| Manufacturer | Audi AG |
|---|---|
| Also called | Audi 5000 |
| Production | 1968—1994 |
| Successor | Audi A6 |
| Class | Mid-size luxury car / Executive car |
| Platform | Volkswagen Group C platform |
The Audi 100 and Audi 200 are mid-sized automobiles manufactured for model years 1968–1994 by Audi, a division of the Volkswagen Group. The C3 model of the Audi 100 was sold in the United States as the Audi 5000 until 1988.
Contents |
Audi 100 (C1) Coupé S |
|
| Production | 1970–1976 827.474 built four-door: 796,787 Coupé S: 30.687[1] |
|---|---|
| Assembly | Neckarsulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany |
| Body style | 4-door saloon/sedan 2-door coupé 2-door saloon |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Platform | Volkswagen Group C1 platform |
| Engine | 1.8L I4 1.9L I4 |
| Transmission | 4-speed manual all-synchromesh[2] automatic optional[2] |
| Wheelbase | 105.3 in (2,675 mm)[2] (coupe) |
| Length | 173.2 in (4,399 mm)[2] |
| Width | 68 in (1,727 mm)[2] |
| Height | 55.8 in (1,417 mm)[2] |
| Curb weight | 2,401 lb (1,089 kg)[2] (coupe) |
| Designer | Ludwig Kraus |
The origins of the first Audi 100 have become legendary in Germany. The 100s was the first ever model to have side-mounted headlights. When Volkswagen purchased Auto Union from Mercedes Benz in 1965, they seem to have been motivated by a desperate shortage of production capacity for their ’Beetle’ model which at that time was selling faster than the cars could be produced. The then nearly new Auto Union plant at Ingolstadt, built under Mercedes ownership and control, was quickly adapted for Beetle assembly: Volkswagen boss Heinrich Nordhoff, mindful of the poor sales record of the DKW F102, and at a time when the new Audi F103 had yet to prove itself in the market place, gave instructions that no further new Auto Union (including Audi) models should be developed.
However, it was not just the Ingolstadt manufacturing facility that Volkswagen acquired from Mercedes when they purchased the Auto Union business. Among the employees inherited from the Mercedes era was engineer Ludwig Kraus. Kraus did not share Nordhoff’s apparent conviction that demand for the Beetle would remain insatiable forever, and it was Kraus who developed the Audi 100, in direct contravention of instructions from Volkswagen management, and in secret. The first Nordhoff knew of the project was when he was presented with a production ready prototype. It is to Nordhoff’s credit that he changed his mind and gave the car the green light. The Audi 100 would be a commercial success, but it would also be the first of a series of front-engined water-cooled Audi based designs from the Volkswagen group that would, starting with the first Passat in 1973, enable the group to survive and flourish once the European and US markets began to lose their appetites for rear-engined air-cooled models.
The Audi 100 was shown to the press on 26 November 1968. Its name originally denoting a power output of 100 PS (74 kW; 99 hp), the Audi 100 was the company's largest car since the revivial of the Audi brand by Volkswagen in 1965. The C1 platform spawned several variants: the Audi 100 two- and four-door saloons, and the Audi 100 Coupé S, a stylish fastback coupé, which bore a remarkable resemblance to the Aston Martin DBS released a year earlier, especially at the rear end, including details such as the louvres behind the rear side windows and shape of the rear light clusters.
Audi followed up the introduction of the four-door saloon in November 1968 with a two-door saloon in October 1969 and the 100 Coupé S in autumn 1970. The cars' four-cylinder engines originally came in base (100, 80 PS (59 kW; 79 hp)), 100 S (1.8 litre, 90 PS (66 kW; 89 hp)) and 100 LS (1.8 litre, 100 PS (74 kW; 99 hp)) guise, while the Coupé was driven by a bored-out 1.9 litre developing 115 PS (85 kW; 113 hp). From April 1970 the 100 LS could be ordered with a 3-speed automatic transmission sourced from Volkswagen.
