1991 Audi V8 Quattro DTM racing car up for auction

While Audi's victories in the World Rally Championship (WRC) and the 24 Hours of Le Mans are among the company's most important racing achievements, this Audi racing car being auctioned by RM Sotheby's comes from a corner of the racing world.

One of the featured lots in the Monaco auction scheduled for May 10, this 1991 Audi V8 quattro dates from the early 1990s, when Audi entered the German DTM touring car series after the IMSA racing program in the United States ended. Audi was the first car to compete in the German DTM Touring Car Series. Instead of a small, nimble car like the E30 BMW M3 or the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II that its rivals were competing in at the time, Audi sought to enter with a much larger V8 sedan, the predecessor of the current Audi A8.

As the name implies, however, Audi boasted a V8 engine, in this case a 3.6-liter unit, and a quattro four-wheel drive system that was effective in WRC and IMSA competitions. Audi also brought in 1990 Le Mans 24-hour race winner Hans Joachim Stück as a driver, who won the championship that year.

In 1991, the Audi DTM program was expanded to a four-car team with two works teams; the V8 quattro was updated with a new front splitter and height-adjustable rear wing, and output was increased to about 500 hp. 1992 season was a flop. ended, and Audi withdrew midway through

.

The car (chassis no. LN000049) offered at auction debuted at the opening round of the 1991 season in Zolder. It was driven by Stück and Hubert Haupt that season and again in 1992; it was stored by Audi until 2014, when Haupt purchased it and had it restored with a 4.2-liter engine; according to RM Sotheby's, it has been used "minimally" since work was completed. and is expected to sell for between €750,000 and €1,000,000, equivalent to roughly $800,000 to $1,000,000 at current exchange rates.