Audi ace of spades
| Audi | |
|---|---|
| Image does not exist | |
| Ace of spades | |
| Presentation year: | 1973 |
| Vehicle fair: | IAA |
| Class : | Middle class |
| Body shape : | Combi coupe |
| Engine: |
Otto engine : 1.5 liters (62 kW) |
| Width: | 1640 mm |
| Height: | 1205 mm |
| Wheelbase: | 2470 mm |
| Production model: | none |
The Audi Pik Ass (it. Asso di Picche ) was a concept vehicle that Audi had realized together with the body builder Karmann from Osnabrück. With the approval of Audi, Karmann ordered the prototype from Italdesign . In 1973 the car was presented at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt am Main. A total of three different versions of the ace concept had been created by 1982. In addition to the ace of spades, Italdesign produced the ace of diamonds in 1976 based on a BMW 320i . In 1982, the Asso di Fiore, the last representative of the study series, followed.
Background to the development of the study
Karmann produced the Karmann Ghia and the Cabriolet of the VW Beetle series for Volkswagen . In order to use the capacities of the production lines in the future, the company commissioned Italdesign in Turin to design a new model. The plan here was to work with Audi to develop a small series of compact sports cars that Karmann could manufacture. This is how the Audi “Ace of Spades” was created based on an Audi 80 B1 . In addition to the floor pan, the entire mechanics of the Audi 80 GT, whose 1.5 liter engine developed 85 hp, was used. The sedan's overhangs were shortened at the rear for a sporty look and lengthened towards the front, resulting in a total length of a little more than four meters. Only the double headlights and the four rings were reminiscent of the base vehicle. The interior was also completely redesigned. Among other things, it was lined with brown leather , whereby the door pockets could be removed and used as shopping bags.
The ace of spades as the forerunner of the VW Scirocco
In accordance with Karmann's specifications, Italdesign produced the "Ace of Spades" as a four-seater sports coupé that Audi was to sell as a small series. However, small quantities did not fit into the carmaker's sales program. At the beginning of the 1970s, Audi was just conquering the mass market with sedans, which is why the model range is increasingly oriented towards the middle class. Although the design was considered successful by the corporate management, the car did not go into series production. Another reason was that Volkswagen was also planning to bring a cheap sports coupe onto the market.
Since Giorgio Giugiaro was working at Italdesign as a designer on the new VW based on the Golf I at the same time , he was able to adopt many elements of the “Ace” study for the Scirocco I. One year after the presentation of the Audi “Ace of Spades”, the VW Scirocco went into series production, which had some similarities with the Audi study in terms of bodywork . The technology and floor pan, however, came from VW. According to Italdesign, the prototype also had a major impact on the design of the Lancia Delta , which was introduced in 1979.
literature
- Frank Wündsch: Unique trapeze artist. In: Auto Classic , issue 2/2010, pp. 44–47.
- Tobias Opitz: Karmann Cars. A success-story. ISBN 3-88926-894-3 . P. 89.
- Program of the 1st Schloss Bensberg Classics. 2009, p. 32.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Evan McCausland: Eight Great Volkswagen-Italdesign Collaborations from May 26, 2010 (English, accessed November 12, 2016)
- ↑ D. Helmling: Prototype "Asso di Picche" - Why the Scirocco almost became an Audi (accessed on November 12, 2016)
- ↑ Ronan Glon: A look at the 1973 Audi-based Karmann Asso di Picche concept from March 19, 2014 (English, accessed November 12, 2016)
- ↑ Asso di Picche on the Italdesign website. (accessed November 12, 2016)