The Audi 100 enjoyed a level of commercial success for which the company had not planned. Despite running the Ingolstadt production line at full capacity, supply fell short of demand to such an extent that during the summer of 1970 an additional production line for Audi 100s was set up in Volkswagen's own Wolfsburg plant, which made it the first water-cooled car to be produced in Germany's (and by some criteria the world's) largest car plant.[3]
Starting with model year 1972 the 80 and 90 PS versions were replaced by a new regular-petrol-variant of the 1.8 litre engine developing 85 PS (84 hp/63 kW); at the same time, the 100 GL was introduced that featured the 1.9 liter engine formerly used in the Coupé S only.
In March 1971 the 500,000th Audi was produced. By now the Audi 100 had become the most commercially successful model in the company's history, so it is unsurprising that the car in question was an Audi 100 produced at the Ingolstadt plant.[4]
In September 1973 the 100 received a minor facelift with a somewhat smaller grille and reshuffled taillight lens patterns. The rear torsion bar was replaced by coil springs.
For model year 1975 the base 100 was re-christened the 100 L and received a 1.6 litre four-cylinder engine (coming out of the Audi 80).
Audi 100 (C2) |
|
| Also called | Audi 5E (Australia) [5] |
|---|---|
| Production | 1976–1982 988,581 100 4-door: 887,647[6] Avant: 49,652 200: 51,282 |
| Assembly | Neckarsulm, Ingolstadt, Germany Uitenhage, South Africa Lagos, Nigeria |
| Body style | 4-door saloon/sedan 5-door hatchback 2-door saloon |
| Layout | Front engine, front-wheel drive |
| Platform | Volkswagen Group C2 platform |
| Engine |
1.6L & 2.0L I4 |
| Transmission | 3-speed automatic 5-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | 105.39 in (2,677 mm)[7] |
| Length | 184.25 in (4,680 mm)[7] |
| Width | 69.61 in (1,768 mm)[7] |
| Height | 54.84 in (1,393 mm)[7] |
| Curb weight | 2,532 lb (1,148 kg)[7] |
The restyled C2 Audi 100 was launched in 1976, with an in-line five-cylinder engine (the first gasoline 5 in the world – Mercedes-Benz had shown the way in 1974 with their three litre diesel 5-cyl in the Mercedes-Benz C111). It was initially a 100 PS (74 kW) engine offering "6-cylinder power and 4-cylinder economy", and later upgraded to 136 PS (100 kW).
The Coupé was discontinued, but a five-door hatchback model, the 100 Avant, was launched in August 1977 as part of this generation. The mainstay of the range remained the four-door sedan model. A two-door sedan version was offered, primarily on the domestic market, from 1977, but by now there was little demand, even in Germany, for large two-door sedans: few of these two-door Audi 100 C2s were sold.
At the end of September 1977, the Audi 100 became the manufacturer's first model to reach a production level of 1,000,000 units.[8] The millionth Audi 100 was a hatchback Audi 100 Avant assembled not at the company's main Ingolstadt plant but to the west, at the Neckarsulm factory which, since the demise of the mainstream volume models from the NSU range, had been concentrating on providing additional production capacity for the fast selling Audi range.[8]
Engines available included:
North America:
About 850.000 Audi 100/200 C2 were built,[9] of which 133.512 were sold in the USA.[10]
Right Hand Drive Audi 200 5E and 5T (type 43)
The RHD Audi 200 5E and 5T were introduced into the UK in 1979, only 500 were imported. The 5T (170 PS) was a higher spec Turbo version of the 5E (136 PS injection) and came with many optional extras as standard. As an attempt to lure British buyers the UK version of the 5T had opening quarter lights, electric wing mirrors, a sun roof, cruise control and heated seats. All Type 43 200's came with Automatic gearboxes, a 5-speed manual was special order only.
