Audi's own chief engineer called the car the B1 replaced a 'bastard' — a mongrel of a DKW body and a Mercedes engine — and built the 80 to erase that legacy.
Lead trim: 1.3 ZA (55 PS) · up to 108 hp
Audi 801972–1978
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Audi 80 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactAudi's own chief engineer called the car the B1 replaced a 'bastard' — a mongrel of a DKW body and a Mercedes engine — and built the 80 to erase that legacy.
The Audi 80 B1 debuted in Europe in 1972 as the Audi 80, and in 1973 in Australia and North America as the Audi Fox, as a two-door or four-door saloon, with a five-door estate in certain markets. It took the place of several discontinued models including the F103 series, and gave Audi a rival to the Opel Ascona and the Ford Taunus, as well as more upmarket offerings such as the Alfa Romeo Alfetta and Triumph Dolomite. It was only the second modern-era Audi developed entirely under Volkswagen ownership, a clean break from the Auto Union era with a range of brand new 1.3 and 1.5-litre SOHC inline-four petrol engines, the first appearance of the EA827 engine family. It had MacPherson strut front suspension and a C-section beam rear axle, and won the 1973 European Car of the Year ahead of the Renault 5 and the Alfa Romeo Alfetta. The sporty 80 GT with a 1.6-litre engine was added in September 1973; a facelift in autumn 1976 brought a revised front end in the style of the Audi 100 C2 with square headlights, 1.6-litre engines in place of 1.5-litre ones, and a fuel-injected 80 GTE replacing the GT. 1,103,766 were built. The B1 platform was dropped from the European market in 1978 but sold into the 1979 model year in North America.
Collectors Spotted in the Audi 80 Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Audi 80 yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
8 published trims in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.3 ZA (55 PS) | 1972–1978 | 1.3 L Inline-4 | 54 hp | 81 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 1.3 ZF (60 PS) | 1972–1978 | 1.3 L Inline-4 | 59 hp | 67 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 1.5 ZB (75 PS) | 1972–1976 | 1.5 L Inline-4 | 74 hp | 91 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 1.5 ZC (85 PS) | 1972–1976 | 1.5 L Inline-4 | 84 hp | 92 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 80 GT 1.6 (100 PS) | 1973–1976 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 99 hp | 97 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| 80 GTE 1.6 fuel injection (110 PS) | 1976–1978 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 108 hp | 101 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
| Fox 1.5 (North America, 55 hp) | 1973–1978 | 1.5 L Inline-4 | 55 hp | — | — | FWD | — | — |
| Fox 1.6 (North America, 83 hp) | 1973–1978 | 1.6 L Inline-4 | 83 hp | 89 lb-ft | — | FWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
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Audi's own chief engineer called the car the B1 replaced a 'bastard' — a mongrel of a DKW body and a Mercedes engine — and built the 80 to erase that legacy.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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