1970 Audi 100 Coupe S
Country of Origin: Germany
Design Info: An attractive front-wheel drive fastback grand tourer based on the design and platform of the Audi 100 saloon car, released a couple years prior. Project head Luwig Kraus was involved in the design of the ‘50s Mercedes Silver Arrows, and the early CAD system he developed would be used in the design of the 100, making the 100 perhaps the first production car designed (in part) by computer.
Engine Info: A twin-carburetted 1871 cc OHV inline-four. The “100” moniker referred to an output of 100 Pferdestärke (PS), the German unit for metric horsepower, or about 98.5 horsepower, made by the engines of the saloon cars. The 100 Coupe S engine, however, made 115 hp, owing to its somewhat larger size. The engine was considered to be “rough running” by some critics, but still a step up from Volkswagen’s air-cooled four cylinders and certainly above the two-stroke engines previously found in Auto Union cars.
Type: The 100 Coupe S is comparable to other sports coupes of the time, including the Fiat Dino, Aston Martin DBs, and the earliest Nissan Fairlady Z.
History: In 1965, Volkswagen purchased 50% of Auto Union from Diamler-Benz. This was not a deal for branding or technology, but rather for a newly created factory in Ingolstadt, which VW wished to used to make more Beetles. As Auto Union cars were mostly economy cars powered by two-stroke engines, Diamler had lost interest in the holding, and while they continued ownership of the remaining half of Auto Union, they eventually sold that to Volkswagen as well, a year and a half later.
Auto Union cars had remained in production and were sold as DKWs during the time of Diamler-Benz ownership, but with two-stroke engines going out of fashion, head of design for Mercedes R&D, Ludwig Kraus, was sent to Auto Union to switch the company over to four stroke engines. A four stroke version of the DKW F102, internally referred to as the F103, was finally finalized in production for 1965, as the Volkswagen purchase was taking place. VW decided to discard the DKW name and its long association with antiquated two-stroke engines, and the F103 was to be sold simply as the Audi (later the Audi 72), the first vehicle to wear that nameplate since WWII.
Engineers at Auto Union had a much bigger project in the works, however. Volkswagen CEO Heinrich Nordhoff had ordered a cease in all development work on any new designs for Auto Union cars, and had laid off 150 employees in the development department of Auto Union. Nevertheless, Kraus continued the 100 project in secret, only revealing it to VW executives when the design was complete. Perhaps shocking even to Kraus himself, the executives loved it, and ordered it into production.
While the original 100 was a practical, modern, economical car, a sport oriented version was in development as well. With a larger (slightly) engine, and a lighter (slightly) weight, the 100 Coupe S, coupled with an electronic differential and front disc brakes, handled well and accelerated to 60 mph in 10.8 seconds, and a top speed of 115 mph. Not as fast (or expensive) as many other contemporary GT cars, the 100 Coupe inherited its sibling’s practicality, having significantly more interior room than competitors from BMW and Mercedes, thanks to its lack of a bulky drivetrain channel.
With a bit over 30,000 units of production through 1976, the 100 Coupe S was somewhat successful for Audi, though in comparison the 100 saloon sold nearly 800,000. Sadly, many of these 30,000 cars no longer exist, succumbing to severe rusting problems, which afflicted many cars of the era. The 100 name would continue to 1994, though not in coupe form. The Coupe S heritage would live on in the appropriately named Audi Coupe, first produced in 1980 and based upon the Audi 80.
While the Audi 100 Coupe S has somewhat faded into obscurity, there is one more interesting wrinkle in its history. As Porsche was developing its new 928 grand touring car, it needed testbed mules for development, as it had very limited experience with front-engined designs or ‘traditional’ engine configurations. Three 100 Coupes, named V3, V4 and V5, were acquired and used by Porsche to develop the engine and drivetrain of the 928.
Why it’s cool/unique/significant: Audi might have been relegated to a footnote in history, a victim of time, like the other Auto Union brands if not for the success of the 100. While the Coupe S is only one small part of the 100’s history and success, it set the stage for the sporting heritage of Audi continuing to today. While many consider the first Audi “S” car to be the 1990 S2, the 100 Coupe S really began the tradition of sport oriented model with a more powerful engine, better brakes, and different external styling. Plus, it has the S badge right there.