Audi 100 (C3) |
|
| Also called | Hongqi Mingshi |
|---|---|
| Production | 1982–1991 |
| Assembly | Neckarsulm, Germany Changchun, China Uitenhage, South Africa Tokyo, Japan (AMA) |
| Body style | 4-door saloon/sedan AVANT, a 5-door station wagon |
| Layout | Front engine, front-wheel drive / quattro permanent four-wheel drive[11] |
| Platform | Volkswagen Group C3 platform |
| Engine |
1.8L I4 2.0L I5 Turbodiesel 2.4L I5 Diesel 2.5L I5 TDI |
| Transmission | 3- and 4-speed automatic 5-speed manual 4-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | 105.6 in (2,682 mm) (1988–1990 FWD & 200) 105.9 in (2,690 mm) (1988–1990 AWD & Wagons) 105.8 in (2,687 mm) (Pre-1988) |
| Length | 188.7 in (4,793 mm) (RoW) 192.7 in (4,895 mm) (USA) |
| Width | 71.4 in (1,814 mm) |
| Height | 55.9 in (1,420 mm) 55.7 in (1,415 mm) (S) |
Edging out the Ford Sierra as the 1983 European Car of the Year, the 1983 Audi 100 had a remarkable aerodynamic look, achieving a drag coefficient of 0.30 for its smoothest base model. The increased aerodynamic efficiency resulted in better fuel economy and consumers all over the world were waking up to this fact. This became a great marketing tool for Audi in the 1980s, and marked a huge leap forward from the boxy shape of the C2, as well as the technology it introduced, including the procon-ten safety system.
Audi was able to follow up on the modern smooth look first seen in this segment on the 1967 NSU Ro 80 and popularised by the 1974 Citroën CX. This rounded look became the norm by the 1990s. It also set a styling trend of flush wheel covers, a thick black side door moulding and blacked out window frames eventually adopted by a range of cars from the 1984 Honda Accord to the Chrysler K cars. Audi innovated flush windows on the C3, a key area for aerodynamic drag that has been adopted by virtually all manufacturers today.
The two-door models were no longer available, and the Audi 100 Avant was reintroduced as Audi's first attempt at a station wagon based on the 100. The 200 continued as the upmarket variant with several versions of the 2.2 L turbo 5-cylinder available in different markets over its life ranging in power outputs from 165 PS (121 kW) MC engine, through the 200 PS (147 kW) versions to the final 220 PS (162 kW) 20-valve 3B engine available from 1991. The MC turbo engine was available in the 100 as well for some markets.
The 1991 200 20V was distinguished by its flared front and rounded rear wheel arches instead of the flat type used for the rest of the 100-200 range, this allowed wider wheel and tire combinations to be fitted to 20v models. For many markets, the 20v Audi 200 gave customers a taste of performance levels that would later be seen in the C4-Chassis Audi S4, and S6. US Magazine articles of the period reported 0-60 times of the 20v Audi 200 under 7 seconds, with 1/4 mile times in the mid to upper 15 second mark. [12]
The 100 also featured a 2.5 L straight-5 direct injection turbo-diesel (TDI) model with 120 PS (88 kW) introduced in 1990 (engine code 1T). A such-engined Audi 100 was the very first model to wear the now ubiquitous and hugely successful TDI label that changed the perception of diesel engines all over the world.
