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Latest news!

2002 sees 20 years of Type44. AudiStory.com, Audi100-online.de and kolaschnik.de are organizing a meeting in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm on the first September weekend 2002. Watch Audi100-online.de or the forum of group44.de for the latest news!

 

The successor to the Type 43 came in 9/82, the Type44. My current car is already my second Type44. That car is simply brilliant: Wether it is the cab or the trunk, there is probably more space than you'll need, powered by the 5-cylinder -one of the best engines ever (not only in my humble opinion). Of course you get some 4-cylinder engines, but...
Here you see what I mean by "large". This trunk is big enough to sink the Titanic in it. Ah, well, to carry Leo's body. And if you use an Avant which were available from 3/83 on, you should be able to use a coffin therefore... ;)

(5)

First, the Type44 was partially zinced, then from 9/85 on the whole body, being the first mass-production limousine with that anticorrosive treatment, after Porsche had used it on their cars. Also available was the procon-ten, an early alternative to the airbag. In case of an crash, the engine moves backward and with some steel wires pulls the steering wheel away from the driver and tightens the seatbelts. Teaming up with the large crushable bins, a crashing behaviour resulted that is respectable even today.
The Type44 was with a cW- (cD- in English) measurement of 0.30 very long the world record holder. The low wind resistance results in high fuel efficiency and low noise level. Even better is an old Type44 with the 4+E gearbox that is very "long" geared. Only around 2000 rpm at 60 mph really are silent and efficient. Speaking of efficiency, the first TDI in a passenger car was introduced in the Type44. That was the initial sparking to the Diesel development that is still going on nearly everywhere on this planet. The Audi 100 TDI with its fantastic 120PS inline 5cylinder won many prices and world records both modified and stock.
Many people like to speak of heat development in the cab due to sun radiation. It is not really that bad: The plastic won't melt! Seriously: Comparing the Type44 not with cars like Golf I or II (74 to 90) but with modern cars with about the same wind resistance, you will see that they nearly all have air conditioning. The Type44 gets not much hotter than these. To the US guys this may seem strange, but an AC was not common in Germany and the rest of Europe until the last years.
The Audi 100 Avant was introduced in 3/83. The Audi 200 followed in 6/83. In 11/84 the Audi 100 and 200 were available with quattro.

Due to its long production run of over 8 years and the two lines of Audi 100 and 200 in Europe and some special versions, the history of the C3 is quite complex if you look deeper. For now let's look at the body styles and the technic only.


(1)
This is my old car. It was built in late 83 and has the 100kW engine along with the 4+E gear box. It also has a sliding roof and that's all. No extras on it even not the black plastic part between the rearlights. It won't get much more basic than that. It was hell'o'fun nevertheless.

(2)
An early 5000, as the Audi 100/200s were called in the USA. During the first year (till 85) they had the double headlight setup that might remind you of that of the C2. The 5000 was exported (or imported, depends on where _you_ are) to the US from late 83 on. At that time, the Euro 100 was produced for about one year already! The orange thing besides the headlight is a parking light, the turning signal is placed in the bumper.

(2)

(?)
This is one of the Audi 100s that were exported to the USA as Audi 100s from 89 on. Most imports were 5ks which were based on Audi 200s. Noteable -as with the early 5000- is the front bumper. It looks like a 200 20V item (also look further below.) This is a car after the "big" facelift in 1/88. Smooth door handles, antenna in the rear window, 4 rings on the trunk lid and the trunk lock is now between the rearlights, no longer in the middle of the trunk lid. On the outside, that's basically it. The interieur was really modernized. It looks good even today and the dashboard of the C4 nearly looks the same.
To be precise: The facelift did include the door handles, but the trunk lid modifiction took place in 8/87. So, for about 5 months only or so, these "inter"-models were built. This might make them rather rare, but that is no comparison to the car a bit further down.
In the lower picture you can see the trunk lid after it was rearranged. However, that name plate was dropped in Europe. Left would only stand "Audi" or nothing and on the right the engine's displacement or nothing. The recess in the black plastic part was never used in Europe (except in Switzerland), neither were center high mounted stopping lights (CHMSLs). Also note that the antenna is "missing". It was integrated into the rear window in the facelift.

