Polo Driver

Super supermini: development of the Audi 50 started in 1971, ahead of its market launch in 1974. Two models were available: the LS with 50 PS and the plusher GL with 60 PS

Many people today do not realise that the Volkswagen Polo’s success can be attributed to a small Audi. On August 30 1974, over 35 years ago, the Audi 50 took its first tyre tracks into the world. A three-door hatchback designed and developed by Audi engineers at the firm’s headquarters at Ingolstadt, it followed on from the 80’s launch in 1972 and the 100 and 200 models already on sale, and, like those, also showcased much modern technology.

Parent company Volkswagen also unveiled its new Golf, Passat and Scirocco models in 1974, and these too used Audi technology, with engines and drivetrains being commonly shared between the two maker’s models. The new small Audi had its public debut at the Paris AutoSalon in the autumn of 1974 and was released for sale not long after.

Development and design
Development of the car began in 1971, with prototype power units and suspension fitted to modified NSF 1200s. Fifty prototype cars then covered 100,000 kilometres each, while power units and suspension assemblies underwent serious bench and rig testing. Volkswagen’s Ehra-Lessien test track was used for a further 250 kilometres of high-speed testing.

The 1093cc engine was transversely-mounted and available with 50 and 60 PS outputs; the higher compression and more powerful unit produced a claimed top speed of approximately 100 mph. The engines were developed by Audi engineers and featured a cross-flow cylinder head and direct camshaft drive to the distributor and fuel pump. A new type of carburettor had been developed, too, with the automatic choke being heated electrically while the engine was cold, and then by the coolant as it warmed up.

The suspension called on McPherson struts up front and a torsion beam at the rear, with the trailing arms placed nearer the wheel hubs. This meant that when the car rolled under cornering the rear wheels no longer stayed parallel, with the outer one assuming a position of negative camber. The baby Audi was also the first car to get a new seating design that was used in the following year in the Volkswagen range.

The pretty design of the car was exclusively that of a three-door hatchback, very similar to – but smaller than – the Golf. Whereas the compact VW was designed by Giorgetto Guigaro’s ItalDesign studio, the 50 was a ground-up Audi design. Another Italian stylist, Bertoné, was consulted at the final stage, pronouncing the car good, adding a few last-minute touches, such as the upsweep of the plated strip at the rear of the waistline.

Basic details
The Audi 50 was available in two trim levels: LS and GL. Both models had 1093cc engines, with the LS developing 50 PS, while the GL boasted 60 PS. The pair of cars did without the optional rear wash/wipe system (costing £26) and a brake servo, but otherwise equipment levels were comprehensive.

The LS featured full carpeting, a full bank of instruments, an electric clock and a temperature gauge. Quality was found to be superior to other cars in the class. Steering column switches for main lighting functions and hazard lights were on stalks, and were a feature that soon saw service in the 80, 100 and 200. The car also boasted chromed bumpers and a heated rear window. The GL built on these features, and added more attractive trim panels and of course, that more powerful engine.

Audi 50 vs Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo version of the Audi 50 appeared in March 1975 and was around £145 cheaper than its more luxurious cousin. Although less comprehensively-equipped and ultimately less prestigious than the 50, the Polo sold in more numbers. The Audi had a good following in continental Europe, but was never imported into the UK. It was a different story for the Polo; an early 1976 UK release as a Beetle replacement saw it find many buyers. But by then, the 50’s days were numbered.

In 1978, the 50 was discontinued from the Audi range with 180,828 having being made, the Polo being left to carry the mantle as the smallest Volkswagen Group passenger car. If it had not been for those engineers at Audi though, would the Polo have even been born and gone to become the success that it undoubtedly has become over the last 34 years?