I could afford such a fine car myself. I haven’t owned one but a few years ago I saw my first real life V8 parked on the street and fellt 30 years younger for a few moments. In my childish nostalgia it still was the greatest car ever made.
I still have that exact same brochure, given to me by a VAG dealer as well, the year the A8 went for sale. A classmate and I had collecting brochures as hobby :)
I remember a colleague bought one of those when it was a few years old. I think they had two belts to drive the camshafts and the moment those service was due you could buy them for the price of a used golf. He did so and took me for a ride and i was so impressed that it sticks to me till today. Back then heated rear seats were like out of this world to me and i remember the wires of the rear window defroster forming the word "Quattro" which appeared for following cars when the wires were heated...amazing. Strange how some things stay in the brain like a tatoo. Thank your for this trip down memory lane!
Its two 16v vw engines stuck together. So when it works its amazing. ( I should say as a serial 16v owner, they are sweet when they work, but the cis injection is a god damn nightmare)
Liked this story on the V8. Very under rated car from the late 80's early 90's. I have a '93 V8 Quattro 4.2. One of approximately 175 units sold in the USA in 1993. At the time it cost more than the top of the range MB or BMW. This also makes the car rare and unique at car shows. My car still runs flawlessly and has a timeless style, even though some find it plain in todays, some what over wrought cookie cutter style. I also have a '84 Audi 4000 S Quattro. The V8 had/has mile eating power (275 std/ 310 chipped) and comfort. Cruise at 80 to 100 mph as if you were going 55. Yes parts if needed can be difficult to source and can be expensive. Also finding competent service is also challenging, so I end up doing the basics myself. Even Audi dealerships here in the USA don't know about the car. Still when at the local cars and coffee, I always get compliments from car people who know the V8 is different and unique from another era that can still roll out nicely today.
Audi 200 turbo = My dreamcar! I have once a Audi 100 TurboDiesel Avant year 1986. The car have drive 445.000km (278.000miles) when it "died" One of My Best car. I miss it 😢
@@mikafiltenborg2291 I remember test driving one of those in 88, they were the best! Theres nothing like driving over 60 mph in the middle of a snow storm.
One note: the name Audi came before the Volkswagen acquisition. Auto Union was a merger of a bunch of car companies, including Audi. Audi was named after August Horch, audi being the Latin word for horch, which is German for "hear," his son came up with the idea to call it Audi. His company was initially named Horch but he had to change the name because of a legal dispute.
@@ergodoy7741 This is what I read in the Audi museum, which is either inside the Audi factory, or very close to it, it's been a while since I've been there.
In the economic crisis 1932 Auto Union was formed of Audi, Horch, DKW and Wanderer. Post-war the DKW brand was continued for some years, then in 1965 the brand Audi was revived because DKW was mostly known for then-outdated two-stroke engines. Acquiring Audi also allowed VW to renew their outdated line of rear-engine cars and introduce new models based on Audi principles.
@@markmiwurdz202 not true as several others already said here, Audi is the literal translation for "Horch" which was the name of the owner of one of the brands which formed the Auto Union in the 1930's. Previously Horch had sold the Horch brand and therefore he was not allowed to use his name for his new business. So he went for Audi.
I had an 87 5000 Quattro. The panning "Quattro" badge you show at 11:25 is actually the rear defroster grid. On a snowy day you could melt Quattro into snow sitting on the glass. I really liked that touch. Well, that and the locking differentials!
I know right? I loved Audi's clean and attractive designs from the 70s and 80s. I can't stand the overstyled douchebagmobiles it evolved into this century.
I'm sure you've already added it to the list, but I'd really love it if you could do the Jaguar XJ story. I can't help but love these less than perfect luxury cars
A friend of mine's dad used to own one. Still one of the most impressive cars ever. A monster, seriously. The world wasn't ready for such Audis yet. A legend with cultstatus...👍
@@elbecko7969 I also thought a very underrated move choice of car. Suits that era perfectly. More serious less Moore jokes etc. As a kid and as an adult still my favourite Bond. Although the face Dalton pulls when the tanker jacknives. Makes me chuckle. Little things like that shows even he thinks to himself bloody hell in the moment. One example.
Audi's best salesman was chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. It was my university time spending more than 2 hours on the road twice most weeks between my parents' and my single room flat, when he followed on Helmut Kohl and as first German head of government since decades not to use Mercedes. Even the then Audi A8 had a rather poor start but I could see the A8 and smaller A6 blending in on the fast lane once it had become the official state limousine. Previously Audi was, together with Volvo, for people with money who found BMW and Saab too sporty, Mercedes too snobbish and Jaguar or Lancia too much in risk of a breakdown on the way. Once the chancellor had one it was fit for managers as well.
My grandpa had a 100 in the late 60’s to 70’s and it was the reason he survived a horrible car crash that he couldn’t survive in the golf he had before.
Now this is a car from a golden Era. Cars of this generation were the perfect combination of design, engineering and technology in my humble opinion. Thanks for another wonderful presentation!
The A8 was shockingly smooth, round and clear when it came to the market. It’s interior was pure luxury, any increase seemed unthinkable at the time. I had the luck to take a look on this car (as a pre-production vehicle) 18 months before its launch, when i did my student internship at audi design. When I saw it, I immediately knew: now Audi is one of them, one of the greatest in the car world. Leading exterior designer was Chris Bird, (coming from and going to Ford)*, Peter Schreyer was responsible for the interior. *Quote: "Ich make eine soo runde Auto." (I'm making such a round car.)
