Vehicle Description
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The most exciting and collectible Audi of all time
Extremely well-preserved and maintained example
One of only 10 examples made for the U.S. market - one of 164
street examples worldwide
Extensive mechanical servicing and concours preparation performed
by Canepa
300+ horsepower, 240lb/ft+ of torque from its 2.1-liter
turbocharged engine
Brought to the U.S. to promote Pikes Peak in 1986, then federalized
for U.S. road use
Audi's famous homologation street car for Group B racing
The World Rally Championship launched Group B racing in 1982,
enabling manufacturers to produce customized sports vehicles to
compete in rallies across the world. The most well-known, Group B,
is credited with inspiring the development of some of the strongest
and fastest rally cars ever made, with some vehicles appearing to
defy physics and generating power levels that reach incredible
heights. In order for a model to compete in rallies, Group B
additionally mandated that at least 200 road-going vehicles, or
homologation cars, be made. The Sport Quattro, which Audi launched,
completely altered the rally scene.
On June 19th, 1985, the Audi factory produced this remarkable
specimen. Given that it is one of the initial 10 Sport Quattros
intended for the American market out of the 164 street cars
delivered out of the total of 214 cars made, this is one of the
rarest models of the road-going Sport Quattros. The Porsche/Audi
plant federalized these ten vehicles after importing them. For the
1986 Pikes Peak Hill Climb, ten Sport Quattros were brought in to
advertise the brand. In order to sell the vehicles here in the
United States, Audi looked for well-known people. Following the
hill climb competition, the 10 vehicles were federalized to comply
with American standards before being offered to buyers whom Audi
felt deserving of owning the Group B homologation vehicle. The
original owner of this vehicle retained it for almost two years and
had it serviced at the same Dublin, Ohio, dealership, with a
service mileage of 15,881 at the time of the last reported
service.
After being hidden for over 16 years, the car was finally revealed
to the public in 2004 at The Auto Collection in Las Vegas, Nevada,
with barely 19,000 miles on the odometer according to earlier
accounts. The vehicle was bought by longtime Oregonian Gary Gaska
in October 2004 and added to his intimate collection of
automobiles. He had a modest collection of two cars, which he loved
and treated with the highest care and respect. He kept the Sport
Quattro indoors when he had it as proof of how well-preserved it is
today. It was his pride and joy.
In 2012, Gary was at the Pebble Beach Concours when he was
approached and asked if he might sell the car. Even though the
Sport Quattro wasn't up for sale, the same man repeatedly insisted.
After months of discussion, Gary was finally persuaded and given an
offer he couldn't refuse; as a result, the tenacious man became the
third owner of this Sport Quattro.
When the Audi arrived at Canepa, the goal was to preserve all
surfaces, components, and even the smallest details. In light of
this, commenced a project that would transform this Sport Quattro
from an outstanding specimen into possibly the best one in
existence.
As the Canepa Difference procedure could began, the Quattro had a
thorough and drawn-out mechanical assessment. Each system was
checked and tested to make sure it was functioning as the Audi
factory would have planned. To make sure the car passed emissions
tests during the federalization process, several extra parts were
fitted to the vehicle. The "piggyback" system was quickly removed
in order to restore the Audi to its original specifications because
it was preventing it from operating to its full capacity. It was
decided to remove the engine from the vehicle and completely
rebuild the inline-5 turbocharged engine. New pistons, a very tiny
overbore, and a complete rebuild of the entire engine were all part
of the laborious process that resulted in a Sport Quattro engine
that was powerful and eager to rev.
Canepa used the opportunity to give the Sport Quattro an incredibly
thorough and attentive concours preparation and detailing both
inside and out while the engine was out of the vehicle. Every last
piece of debris from the car's undercarriage was removed over the
course of more than 3 days, exposing all of the original factory
finishes by Audi. Original plating, paint job, and hardware
sparkled to the original factory specifications. This simply served
to highlight how well-maintained this vehicle was, given that it
had 33,200 miles on it at the time. With the same level of care,
everything else on the car was detailed. The outside paint was
polished to such a flawless quality that it might have been better
than when it left the manufacturer in 1985, and the interior, which
is entirely original, was gently cleaned to maintain the factory
components. Cleaning the spare tire and wheel revealed that it was
the original tire that had never been taken off the rim. The fully
rebuilt engine was matched back to the vehicle and put together
after the entire vehicle had been meticulously polished. After
everything was completed and fastened, it was put through a
thorough test that included a visit to Canepa's dyno, capping the
service cost as just over $143k.
This properly maintained 1986 Audi Sport Quattro is now available
at Canepa and is a true piece of legend. It is the best Sport
Quattro available because it was one of the original ten vehicles
brought to the American market, had only a few owners, and
underwent a thorough mechanical refurbishment and cosmetic
refreshment. This Sport Quattro, which can finally be experienced
in the way it was intended to be, will reward its next owner with a
pure driving experience with a direct connection to Group B
rallying, in addition to being aware that it may be the best
example in existence right now.
