"What's a quattro?"

[quk@sievers.com (Phil Payne)]

In message <"<C644103281552D79>C644103281552D79@wtn2.bbc"@-SMF-> ph%wn.bbc@nr-comms.radio.bbc.co.uk (Heneghan,Paul) writes:

> What constitutes a "real" quattro?  >136hp?  turbo? coupe body? urQ body?

Strictly in the terms of the UK quattro Owners Club - an ur-quattro or Sport.  
We have several non-turbo ur-quattros.

We actually have quite a few enthusiast members driving 100Qs, 200Qs, etc.

Their problems are somewhat different - there are more such vehicles around, 
service is easier and parts are easier to get.  Urqs, at least in the UK, are 
also "classics" in the sense that their value is stable - the average purchase 
price of an MB, for instance, rose by GBP1000 this year. 

There is, however, absolutely no difference between "enthusiast" and "full" 
membership status other than the name.  All receive all benefits.

The club also maintains a (voluntary and confidential) database of VINs, 
engine numbers, registrations and mileages.  We were in the unfortunate 
position of telling one member, earlier this year, that he had a car with 
duplicate vital identifiers to another member's car.  The database is useful, 
though, in helping to put people with similar situations in touch - and 
fascinating in reconstructing how the cars were built.  The sequences of which 
engines were put into which chassis is fascinating - these really were "parts 
bin" cars.  The production rate, over product life, amounts to less than three 
cars a day.  That's a _lot_ less than Ferrari or Porsche.
 

--
 Phil Payne
 phil@sievers.com
 Committee Member, UK Audi [ur-]quattro Owners Club