Another superb video! :D Audis of the past I feel fell into an unfortunate middle-ground against their German rivals, not having the refinement or status of Mercedes-Benz and it's S-Class, but at the same time (aside from the Quattro) not having the same sporting edge as BMW and its original M5. Nowadays, all three companies have become largely the same as they've followed BMW's lead and created performance-orientated sports saloons and hatchbacks, to which I think something has been lost with regard to simple luxury saloon cars like the Audi V8 with a touch of performance, but not specifically pursuing it to the point that comfort (forgive the pun) takes a back seat. :)
Their pursuit to copy and one-up each other has produced intense innovation that the competition has had a hard time keeping up with, but it has as you say produced a "sameness" between all three marques that make them almost interchangeable. I worked with BMW in the 2010s and their desire to copy features from their German rivals was extreme.
They've also put Audi out of the Trans Am series. First they got Audi to carry additional weight. Audi was still winning. Then forced Audi to use narrower tires. This didn't work either. So they banned four wheel drive. This is what oligopoly does, instead of competing, they used influence to get opposition shafted. GM would do it even to their own cars. The 3rd gen Firebird was so much lighter than the 2nd gen, the Turbo Trans Am could have gone toe to toe with Corvette, and judging by Buick's turbo V6, by late 1980s Turbo Trans Am would have had over 350 or even 400 horsepower, taking over Corvette's territory for lower price and roomier interior. So it had to be shafted, because GM was pouring a lot of money into developing C4 Corvette, and they weren't willing to spend even more on engine to make it stand out from Trans Am also by power, and not just by handling. That's my theory based on the fact that 5.7 versions of Trans Am always had to have automatic to make them slower, same as 20th Anniversary Trans Am with turbo V6 availalble only with automatic and detuned from 300 to 250HP.
It was either 60 Minutes or Dateline that also went after GM pickup truck fuel tanks in the 80s. They went so far as to fake a gas tank explosion just for sensational ratings. Thankfully somebody at GM had an eagle eye and noticed a spark in the slow motion footage *before* the impacting vehicle hit the side of the truck.
@@SparrowNoblePoland The offset "power bulge" on the early 3rd gen Trans Am and Formula hood was purportedly intended to clear the turbo 301's intake plumbing, much the way the similar bulge on the 2nd gen turbo cars did. Alas, the beancounters were running the show and decided that Pontiac didn't need its own V8 anymore...
I enjoyed this so very much. As young adults, my mom & dad had very humble finances; they owned a DKW (which ended up being absorbed into Auto Union) with no engine; my mom would sit in the car and my dad would push it to move it around. Later, they had an Auto Union with an actual engine, as I recall. Fast forward to the 1980s, and my mom had an Audi 100 2nd gen, then an Audi 200, then an Audi 100 third gen. Fast forward to 2015. for her birthday in 2015, I gave her an Audi C5 A6 4.2 Quattro V8. She's come a long way.
Cue my Russian accent- "Errr... Tanyaa... you are arr goot (good) girlll"..... Don't know why im using a Russian accent, maybe I'm having a brain aneurysm...
I once had a third generation Audi 100 - with the 2.0 five cylinder engine. Truth to tell It wasn't that quick or the last word in reliability for that matter but I loved it anyway. I can recall distinctly that it made me feel proud to have such a beautiful car at last after having owned many run of the mill motors before. One of those cars a driver wishes he still had.
Your videos get better and better. Really enjoy the level they are pitched at, i.e. below anorak but above wikipedia, and your delivery of the content.
I've got a 91 3.6 Lang! It's an awesome car although it has some minor issues due to being parked for the last ten years. Last June I decided to get it back to its former glory. And I don't regret it!
I was lucky owner of Audi V8 3.6 for couple of short months in 2000. What a beautiful and fine car it was! It had a glitch- sometimes would not start when warm and nothing i could do - just wait for up to 20 minutes. I never got around to fixing it. Unfortunately my friend fell asleep behind the wheel on a tour across Europe , we hit a tree and it burned down completely
@@rolandsv8 geez, lucky you were 18 get back from the point of IMPACT!- so I'm guessing you had you seat belt on whilst being chauffeured, otherwise you would of been catapulted!!!
@@BigCar2 As I do enjoy the bloopers the bonus facts are better. What about a Trivia Question at the beginning and in place of the bloopers the answer with a short explanation?!? I think that would be cool and suite your style well and encourage the A.D.D. in us all to take a back seat. All in all another good one as always my friend.👋
The Audi V8 changed a lot for Audi. Audi sales brochures changed - before they were in blank white, the V8 brochure had the car pictured on the front page in a townlike environment. I only got to know the car by reading and looking into that sale brochure, because the dealership we bought our Audis never sold a V8. It took four years - I think - before I actually saw a V8 in reality. That "new" Audi 100 from 1990, my parents owned that car. I especially liked the dashboard - designed by Peter Schreyer - it came straight out of the V8. Truth be told, it wasn't that "new" at all. I know because I own - for ten years now - an Audi 100 2.2 Quattro (1986), the "typ 44" and it's almost identical to the 100 my parents owned between 1991 and 2009. They changed it into the A6 in 1995 (I think), which was basically another update from that typ 44. In 1992 there was a whole saga around the V8 and the DTM. That car won in 1990 & 1991 the DTM-championship (Stuck and Biela were the drivers, I think). In 1992 Mercedes & BMW opposed an evolution in the V8 (I think it had something to do with the engine), so Audi quit during the season. In 1993 one of those V8-DTM's appeared in the Belgian Touring Car Championship, where they completely smashed the opposition.
Nicely done. I'm a fan of Audi, although here in the States we haven't had as many models to choose from. Anyway, I have a '16 C7 S6 and I absolutely love it.
Very well presented! I owned a 200 20v avant and also a sedan, both Cayenne red metallic. They were fast but the V8 had the looks. It still looks good to this day!
