Audi Tradition's debut at the AvD-Histo-Monte

Walter Röhrl will turn seventy this year. The four-time Monte-Carlo rally champion takes the wheel once more, in the "mother of all rallies" over the toughest mountain passes, rather fittingly in an Audi quattro. "I'm delighted to take the old trials of the AvD-Histo-Monte just for fun and without any pressure. The Audi quattro is the perfect car for it, because you don't have to worry about not managing to climb a hill," Röhrl explained. Born in Regensburg, he joined Audi in 1984 after many different stations and successes in international rally sports. In his very first year as a works driver for Audi, he won his fourth victory at the "Monte" together with co-pilot Christian Geistdörfer, in an Audi Rally quattro A2.

At the classic Histo-Monte winter rally, contestants have to cover 1,800 kilometres in unpredictable weather conditions. Audi Tradition does not want to subject the material of the valuable original racing cars to this challenge. Accordingly, Audi Tradition has built a car especially for such events: the bodywork is from an Audi Rally quattro A2 which Audi Sport used as a test car and later as an show car in the 1980s. Subsequently, the car was added to the historical collection of Audi Tradition. The body and the interior are of the technological standard of the 1980s. The vehicle's livery is also authentic. Instead of maintenance-intensive racing technology, the suspension and drive train are from the Audi quattro series-production model.

"Our new vehicle opens up completely new possibilities for us," explained Timo Witt, Head of the Historic Vehicle Collection at Audi Tradition. "We protect our historic racing cars as an automobile heritage. While, at the same time, offering the fans and spectators a great experience." Audi Tradition is exhibiting two original competition cars at the start of the rally: the Audi Rally quattro A2, built in 1984, and the Audi Sport quattro S1, built in 1985.

This year, the AvD-Histo-Monte celebrates its 25th year. The routing of the regularity rally is based on previous Monte Carlo rallies. Approximately 80 participants will be setting off from Frankfurt this year, and they will be awaited at intermediate stops including Freiburg, Aix-les-Bains, Cannes and the legendary Col de Turini, before arriving four days later at the traditional finish in the harbour of Monte Carlo.