During model years 1982–1987, Audi's U.S. sales fell after a series of recalls of Audi 5000 models[13] associated with reported incidents of sudden unintended acceleration linked to six deaths and 700 accidents.[13] At the time, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) was investigating 50 car models from 20 manufacturers for sudden surges of power.[14]
60 Minutes aired a report titled Out of Control on November 23, 1986,[15] featuring interviews with six people who had sued Audi after reporting unintended acceleration, including footage of an Audi 5000 ostensibly displaying a surge of acceleration while the brake pedal was depressed.[16][17][18] Subsequent investigation revealed that 60 Minutes had not disclosed they had engineered the vehicle's behavior – fitting a canister of compressed air on the passenger-side floor, to pump fluid via a hose to a hole drilled into the transmission[15][16] – the arrangement executed by one of the experts who had testified on behalf of a plaintiff in a then pending lawsuit against Audi's parent company.[19]
Audi initially responded by suggesting that the drivers of the cars involved in the incidents were at fault, because they had stepped on the accelerator pedal rather than the brake.[14] Subsequently, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) concluded that the majority of unintended acceleration cases, including all the ones that prompted the 60 Minutes report, were caused by driver error such as confusion of pedals.[20] CBS did not acknowledge the test results of involved government agencies, but did acknowledge the similar results of another study.[21] However, Audi's assertion that the driver was at fault was a poor public relations strategy. In 2009, when Toyota was involved in similar unintended acceleration problems, the company spokesman said “the lesson from Audi is no matter how convinced you are that the driver has made a mistake, it is very sensitive to suggest.” Toyota's press release was carefully crafted such that it "acknowledged rare problems with its accelerators, it was leaving itself room to argue later that sometimes drivers were at fault – while pointedly avoiding saying so directly".[22]
With the series of recall campaigns, Audi made several modifications; the first adjusted the distance between the brake and accelerator pedal on automatic-transmission models.[13] Later repairs, of 250,000 cars dating back to 1978, added a device requiring the driver to press the brake pedal before shifting out of park.[13] As a byproduct of sudden unintended acceleration, vehicles now include gear stick patterns and brake interlock mechanisms to prevent inadvertent gear selection.
Audi’s U.S. sales, which had reached 74,061 in 1985, dropped to 12,283 in 1991 and remained level for three years.[13] – with resale values falling dramatically.[23] Audi subsequently offered increased warranty protection[23] and renamed the affected models – with the 5000 becoming the 100 and 200 in 1989.[14] The company only reached the same level of U.S. sales again by model year 2000.[13]
As of early 2010, a class-action lawsuit – dealing with a charge that on account of the sudden acceleration controversy, Audi models had lost resale value[16] – filed in 1987 by about 7,500 Audi Audi 5000-model owners remains unsettled and is currently contested in county court in Chicago after appeals at the Illinois state and U.S. federal levels.[13]
The lawsuits surrounding the reported sudden acceleration episodes were subject of Peter W. Huber's 1993 book, Galileo's Revenge: Junk Science In The Courtroom.[19]
The engine range comprised the following engines:[24][25]
Audi 100:
Audi 200:
Audi 5000/100/200 North America:
As of late 1988, the Audi V8 was available. Although styling was similar to the 200, the V8 had different chassis and body. The V8 was available as a 3.6 L or a 4.2 L engine. It was the first quattro model to have an automatic gearbox, featuring a ZF 4-speed unit with an electronically controlled multiplate clutch centre differential, combined with a Torsen rear differential. The manual gearbox quattro's across the range continued with a conventional rear differential (lockable at low speeds), and the Torsen centre differential (manual transmission V8 quattros had Torsen differentials in both the centre and the rear). The 5000 S/Turbo was on Car and Driver's Ten Best list for 1984 and 1985. The CS Turbo quattro was on that list for 1986 through 1988.
| Production Figures[26] | |
| 100 | 852,243 |
| 100 Avant | 122,852 |
| 200 | 97,195 |
| 200 Avant | 6,153 |
| Total | 1,078,443 |
| Production | 1991–1994 |
|---|---|
| Assembly | Neckarsulm, Germany Tokyo, Japan (AMA) |
| Body style | 4-door saloon/sedan 5-door Avant (estate/wagon) |
| Layout | Front engine, front-wheel drive / quattro permanent four-wheel drive |
| Platform | Volkswagen Group C4 platform |
| Engine | Petrol: 2.0L I4 74 kW (99 hp) SPI 2.0L I4 85 kW (114 hp) MPI 2.0L I4 103 kW (138 hp) 16-valve 2.3L I5 98 kW (131 hp) 2.6L V6 110 kW (148 hp) 2.8L V6 128 kW (172 hp) Diesel: 2.4L I5 60 kW (80 hp) 2.5L I5 85 kW (114 hp) TDI 2.5L I5 103 kW (138 hp) TDI |
| Transmission | 4-speed automatic 5-speed manual 6-speed manual |
| Wheelbase | 105.8 in (2,687 mm) (FWD) 106 in (2,692 mm) (4WD) |
| Length | 192.6 in (4,892 mm) |
| Width | 70 in (1,778 mm) |
| Height | 56.3 in (1,430 mm) 56.6 in (1,438 mm) (FWD saloon) 57 in (1,448 mm) (FWD Avant) |
Audi released the C4 (a heavily revised C3) in 1991. The C3-platform Audi V8 continued to be sold as a separate line. The major change for the C4 was the introduction of a 2.8 L, 90-degree, SOHC 12v, V6 engine. It was later joined by a 2.6 L variant, though this is actually a 60-degree engine. They are essentially the same engines offered in the 1992, B4 Audi 80. The option of quattro permanent four-wheel drive was an option across the range, and the Audi 100 quattro was available with a ZF 4-speed automatic gearbox.