@@BigCar2 I have enjoyed ALL of your videos. There must be so much research and effort that goes into making them. Good work and very much appreciated. I don't know if you do requests, but how about the Honda Jazz/Fit? Been around a very long time and has recently changed to hibrid only with an unusual drive train. Sold around the world too, so would appeal to your global audience. Thank you again for your channel. :-)
I’ve had 2 c5 Audi A6’s. One 4.2 wide body v8 sedan and one 3.0 v6 wagon. They were the most reliable and well equipped cars I’ve ever owned, and the awd is unmatched. I miss them !
I have seen your videos before but for some reason never clicked on one. That was a mistake. I was an instant subscriber after watching your nuclear powered car video, now I have catching up to do! Thanks for doing what you do!
In the US, Ferdinand Piech himself appeared on TV commercials, holding a turbocharger in his hand while staring you in the eye. "A four cylinder was too small, a 6 was too heavy, so a 5 with turbo was the ticket" or something to that effect. The name "5000" was chosen because Audi thought it would resonate best with Americans; the smaller Audi 80 was called the 4000.
I love this brand. I'm on my second one, now, after previously owning nothing but GM's. Can't beat the interior quality, and I really appreciate how subtle and professional their cars look. I've always felt like their horsepower and torque figures were just a little behind what I'd like to see for any given model and engine combination, but... well, it's been a while since I've been late to work, so they did at least good enough. Thanks for the video!
@@BigCar2 Indeed! I asked a friend a couple of months ago. It's a bit strange, as the rear door is the same size but the third window is big. But it's luxurious nonetheless, mine has the Magnolia Connolly leather with black piping, like a Rolls Royce Silver Spur of the time, combined with black exterior, quite elegant in my opinion. Also it has only 116.000 kms in the odometer!
Only time I ever saw an early Audi 100 as a kid was in the movie ET. Elliot's mum drove one. But the newer model from the 80's I remember well. Thought it looked pretty cool as a kid, & the estate.
The Audi 5000(both 2nd and 3rd generation models) was also featured on Magnum P.I. as well. Just like the now famous Ferrari 308 that was used in the show, the Audi 5000 was owned by the mysterious Robin Masters' and was his main luxury sedan that was mostly driven by Higgins throughout the show.
No wonder Audi chooses that movie franchise to be doing a product placement with- a weird story line and character (E.T.)- with an even weirder odd ball sort of a car...
I had two 200's. The first was the turbo saloon and the 2nd was the turbo quattro avant. The saloon had more lag(or felt like it) and you had to put your foot down well before the apex ready for the turbo to kick in. The avant was incredible and I'd taken it off road looking for mates out shooting. With hindsight, I was lucky I didn't get stuck but with diff lock, I never did. Probably the most fun estate I've had apart from an E430 estate.
remember having the chance to buy a cheap one of these years ago. probably just as well i didn't but i've always loved these. so elegant. they haven't made anything i really want since.
Great video of a car that I LOVED! BTW, The second generation 100 also had an avant version, allthough it was more like a fastback. Another point of interest, The 100 and 200 was assembled in South Africa. The third an fourth generation models were sold as 400, 500, and turbo.
I remember when the V8 first came out: I loved it. A very neat design with the grille incorporated into the grille, that would become a common design feature on subsequent Audi models. I was under the impression that the V8 replaced the 200 though. I couldn't remember both models being on sale at the same time, at least in the UK. 🤔
That V8 engine is indeed a member of the EA827/888 engine family. It is what he said, essentially two GTI engines "Siamesed" at the crankshaft. They eventually cut two center cylinders out of this V8 to make Audi's 90 degree V6. And they also eventually produced a diesel V12 from this basic design. The V10 that was mentioned in this was first proposed by Ferdinand Piech for use in Porsche's new flagship, the 928. It was turned down in favor of an in-house V8 design. The V10 remained as blueprints until Audi bought Lamborghini, at which point it was developed, produced, and installed in the Gallardo, among various Audi's. Great video!
Audi or VW has done brilliantly to take the brand to where it is today, very much a prestige brand, offering quality and performance and very much a competitor for BMW and Mercedes.
Another brilliant video. Hope Big Car will do one soon about the VW pontoons like the VW1500 and 411, everything on Alfa Romeo (including the ARNA) is also very welcome.
I owned a used 97' A 8 for about 4 years. Loved it. 4.2 V8 sounded beautiful. Interior was plush and it drove through snow better than a plow. I only got rid of it because of electrical gremlins.
audi was initially called Horch. an 18 year old college student who happened to be joining a high level Horch business conference overheard them talking about changing the name. he randomly blurted out "how about Audi? that even still means Horch, only in latin." dated german language: Horch=Listen=Audi
One bit you missed , When Daimler sold Audi to Volkswagen , they slapped a restriction on the sales clause that they cannot develop and sell 6 cylinders or 8 cylinder vehicles for 30 years . Hence the reason Piech focused on 5 cylinder development from 1972. When the restrictions ended in 1987 , they simply named is V8 more so to highlight their capacity in the luxury market.
As a kid, we would go to the car show in Glasgow every year. The finest car I ever sat in was a bright red Audi 200 Avant Quattro. Silly name. Gorgeous big bus. Closest I got was a 350,000 km Audi 90 with the V6. That thing pulled like a train.
I may be odd, but I think that the V8 looks more modern than either the car that replaced it or the newer Mercedes mentioned here. 80's Audis were low-slung, aerodynamic and sporty looking, while the other cars I mentioned look bloated and dull.
I used to work at a vw/Audi dealer between 95 and 2001. One thing that always reminds me, is the braking system at the front. The brake disc are very special... And you're right.... Expensive 😂😂.
