Pininfarina Quartz by Audi quattro GmbH

I was thinking about quartz watches and how — once they’d broken into the mainstream — they quickly turned the magic and expense of telling the time accurately into something routine, affordable, and…assumed. 

At the time, one of the first quartz watches, the Seiko Quartz Astron 35SQ, cost as much as a Toyota Corolla. The first all-wheel-drive car, the Jensen Interceptor, was several leagues pricer than a Corolla, and remained a niche product. 

When American luxury watchmaker Bulova launched its Accuquartz Cal. 224 three years after the Seiko, the price for a quartz timepiece had dropped from the realm of an estate owner to that of the Regional Manager.

The Audi Ur-Quattro did a similar thing for all-wheel-drive cars, as the bridge between unobtanium and commonplace. 

All-wheel-drive turned the magic of car control in slippery conditions into something routine, something expected. It set us on a road of ever more compact and affordable all-wheel-drive systems, to the point now that you are able to get them (all-wheel-drive systems) on just about any type of vehicle…at least, the marketing types would have you believe this. Marketers would also have you believe that all such drive systems are created equally, when they are not.

Technology like quartz watches and quattro allows us a feeling of mastery over our environment — real or imagined. 

Naturally, why should the Audi Ur-Quattro’s fancy guts be shoveled into the shit that is its Upper Bavaria barn door bodywork? Can’t the Italians, like, help? Well…

Back in 1980, Sergio Pininfarina wanted to gift a car to the Swiss magazine Automobil Revue for the publication’s 75th anniversary. (This is the same publication that collaborated with Pininfarina on the Sigma Formula 1 concept.) 

After receiving a body-less Ur-Quattro from Audi, Pininfarina set to work on more aerodynamic and contemporary bodywork. 

Notable mainly because of its grille-less air intake and aerodynamic treatment, the Quartz’ front bumper opening was much smaller than a standard car. The gap between the car's upper and lower bodywork provided sufficient cooling to the engine.

Shorter by 30 cm (11.3 in.), mostly by cutting down front and rear overhang, the Quartz has more compact dimensions that helped the concept shed 90 kg (200 lbs.) over the production Ur-Quattro.

Inside, the overall interior theme is best described as a mix between Honda Type-R (red carpet, sporty details, bolstered seats) meets Nintendo’s 1080° Snowboarding (the materials chosen to cover everything look like they were taken from a ski resort).

A shorter, lighter, more aerodynamic Ur-Quattro? Absolutely. That's probably why Audi is currently the caretaker for the car, and displays it prominently.