This Amazing 1986 Audi Quattro Racer Build Has Many Secrets to Hide
Originally built in the 1980s to compete in the Dakar rally, this 1986 Audi Quattro is essentially a Ranger Rover underneath.
Audi has enjoyed tremendous success in the world of motorsports over its illustrious history, racking up its fair share of wins in the world of rally racing, in particular. Thus, we’re simply used to seeing classic Audi machines blasting across all sorts of surfaces at high speed, putting their iconic Quattro systems to good use. But while it may look semi-normal at first glance, this 1986 Audi Quattro racer build up for grabs at Aguttes is anything but underneath its inspired skin.
Rather, while it’s registered as a 1986 Audi in France, where it currently resides, this vehicle is about as highly modified as they come, and it also utilizes a host of Ranger Rover components underneath. It’s reportedly one of the first prototypes assembled by Franco de Paoli, an Italian gentleman driver who was no stranger to the Dakar rally, nor the act of modifying Ranger Rovers for serious off-road racing events.
That’s precisely why Paoli chose a Ranger Rover chassis for his 1986 Audi Quattro build, though he went a bit further than that. Rather than just stuffing the frame underneath an old Audi, he also retained the SUV’s suspension setup – albeit heavily modified at this point – as well as its 3.5-liter V8 and gearbox.
From there, things get much more conventional, as this Audi touts a 106-gallon fuel tank to help it make it through the grueling Dakar rally, along with fiberglass and Kevlar bodywork. Regardless, its entries in the 1986 and 1987 installments of that particular event didn’t go as planned, with both ending in consecutive DNFs.
Regardless, this cool piece of rallying history is now up for auction with an estimated selling price of somewhere around $160,000 to $270,000. It has received a cosmetic restoration that returned it to its originally Dakar specification, yet it also needs a mechanical refresh as well. However, for anyone looking to have a little fun off the pavement, we can’t imagine a cooler – or more unique – way to do precisely that.
Photos: Aguttes
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