Gosh, I owned an Audi V8 around 2014 ish, one of my biggest regrets was selling it. :( It was amazing! It could plow through even the most snow covered Canadian back roads. I mean seriously. I could drive through snow higher than the door handles and even coming over the bonnet and it would just push right through! I will always miss that car!
This is fantastic. I had forgotten that Auto Union/DKW had briefly been owned by Mercedes. In fact, there were some styling similarities, I think. One point, I think that the S class then had a straight 6 or a V8. Please keep random facts rather than bloopers at the end. Dying for the next one. Well done Andy!
Errata: Mercedes used an inline 6 engine, not a V6.
It's the DTM German Touring Car Championship, not DTW.
The mk1 Audi 100 was known as the 100 in North America. It was the mk2 that switched to be called the Audi 5000.
Why not an Mercedes a class story
Mahindra scorpio story
Look at you! Sneaking bloopers into the middle of the video, seeing if we'll catch them.
@@jamesengland7461 😂
@@linusorlinux8787 Maybe in the future.
The V8’s brochure also was a thing of luxury. It was a matte black holder with 2 booklets. One for the common main features and one smaller one with real color samples painted on small pieces of paper glued to the pages. I was a 12 yo. boy frequenting the local VAG dealership and the sales representative gave me a copy. It was the greatest thing on earth. I cherished it dreaming that one day I could afford such a fine car myself. I haven’t owned one but a few years ago I saw my first real life V8 parked on the street and fellt 30 years younger for a few moments. In my childish nostalgia it still was the greatest car ever made.
I still have that exact same brochure, given to me by a VAG dealer as well, the year the A8 went for sale. A classmate and I had collecting brochures as hobby :)
@@MdvK13979 that’s why the sales guy gave me that brochure! From that same era you should also have the the Golf Country brochure ?
No
And this is why we love cars.
Paper glued onto paper
Does not a car make
Audi director: "You need to differentiate between 100, 200 and V8. Use your fantasy!"
Audi designers: "According to which DIN standard, sir?"
I remember a colleague bought one of those when it was a few years old. I think they had two belts to drive the camshafts and the moment those service was due you could buy them for the price of a used golf. He did so and took me for a ride and i was so impressed that it sticks to me till today. Back then heated rear seats were like out of this world to me and i remember the wires of the rear window defroster forming the word "Quattro" which appeared for following cars when the wires were heated...amazing.
Strange how some things stay in the brain like a tatoo.
Thank your for this trip down memory lane!
Its two 16v vw engines stuck together. So when it works its amazing. ( I should say as a serial 16v owner, they are sweet when they work, but the cis injection is a god damn nightmare)
Liked this story on the V8. Very under rated car from the late 80's early 90's. I have a '93 V8 Quattro 4.2. One of approximately 175 units sold in the USA in 1993. At the time it cost more than the top of the range MB or BMW. This also makes the car rare and unique at car shows. My car still runs flawlessly and has a timeless style, even though some find it plain in todays, some what over wrought cookie cutter style. I also have a '84 Audi 4000 S Quattro. The V8 had/has mile eating power (275 std/ 310 chipped) and comfort. Cruise at 80 to 100 mph as if you were going 55. Yes parts if needed can be difficult to source and can be expensive. Also finding competent service is also challenging, so I end up doing the basics myself. Even Audi dealerships here in the USA don't know about the car. Still when at the local cars and coffee, I always get compliments from car people who know the V8 is different and unique from another era that can still roll out nicely today.
Wow, didn't know they only sold 175 units in the us, I also have a 93, no car that I ever owned comes close to it's drive.
And the Audi 5 cylinder is legendary , I love the offbeat rumble
I have an 1994 Audi S4 as my daily driver and it is chipped.
The original A8 was one of the slickest looking cars.
I had owned a 1992 200 Turbo Quattro, one of the best cars I ever owned! It was beautiful how the car would cruise through Upstate NY snow storms
Audi 200 turbo = My dreamcar!
I have once a Audi 100 TurboDiesel Avant year 1986.
The car have drive 445.000km (278.000miles) when it "died"
One of My Best car. I miss it 😢
@@mikafiltenborg2291 I remember test driving one of those in 88, they were the best! Theres nothing like driving over 60 mph in the middle of a snow storm.
@@mikafiltenborg2291 what happened to it ,and why didn't you repair it at the time?
my dad own a 1980 audi 200 non turbo
Had one a very long time ago it was avery good car for Chicago winters!
One note: the name Audi came before the Volkswagen acquisition. Auto Union was a merger of a bunch of car companies, including Audi. Audi was named after August Horch, audi being the Latin word for horch, which is German for "hear," his son came up with the idea to call it Audi. His company was initially named Horch but he had to change the name because of a legal dispute.
That’s a great factoid. I always thought Audi was auto union deutchland Industry or something like that.
@@ergodoy7741 This is what I read in the Audi museum, which is either inside the Audi factory, or very close to it, it's been a while since I've been there.
In the economic crisis 1932 Auto Union was formed of Audi, Horch, DKW and Wanderer. Post-war the DKW brand was continued for some years, then in 1965 the brand Audi was revived because DKW was mostly known for then-outdated two-stroke engines. Acquiring Audi also allowed VW to renew their outdated line of rear-engine cars and introduce new models based on Audi principles.
I read somewhere that AUDI stood for "Auto Union Deutschland Ingoldstadt". Ingoldstadt was the town where the company was based/founded.
@@markmiwurdz202 not true as several others already said here, Audi is the literal translation for "Horch" which was the name of the owner of one of the brands which formed the Auto Union in the 1930's. Previously Horch had sold the Horch brand and therefore he was not allowed to use his name for his new business. So he went for Audi.
