25 years of the Audi TT: Which of the 3 generations is the most beautiful?
The Audi TT has thrilled design enthusiasts for three generations. We’re celebrating the style icon’s 25th anniversary with six self-proclaimed TT-idioTTs. Which generation do you like best?
If you would like to see the full report on the Audi TTs, check out Autovisie Magazine Number 19 now! We’ll give you a little foretaste online!
25 years of Audi TT
At the beginning of the 1990s, Audi was brimming with self-confidence because it had successfully established itself as a luxury brand. In a relatively short space of time, she managed to make the leap from the middle class to the lucrative establishment.
The four rings became desirable thanks to the original Quattro, the 80 and the 100. These were the proverbial elbows with which Audi squeezed itself between the German nobility of BMW and Mercedes-Benz. In order to finally establish themselves in high society, they wanted to make a design statement.
An indelible, unforgettable mark. In the form of a sporty coupé that is sure to amaze. That’s what happened, and how! The designer Freeman Thomas sketched the first contours of the Californian design study. There, in the golden sunlight under the long shadows of the palm trees, the brilliant lines of the TT were created. And frozen under the supervision of design chief Peter Schreyer because a year later at the Frankfurt IAA in 1995 the canvas was removed from the body. Or a work of art if you prefer.
The Audi TT was designed with a minimum of compromises. No creativity-stifling accountants trying to channel radical inspiration, but uninhibited freedom. The space to develop a coupe reminiscent of Bauhaus architecture but at the same time modern and daring. Also blunt and short, just like its name. Although there was a lot of discussion about it internally.
An A3 Coupe
Management thought of the unimaginative A3 Coupe because it shares twenty percent of its parts with the A3. This was to the dismay of the design team, who found this term far too common. Oversimplified, as if one were expecting a breakthrough in Hollywood with the name Truus.
The name: Audi TT
The Audi was much more than a sparkling girl next door. Potentially a global star and that needed a stage name. At Peter Schreyer’s insistence he would get the compartment. He wanted something with two letters like the Ferrari 512 BB and so he went through the alphabet until TT wouldn’t let him go. There are also two in Quattro and it gave it the feel of Tie Tie or vroom vroom. However, many more meetings were needed to implement TT because not everyone at Audi was happy with it.
There could be false associations with the cracking NSU TT iron, but it was cleared up anyway. Audi later cultivated the statement with the Tourist Trophy as a reference to the daring road race on the Isle of Man. NSU and DKW had success with their engines there at the beginning of the 20th century. Both brands were later merged to form Auto Union, which in turn formed the basis for today’s Audi.
Read more: Autovisie Magazine Number 19!