For the 1995 model year, in conjunction with some styling revisions, Audi dropped the Audi 100 tag, renaming it the A6 instead. In addition, the existing 100-derived Audi S4 became the S6. The S4 name was later re-used for the high-performance derivative of the Audi A4. The Audi V8 had been replaced by the A8 in 1994.
The C4-based A6 continued until early 1997, when it was replaced by an all-new A6.
In addition to the C platform codes, Audi assigned type numbers to their models:
The C3-platform Audi 100 was also produced in Changchun, China, by FAW (First Automobile Works, a Chinese automotive manufacturer), for many years during the 1990s. Since most products are for governmental usage, all of China-made 100s are front-wheel drive sedans with a 2.0 L 4-cylinder engine or a 2.3 L 5-cylinder one.
In 1990, Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the CPC approved a resolution to circumscribe car import and the engine displacement of cars equipped to officials. Furthermore, the resolution also prescribed that all cars of central departments of both Party and government must be homemade ones. As the most luxurious and advanced cars made in China in early-1990s, FAW-Audi 100 and 200 have possessed a considerable percentage in Chinese high-class market of executive cars for nearly one decade, until the C3-platform cars was replaced by Audi A6 in 1999.
During the negotiation between FAW and Volkswagen in late-1980s, Volkswagen acceded to FAW's suggestion of combining the C3 platform with previously introduced Chrysler engines in the new generation Hongqi (Red Flag). Hongqi CA7200 series with the technology of C3 were launched in mid-1990s, while most of C3 Audi 100 parts could be made in China. CA7200 were initially equipped with Chrysler 2.0 L or 2.2 L 4-cylinder 488 engines, whose product line was introduced into China in 1987. In 2000s, new Nissan VQ20 engines replaced the original 4-cylinder petrol engine. [1]
A small number of C3 200s (with 1.8T or 2.6 V6 engine) and some early C4 100s (largely in European style but with tail lights in American style) were also assembled in Changchun.
At the Geneva Motor Show in March 1990[27] Audi presented its first iteration of the Audi Duo (or Audi 100 Avant Duo) experimental vehicle, a plug-in parallel hybrid based on the Audi 100 Avant quattro. This car had a 12.6 bhp (9.4 kW) Siemens electric motor which drove the rear wheels. A trunk-mounted nickel-cadmium battery supplied energy to the motor that drove the rear wheels. The vehicle's front wheels were powered by a 2.3-litre five-cylinder engine with an output of 136 PS (100 kW; 134 hp). The intent was to produce a vehicle which could operate on the engine in the country and electric mode in the city. Mode of operation could be selected by the driver. Just ten vehicles are believed to have been made; one drawback was that due to the extra weight of the electric drive, the vehicles were less efficient when running on their engines alone than standard Audi 100s with the same engine.
In late 1991,[28] Audi unveiled the second Duo generation – likewise based on the Audi 100 Avant quattro. Once again this featured an electric motor, a 28.6 PS (21 kW; 28 hp) three-phase machine, driving the rear wheels. This time, however, the rear wheels were additionally powered via the Torsen differential from the main engine compartment, which housed a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine.
Media related to [//commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Audi_100 Audi 100] at Wikimedia Commons
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