A Big car video on a Friday = Best Weekend
Always gets me to sleep, I have to watch the videos at least 2 times alwags
That and Legion of Skanks.
I had an 87 5000 Quattro. The panning "Quattro" badge you show at 11:25 is actually the rear defroster grid. On a snowy day you could melt Quattro into snow sitting on the glass. I really liked that touch. Well, that and the locking differentials!
Back when Audi knew exactly how to make a brilliantly clean design 👍🇩🇪
I agree, to me they stopped making good looking cars around 2012 when they started to design boring cars
I know right? I loved Audi's clean and attractive designs from the 70s and 80s. I can't stand the overstyled douchebagmobiles it evolved into this century.
Huh? Current Audis are clean and gorgeous in my view; by far their best ever.
@@jamesengland7461 I'm probably just old 🙂
Kinda agree ,although had 2 in the last 7 years as company lease cars ,wouldn’t be my first choice but they were stupid cheap...
I'm sure you've already added it to the list, but I'd really love it if you could do the Jaguar XJ story. I can't help but love these less than perfect luxury cars
Eventually!
Would love to know the story of the XJ!
A friend of mine's dad used to own one. Still one of the most impressive cars ever. A monster, seriously. The world wasn't ready for such Audis yet. A legend with cultstatus...👍
Those big 80s Audis were a Bond car: The Living Daylights
In the Living Daylights Bond used Aston Martin V8 Vantage.
@@SparrowNoblePoland What car did he use to smuggle General Koskov out of Czechoslovakia, and then while surveiling General Pushkin in Karachi?
Audi 200 and a 200 avant estate were used.
Love that film. Dalton fan 🙂
@@edgarbeat275 Fantastic actor. A very intelligent way of approaching the role.
@@elbecko7969 I also thought a very underrated move choice of car. Suits that era perfectly. More serious less Moore jokes etc. As a kid and as an adult still my favourite Bond.
Although the face Dalton pulls when the tanker jacknives. Makes me chuckle. Little things like that shows even he thinks to himself bloody hell in the moment. One example.
Audi's best salesman was chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. It was my university time spending more than 2 hours on the road twice most weeks between my parents' and my single room flat, when he followed on Helmut Kohl and as first German head of government since decades not to use Mercedes. Even the then Audi A8 had a rather poor start but I could see the A8 and smaller A6 blending in on the fast lane once it had become the official state limousine. Previously Audi was, together with Volvo, for people with money who found BMW and Saab too sporty, Mercedes too snobbish and Jaguar or Lancia too much in risk of a breakdown on the way. Once the chancellor had one it was fit for managers as well.
My grandpa had a 100 in the late 60’s to 70’s and it was the reason he survived a horrible car crash that he couldn’t survive in the golf he had before.
The Golf didn't come out till '74, is it possible he had a Beetle?
Glad to hear you're all good.
Regards from Dublin.
Dopple-ganger perhaps???
Ah I loveeeed my A8. I need to get one but the maintenance is insane.
Maintaince is insane??
Now this is a car from a golden Era. Cars of this generation were the perfect combination of design, engineering and technology in my humble opinion.
Thanks for another wonderful presentation!
To this day I love wood interiors like that. Audi and Mercedes and Lexus did them the best.
True craftsmanship and quality.
Brilliant to see the long forgotten v8 remembered. Great work. I look forward to all your work, it’s top quality
just bought 1991 audi 100 with only 84k miles and it runs like new. it was a true barn find.
The A8 was shockingly smooth, round and clear when it came to the market. It’s interior was pure luxury, any increase seemed unthinkable at the time.
I had the luck to take a look on this car (as a pre-production vehicle) 18 months before its launch, when i did my student internship at audi design. When I saw it, I immediately knew: now Audi is one of them, one of the greatest in the car world. Leading exterior designer was Chris Bird, (coming from and going to Ford)*, Peter Schreyer was responsible for the interior.
*Quote: "Ich make eine soo runde Auto." (I'm making such a round car.)
Nice to see the ZX80 in the background again
Another superb video! :D
Audis of the past I feel fell into an unfortunate middle-ground against their German rivals, not having the refinement or status of Mercedes-Benz and it's S-Class, but at the same time (aside from the Quattro) not having the same sporting edge as BMW and its original M5. Nowadays, all three companies have become largely the same as they've followed BMW's lead and created performance-orientated sports saloons and hatchbacks, to which I think something has been lost with regard to simple luxury saloon cars like the Audi V8 with a touch of performance, but not specifically pursuing it to the point that comfort (forgive the pun) takes a back seat. :)
Their pursuit to copy and one-up each other has produced intense innovation that the competition has had a hard time keeping up with, but it has as you say produced a "sameness" between all three marques that make them almost interchangeable. I worked with BMW in the 2010s and their desire to copy features from their German rivals was extreme.
Can't stop laughing swear to God!!!-"comfort takes a back seat"!!!!
@@kenlee-97 me - 2
Thank you for mentioning how the American media almost put Audi out of business. Blame this on CBS and their 60 minutes program.
They've also put Audi out of the Trans Am series. First they got Audi to carry additional weight. Audi was still winning. Then forced Audi to use narrower tires. This didn't work either. So they banned four wheel drive.
This is what oligopoly does, instead of competing, they used influence to get opposition shafted.
GM would do it even to their own cars. The 3rd gen Firebird was so much lighter than the 2nd gen, the Turbo Trans Am could have gone toe to toe with Corvette, and judging by Buick's turbo V6, by late 1980s Turbo Trans Am would have had over 350 or even 400 horsepower, taking over Corvette's territory for lower price and roomier interior.