(4)
This is probably the rarest C3 of all. It is an Audi 200 Exklusiv. Production started already before the facelift, but those cars are even rarer than rare. So what makes it special?
Like all 200s it has 5 and not only 4-hole rims (like most 100s, except the CS and turbos) but it also has flared fenders. If they look like 200 20V items to you, you are right and then again not. The 200 Exklusiv was much earlier and the fenders are a bit different to fit the bumpers. What makes the Exklusiv easily distinguished from the 200 20V is its bumper. It has the standard bumpers of all (European) Audi 200s.

(3)
Here is the "normal" Audi 200. No flared fenders, smooth as the standard Audi 100/200. The white thing besides the headlights is in Europe a non-functional cover, which is orange on the US-version: see below.

(2)

(2)
This is the US version of the Audi 200 before the facelift, still called 5000 (or 5k). Again, that orange cover for the parking lights and those "20V" bumpers.
The lower pic shows how the trunk lid looked before the facelift. Also you can see the antenna, which after the facelift was replaced by an antenna integrated into the rear window.

(1)
This is my current car. It is an "Audi 100 Sport". It has the flared fenders which -again- are a bit different from these of the 200 20V (to use the different bumper). 215/60/15 on 7,5x15 came stock on these cars, as well as red taillights. However, the center section consisted of the common, but ugly, black plastic part. In the interieur sport seats, some leather and additional instruments set it apart from the standard Audi 100s. Under the body a drivetrain consisting partially of Audi 200 and 200 20V parts along with the 5-hole rims shows that this version is something special.

(1)
This is somehow the predecessor to the Sport. It is an Audi 100 CS. It had the stronger drivetrain of the Audi 200. Available as quattro or front wheel drive, it is relatively easy to identify as it has 5-hole rims in a special design (mostly painted white) and the upper strip on the front bumper is body coloured.
When the first CS was built in 82 it had the standard 4-hole 14" rims with the 185/70/14 tires. When the Audi 200 was introduced in 6/83, the CS was improved and now had the 200's drivetrain with the 5-hole 15" rims and 205/60/15 tires. When the quattro became available, it was used in the CS, too.
When the facelift took place in 1/88, the different lines (CS, CD, CC) were dropped in Europe. In the USA, the name CS somewhat belonged to a very basic C3, pretty different to Europe.

(2)
A US Audi 200 after the facelift. Smooth door handles and "no" antenna show it. Along with the 20V being introduced to the USA, the 5000 was split into Audi 100 (see above) and 200, much like in Germany.

(1)
This is a European Audi 200 20V Avant in Papyrus metallic, like my car. The 200 20V came always with turbo and quattro. For the rather high price and the short production time (spring 89 to autumn 90) it sold impressing quantities. It was the first Audi that used the US-style bumpers in Europe, too. According to my newest information, the 200 20V headlights are the same as the standard 200. But be aware that this may only apply to German/European cars!

(?)
And it sold well in the USA, too. Ok, you see of course the orange parking lights besides the headlights. What you might not see, driving this car, is the road, at least at night. The headlights are terrible. I really don't know why Audi did not use (or was not allowed to use?) the Euro-style headlights which provide much better light. The name now changed to 200, the 200 20V was imported from mid 89 to late 90 and is the only C3 in the US with flared fenders.
More info about the C3:  
Chris Miller's '91 Audi 200q20v site
Joraschkys Homepage
Stephan's Homepage
SJM Auto-Technik
FlyingHead
www.Audi100-online.com
quattronation


Models Racing Special
New start Small Medium: B Large: C Extra large: D Concept_cars
C1   C2   C3   C4   C5

C3:   General   Tuning   Prototypes   Wheels and tires


(1) My pic.
(2) Picture by Theron. Thanks for the pics and Info!
(3) mobile.de
(4) from rare Audi brochure, scanned by me
(?) origin unknown

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