The Audi 100 was a mid-side executive car made from 1968 to 1994.
Introduction of the Audi 100
The first generation Audi 100 was available from 1968 to 1976 and 827,474 units were produced in total. The first Audi 100 was a 4-door sedan shown off to the public in November 1968. The name was a nod to the power produced, with it making 100 PS. The 2-door sedan was released in October 1969, while the 2-door coupe came in late 1970.
Engine Options
In the Audi 100 base model, the 1.8L 4-cylinder engine produced 79 horsepower (80 PS). If you selected the next level up, the 100 S model, the power increased to 89 horsepower (90 PS). And finally, the 100 LS model made the 99 horsepower (100 PS) that the entire lineup was named for. Those who wanted to have a bit more sporty feel and increased performance should look to the Coupe model. Instead of the 1.8L engine, it was slightly bored-out to 1.9L and increased power output to 113 horsepower (115 PS). Most Audi 100s had the engine paired to a 4-speed manual transmission, but in 1970, a 3-speed automatic was available as an option for the 100 LS. It was sourced from the parent company Volkswagen. There was little doubt that Audi had found a sweet spot for a mass-production vehicle. The Audi 100 had sold 500,000 units by March 1971, just three years into making them, and they reached 800,000 units by 1976.
Second Generation Changes
The second generation Audi 100, known as the C2, came to the market in 1976. It included a dramatic engine change to an inline-5 that was marketed as having the power of a 6-cylinder engine but the fuel economy of a 4-cylinder. Various engines ended up being used in the second generation, mainly 1.9L, 2.0L, and 2.1L engines with anywhere from 99 to 168 horsepower produced. The top performer was a turbocharged, fuel-injected model made from 1979 to 1982. The Coupe lovers would be disappointed to find out that it was discontinued, but a 5-door hatchback model known as the 100 Avant, was introduced as a replacement in 1977. By the end of 1977, the Audi 100 hit 1,000,000 units produced. It was a milestone for Audi as its first 1-million unit car.
The Big Hiccup: Sudden Unintended Acceleration
The third generation Audi 100 was produced from 1982 to 1988 (and up to 2005 in China). It retrained the 4-door sedan but changed the hatchback to a 5-door wagon. Other changes included upgrades to the aerodynamics. The boxy shape of the first and second generation were replaced with more rounded shapes to increase fuel efficiency. Audi hit a bit of hardship during this period as some Audi 5000 models reported to have sudden unintended acceleration. But upon further investigation, it was found that the 60 Minutes display was actually manufactured by 60 Minutes production crew. Nonetheless, Audi was unable to prove the unintended acceleration wasn’t happening, and even though they made several modifications to prevent it, sales plummeted.
The End of an Era
Fourth generation Audi 100s were made from 1989 to 1993, once again as 4-door sedans and 5-door wagons. The engine now was a base of 2.0L inline-4 with options including a 2.2L inline-5, 2.3L, 2.6L V-6, 2.8L V-6, and in a rare case, a massive 4.2L V-8 with a whopping 276 horsepower (the S4). Quattro permanent four-wheel drive became available during this generation across most model options, except the smallest engine sizes. It had a 5-speed manual to 4-speed ZF automatic transmission. In 1994, the Audi 100 name was dropped in favor of the A6 moniker. The Chinese market saw continued production of the Audi 100 until 2005.