So it had to be shafted, because GM was pouring a lot of money into developing C4 Corvette, and they weren't willing to spend even more on engine to make it stand out from Trans Am also by power, and not just by handling. That's my theory based on the fact that 5.7 versions of Trans Am always had to have automatic to make them slower, same as 20th Anniversary Trans Am with turbo V6 availalble only with automatic and detuned from 300 to 250HP.
It was either 60 Minutes or Dateline that also went after GM pickup truck fuel tanks in the 80s. They went so far as to fake a gas tank explosion just for sensational ratings. Thankfully somebody at GM had an eagle eye and noticed a spark in the slow motion footage *before* the impacting vehicle hit the side of the truck.
@@deloreanman14 didnt know that t.x
@@rocketsurgery1085 You're welcome. Yeah it's pretty much forgotten about by now but you can find it here: ua-cam.com/video/KtpMzGN9uWc/v-deo.html
@@SparrowNoblePoland The offset "power bulge" on the early 3rd gen Trans Am and Formula hood was purportedly intended to clear the turbo 301's intake plumbing, much the way the similar bulge on the 2nd gen turbo cars did. Alas, the beancounters were running the show and decided that Pontiac didn't need its own V8 anymore...
What a great informative video. Took me to a time travel from cars of early 70s till 200s.
I enjoyed this so very much. As young adults, my mom & dad had very humble finances; they owned a DKW (which ended up being absorbed into Auto Union) with no engine; my mom would sit in the car and my dad would push it to move it around. Later, they had an Auto Union with an actual engine, as I recall. Fast forward to the 1980s, and my mom had an Audi 100 2nd gen, then an Audi 200, then an Audi 100 third gen. Fast forward to 2015. for her birthday in 2015, I gave her an Audi C5 A6 4.2 Quattro V8. She's come a long way.
the C5 is the most beautiful A6, great choice. Kinda depressing they had a car without an engine first though
Cue my Russian accent-
"Errr... Tanyaa... you are arr goot (good) girlll".....
Don't know why im using a Russian accent, maybe I'm having a brain aneurysm...
@JOHNSON Chodenseider flintstone car...
I once had a third generation Audi 100 - with the 2.0 five cylinder engine. Truth to tell It wasn't that quick or the last word in reliability for that matter but I loved it anyway. I can recall distinctly that it made me feel proud to have such a beautiful car at last after having owned many run of the mill motors before. One of those cars a driver wishes he still had.
Was it turbo- and yes ,what a proud moment to own an Audi.
Your videos get better and better. Really enjoy the level they are pitched at, i.e. below anorak but above wikipedia, and your delivery of the content.
Precisely-very well put my friend!
i was a lucky owner of a Audi V8 3.6 in late 90's - what a great piece of German engineering it was
I've got a 91 3.6 Lang! It's an awesome car although it has some minor issues due to being parked for the last ten years. Last June I decided to get it back to its former glory. And I don't regret it!
I had a pearl white 1991 V8. A great looking car.
I was lucky owner of Audi V8 3.6 for couple of short months in 2000. What a beautiful and fine car it was! It had a glitch- sometimes would not start when warm and nothing i could do - just wait for up to 20 minutes. I never got around to fixing it. Unfortunately my friend fell asleep behind the wheel on a tour across Europe , we hit a tree and it burned down completely
@@rolandsv8 geez, lucky you were 18 get back from the point of IMPACT!- so I'm guessing you had you seat belt on whilst being chauffeured, otherwise you would of been catapulted!!!
I liked the bonus facts in place of the bloopers. Great video as always.
Beautifully engineered cars !!!
Great content as always, thank you .
Darren (:
Another interesting and well presented episode. Thanks
Oooh, I like the bonus facts! A very welcome addition :D
If I have stuff that I can’t fit in I’ll put it at the end as this seems to work well.
@@BigCar2 As I do enjoy the bloopers the bonus facts are better. What about a Trivia Question at the beginning and in place of the bloopers the answer with a short explanation?!? I think that would be cool and suite your style well and encourage the A.D.D. in us all to take a back seat. All in all another good one as always my friend.👋
Facts better than bloopers, thank you for another great video!
Great vid, Thx for sharing
Superb video as always. Thank you.
The Audi V8 changed a lot for Audi. Audi sales brochures changed - before they were in blank white, the V8 brochure had the car pictured on the front page in a townlike environment. I only got to know the car by reading and looking into that sale brochure, because the dealership we bought our Audis never sold a V8. It took four years - I think - before I actually saw a V8 in reality.
That "new" Audi 100 from 1990, my parents owned that car. I especially liked the dashboard - designed by Peter Schreyer - it came straight out of the V8. Truth be told, it wasn't that "new" at all. I know because I own - for ten years now - an Audi 100 2.2 Quattro (1986), the "typ 44" and it's almost identical to the 100 my parents owned between 1991 and 2009. They changed it into the A6 in 1995 (I think), which was basically another update from that typ 44.
In 1992 there was a whole saga around the V8 and the DTM. That car won in 1990 & 1991 the DTM-championship (Stuck and Biela were the drivers, I think). In 1992 Mercedes & BMW opposed an evolution in the V8 (I think it had something to do with the engine), so Audi quit during the season. In 1993 one of those V8-DTM's appeared in the Belgian Touring Car Championship, where they completely smashed the opposition.
Nicely done. I'm a fan of Audi, although here in the States we haven't had as many models to choose from. Anyway, I have a '16 C7 S6 and I absolutely love it.
i was in the states for a year in 90, and my girlfriends dad drove a 100, they spoke about it like a new brand..........
@@MrFlyingguy That's funny, but I understand completely. Many people looked at it that way.
Nice, I’ve got ‘14 C7 A6 with the FSI V6. Never had one issue with it, and feels like a turbo on the road.
@@MyMarsham The C7 generation is a great car.
