For the Record: The family quattro
Posted: Sun Sep 13, 2020 6:22 pm
I have mentioned several times members of our non-480 fleet, the most prominent of which has actually had very little exposure, and that is our 1986 Audi WR quattro. Talking about the 480's safety earlier reminded me that I haven't told the story on here. Luckily, I already have it typed out, so here we are:
C77 VCG was first registered on Monday 3rd of February 1986, with Testwood motors, in Totton. For a few months it was the dealer demonstrator car and the centrepiece of the dealership.
In the summer of 1986, my Grandfather, Brian Hooper, retired after many gears heading up the family owned engineering business. His pension came up better than had been expected, and as a result he decided to upgrade from his Rover SDI.
encouraged by my uncle, he went to test drive many different vehicles (exactly what cannot be remembered), but became enchanted by the quattro, so much so he bought the very demonstrator he had been driving.
Very soon after, a trip to Germany ensued, to explore Europe, but to also take the car for a shakedown on the Autobahns — which was very much enjoyed.
In the early 1990s, my grandfather unfortunately suffered a mini stroke at the wheel of the quattro in Southampton; and crashed into the forecourt of a car dealership, writing off about 5 cars and allegedly pinning a salesman behind his desk with the car. No one was seriously hurt from the incident, but the car was a write off and my grandfather's confidence was badly shaken. To help him recover, the family bought the car back off the insurance company and we had it completely rebuilt at the dealership workshop, as close to new condition as we could get it.
The car was saved, and was a regular sight parked outside the Conservative club in Romsey, as my grandfather enjoyed some games of snooker.
Towards the end of the 1990s, my grandfather's ability to drive the quattro gradually decreased, and the car also started to have issues as well, becoming more difficult to start and run.
In 1998, my grandfather passed away, after many gears of circulatory problems. The quattro was coaxed into life to take my grandmother, uncle and aunt to his funeral, with my father at the wheel.
Around the turn of the millennium, my grandmother was using the car from time to time, however after it cut out on her in the middle of Southampton, she did not use it very much at all afterwards.
At this time, my father decided to start bringing the car back up to shape. The cause of the cut-out was found to be a dodgy relay, and was subsequently fixed.
Over the gears many jobs have done on the car: The rims were resealed to stop the tires from deflating all the time; The exhaust was rusted out so a new bespoke one was made, with a slight improvement over the original; for example, and as a result, the car is now running as well as it ever has.
The original quattro is a landmark car, it has many LED-clad imitators, but continues to have an unmistakeable presence wherever it is being driven. It is the only car we have ever known where someone has stopped their car in the middle of the road, got out, and thanked us for driving it.
This example is not the best, it is not a concours car, but it is a genuine, original, one family owner 1986 Audi quattro WR.
The quattro has had a profound effect on my life, from the first memory of "the big red car" to developing my passion for cars, and understanding just how special it is, it has been one of the defining factors of my life. It is fast, comfortable, and practical, but a Ferrari is faster, a Rolls Royce is more comfortable, and a Volvo is more practical, but there is nothing that will ever be quite like a quattro
So there you have it, the car that started my love of old cars, the car that taught me that new isn't necessarily better, and old definitely doesn't mean bad. When I first met the car, I was blown away by it, my mothers' Mk3 Golf GTi 16v was fast, but had nothing on this, even if the top speed was roughly equivalent, and it didn't have a digital dash and it didn't talk to you when it thought there was a problem you needed to know about.
What cars started your passion for classic vehicles? was it your first 480? Or were you already a car enthusiast before you found the wedge, or did the wedge find you?
C77 VCG was first registered on Monday 3rd of February 1986, with Testwood motors, in Totton. For a few months it was the dealer demonstrator car and the centrepiece of the dealership.
In the summer of 1986, my Grandfather, Brian Hooper, retired after many gears heading up the family owned engineering business. His pension came up better than had been expected, and as a result he decided to upgrade from his Rover SDI.
encouraged by my uncle, he went to test drive many different vehicles (exactly what cannot be remembered), but became enchanted by the quattro, so much so he bought the very demonstrator he had been driving.
Very soon after, a trip to Germany ensued, to explore Europe, but to also take the car for a shakedown on the Autobahns — which was very much enjoyed.
In the early 1990s, my grandfather unfortunately suffered a mini stroke at the wheel of the quattro in Southampton; and crashed into the forecourt of a car dealership, writing off about 5 cars and allegedly pinning a salesman behind his desk with the car. No one was seriously hurt from the incident, but the car was a write off and my grandfather's confidence was badly shaken. To help him recover, the family bought the car back off the insurance company and we had it completely rebuilt at the dealership workshop, as close to new condition as we could get it.
The car was saved, and was a regular sight parked outside the Conservative club in Romsey, as my grandfather enjoyed some games of snooker.
Towards the end of the 1990s, my grandfather's ability to drive the quattro gradually decreased, and the car also started to have issues as well, becoming more difficult to start and run.
In 1998, my grandfather passed away, after many gears of circulatory problems. The quattro was coaxed into life to take my grandmother, uncle and aunt to his funeral, with my father at the wheel.
Around the turn of the millennium, my grandmother was using the car from time to time, however after it cut out on her in the middle of Southampton, she did not use it very much at all afterwards.
At this time, my father decided to start bringing the car back up to shape. The cause of the cut-out was found to be a dodgy relay, and was subsequently fixed.
Over the gears many jobs have done on the car: The rims were resealed to stop the tires from deflating all the time; The exhaust was rusted out so a new bespoke one was made, with a slight improvement over the original; for example, and as a result, the car is now running as well as it ever has.
The original quattro is a landmark car, it has many LED-clad imitators, but continues to have an unmistakeable presence wherever it is being driven. It is the only car we have ever known where someone has stopped their car in the middle of the road, got out, and thanked us for driving it.
This example is not the best, it is not a concours car, but it is a genuine, original, one family owner 1986 Audi quattro WR.
The quattro has had a profound effect on my life, from the first memory of "the big red car" to developing my passion for cars, and understanding just how special it is, it has been one of the defining factors of my life. It is fast, comfortable, and practical, but a Ferrari is faster, a Rolls Royce is more comfortable, and a Volvo is more practical, but there is nothing that will ever be quite like a quattro
So there you have it, the car that started my love of old cars, the car that taught me that new isn't necessarily better, and old definitely doesn't mean bad. When I first met the car, I was blown away by it, my mothers' Mk3 Golf GTi 16v was fast, but had nothing on this, even if the top speed was roughly equivalent, and it didn't have a digital dash and it didn't talk to you when it thought there was a problem you needed to know about.
What cars started your passion for classic vehicles? was it your first 480? Or were you already a car enthusiast before you found the wedge, or did the wedge find you?