Great vlog as always! Our family had a 1970 VW K-70 from 1978-1982. That was the forfather for the VW Passat. Great car!
the fact that the V8 LWB doesn't have longer doors and has such a long rear quarter window kinda bothers me
Great quality content.
Very well presented! I owned a 200 20v avant and also a sedan, both Cayenne red metallic. They were fast but the V8 had the looks. It still looks good to this day!
Excellent as always. As the proud owner of an ‘88 Audi 100 2.2E, this one was of particular interest to me. 👍🏼👍🏼
Nice video. The pics of that silver A8 & the blue metallic S8 show the best looking big sedan ever built.
Brilliant as ever. Thank you for another stonking Big Car video!
Glad you enjoyed it Wilf!
@@BigCar2 I have enjoyed ALL of your videos. There must be so much research and effort that goes into making them. Good work and very much appreciated.
I don't know if you do requests, but how about the Honda Jazz/Fit? Been around a very long time and has recently changed to hibrid only with an unusual drive train. Sold around the world too, so would appeal to your global audience.
Thank you again for your channel. :-)
I’ve had 2 c5 Audi A6’s. One 4.2 wide body v8 sedan and one 3.0 v6 wagon. They were the most reliable and well equipped cars I’ve ever owned, and the awd is unmatched. I miss them !
Yet another great documentary...wow. You are doing such a fantastic job...thank you!
Glad you liked it Toine.
@@BigCar2 You're beating regular Television all the time and I am proof of it. Respect!
A presentation on the XJS would be nice to see.
Awesome Video!!! Thank you for that very good explanation!
I have an Audi A8 2010 4.2tdi with 90k miles and i’m in love with the sound and the fact that its really reliable even after 12 years
I have seen your videos before but for some reason never clicked on one. That was a mistake. I was an instant subscriber after watching your nuclear powered car video, now I have catching up to do! Thanks for doing what you do!
Glad you’re enjoying them!
mate you are in good company if you looking for wikipedia on cars......
Enjoy the binge ;)
you're in for a real treat , they're very entertaining.
Mr Big Car is absolutely brilliant at this type of video, he does an amazing amount of research to ensure accuracy. 😊
Has to be the best presented and visually video so far on this channel like the new style
"The 200, also known as the 500, still known as the 5000 in North America..." Well- crafted sentence! The number scheme is quite odd, indeed
I wanted to catch them all. I found the US numbering system confusing when looking at the 100 & 200 growing up, so I wanted to clarify it!
Similar to Mercedes and BMW now!
In the US, Ferdinand Piech himself appeared on TV commercials, holding a turbocharger in his hand while staring you in the eye. "A four cylinder was too small, a 6 was too heavy, so a 5 with turbo was the ticket" or something to that effect. The name "5000" was chosen because Audi thought it would resonate best with Americans; the smaller Audi 80 was called the 4000.
Americans: everything here is bigger than in Europe
Audi: changes the name to 5000, the largest number they could think of.
The whole car is quite odd.
Why you don't have more subscribers, is beyond my understanding... Great content once again! Cheers
Sinclair ZX-80 in the background, awesome! 👍 Great video as always, thanks.
Thanks!
Came looking for this comment. Good eyes 😃
I love this brand. I'm on my second one, now, after previously owning nothing but GM's. Can't beat the interior quality, and I really appreciate how subtle and professional their cars look. I've always felt like their horsepower and torque figures were just a little behind what I'd like to see for any given model and engine combination, but... well, it's been a while since I've been late to work, so they did at least good enough. Thanks for the video!
Finally somebody's remember this legends 👍
Excellent video
very well told story with premium production quality
The aero 100 was like a spaceship when it was launched in the early 80's!
BMW had a S class competitor before the 7 series was launched it was called the "New six" (e3) and it was launched in 1968
Called "neuw classe"- not new six.
I’m a fan of Audi always have been and admire there innovation and technology over the decades. Well presented, I only wish it was longer.
There was very little info out there, so I wrung what I could find dry!
I have a 1992 s4 turbo Quattro, so cool still have that cell phone there, one of the best cars I have owned
Awesome video! I have a Audi V8 Lang, one of the 273 built. Very cool and quirky car, very long but maneuverable.
Do you sometimes get people to chauffeur you around? 😉
@@BigCar2 Indeed! I asked a friend a couple of months ago. It's a bit strange, as the rear door is the same size but the third window is big. But it's luxurious nonetheless, mine has the Magnolia Connolly leather with black piping, like a Rolls Royce Silver Spur of the time, combined with black exterior, quite elegant in my opinion. Also it has only 116.000 kms in the odometer!
very entertaining video mate, and i haven't even watched it yet.
Only time I ever saw an early Audi 100 as a kid was in the movie ET. Elliot's mum drove one. But the newer model from the 80's I remember well. Thought it looked pretty cool as a kid, & the estate.
It was badged 5000 in the states though ,but same car..👍
product placement at work
The Audi 5000(both 2nd and 3rd generation models) was also featured on Magnum P.I. as well. Just like the now famous Ferrari 308 that was used in the show, the Audi 5000 was owned by the mysterious Robin Masters' and was his main luxury sedan that was mostly driven by Higgins throughout the show.
Well I couldn't have told you that like ( about the Audi being in Magnum but I'm aware of the Ferrari).
No wonder Audi chooses that movie franchise to be doing a product placement with- a weird story line and character (E.T.)- with an even weirder odd ball sort of a car...
Marvellous! Many thanks.
great work...
greetings...
Never came across an early V8 , my nephew had a 200 turbo 👌🏻😎
Loved it. I really enjoy the facts you dig up, and how I find out about and begin to appreciate cars I've previously dismissed
Another amazing video :)
Well, it’s no Volvo video...
@@BigCar2 🤣🤣🤣 I think you've done your bit for the cause 😃
I had two 200's. The first was the turbo saloon and the 2nd was the turbo quattro avant. The saloon had more lag(or felt like it) and you had to put your foot down well before the apex ready for the turbo to kick in. The avant was incredible and I'd taken it off road looking for mates out shooting. With hindsight, I was lucky I didn't get stuck but with diff lock, I never did. Probably the most fun estate I've had apart from an E430 estate.
Saturday morning, sunny, coffe, cigarette and big car. Perfect start of the weekend 👍🏼👍🏼
Your words remind me of Mafia!
@@kenlee-97 hahaha...True
@@antoniobrajkovic1977 and plenty of killings, no?- ( In an Italian accent)
Thankyou sir .
remember having the chance to buy a cheap one of these years ago. probably just as well i didn't but i've always loved these. so elegant. they haven't made anything i really want since.
Your hair may of all fallen out ,IFyou had bought one of these old Audis remember, these were cheap second-hand, for a reason.
Great video of a car that I LOVED! BTW, The second generation 100 also had an avant version, allthough it was more like a fastback. Another point of interest, The 100 and 200 was assembled in South Africa. The third an fourth generation models were sold as 400, 500, and turbo.
it was indeed called the avant but it was a fastback/liftback and not an estate
Interesting video. I quite like the factoids at the end as opposed to the bloopers 👍
Me too!
I remember when the V8 first came out: I loved it. A very neat design with the grille incorporated into the grille, that would become a common design feature on subsequent Audi models.
I was under the impression that the V8 replaced the 200 though. I couldn't remember both models being on sale at the same time, at least in the UK. 🤔
Brilliant Video. Please Do one about the MK1 A8 D2 also Please.
That V8 engine is indeed a member of the EA827/888 engine family. It is what he said, essentially two GTI engines "Siamesed" at the crankshaft. They eventually cut two center cylinders out of this V8 to make Audi's 90 degree V6. And they also eventually produced a diesel V12 from this basic design.
The V10 that was mentioned in this was first proposed by Ferdinand Piech for use in Porsche's new flagship, the 928. It was turned down in favor of an in-house V8 design. The V10 remained as blueprints until Audi bought Lamborghini, at which point it was developed, produced, and installed in the Gallardo, among various Audi's.
Great video!
Audi or VW has done brilliantly to take the brand to where it is today, very much a prestige brand, offering quality and performance and very much a competitor for BMW and Mercedes.
I have 1987 Audi 100 CS and 1988 Audi Coupé. Such a great cars, still almost rustless and easily restorable
Despite its short comings I love the look of the v8 always fancied one 👌
Very nice , thx
My 2011 Audi A8L 4.2 has 181,000 miles on it and although it’s not used very often, it’s still a beautiful running luxurious car.
Another brilliant video. Hope Big Car will do one soon about the VW pontoons like the VW1500 and 411, everything on Alfa Romeo (including the ARNA) is also very welcome.
I'm thinking about doing a whole history of Alfa, which should help me as I know very little about them.
I owned a used 97' A 8 for about 4 years. Loved it. 4.2 V8 sounded beautiful. Interior was plush and it drove through snow better than a plow. I only got rid of it because of electrical gremlins.
I thought the A8s were a reliable expensive Audi?
audi was initially called Horch.
an 18 year old college student who happened to be joining a high level Horch business conference overheard them talking about changing the name. he randomly blurted out "how about Audi? that even still means Horch, only in latin." dated german language: Horch=Listen=Audi
Audio
"Horche"- see what I did there?
great video, more audi please (and bugatti veryron)
We’ll see how this one does.
One bit you missed , When Daimler sold Audi to Volkswagen , they slapped a restriction on the sales clause that they cannot develop and sell 6 cylinders or 8 cylinder vehicles for 30 years . Hence the reason Piech focused on 5 cylinder development from 1972. When the restrictions ended in 1987 , they simply named is V8 more so to highlight their capacity in the luxury market.
Interesting - I wasn’t aware of that.
Great documentary Sir.
I still miss my -92 S4 with the 2.2 Turbo.
As a kid, we would go to the car show in Glasgow every year.
The finest car I ever sat in was a bright red Audi 200 Avant Quattro.
Silly name. Gorgeous big bus.
Closest I got was a 350,000 km Audi 90 with the V6. That thing pulled like a train.
My dad had a red mk1 200 Turbo. It was amazing...
I may be odd, but I think that the V8 looks more modern than either the car that replaced it or the newer Mercedes mentioned here. 80's Audis were low-slung, aerodynamic and sporty looking, while the other cars I mentioned look bloated and dull.
I used to work at a vw/Audi dealer between 95 and 2001. One thing that always reminds me, is the braking system at the front. The brake disc are very special... And you're right.... Expensive 😂😂.
I am proud owner of a 1990 Audi V8 3,6. Todays a Audi V8 is a entusiast car. And I am one of the entusiasts.
Gosh, I owned an Audi V8 around 2014 ish, one of my biggest regrets was selling it. :( It was amazing! It could plow through even the most snow covered Canadian back roads. I mean seriously. I could drive through snow higher than the door handles and even coming over the bonnet and it would just push right through! I will always miss that car!
This is fantastic. I had forgotten that Auto Union/DKW had briefly been owned by Mercedes. In fact, there were some styling similarities, I think. One point, I think that the S class then had a straight 6 or a V8. Please keep random facts rather than bloopers at the end. Dying for the next one. Well done Andy!
Thanks for the feedback, and glad you liked it!
My favourite Audi from the 90s was the 80 1.8e. It had a certain charm that most modern Audis don’t have… character!
Very interesting!