Audi 50

The Audi 50 (codenamed VW Type 86) is a car that from 1974 to 1978 was sold by Audi, but is technically similar to the Volkswagen Polo and was produced on the same production by the Audi plant in Neckarsulm .

Audi in the compact segment
The model, which was launched in September 1974, is the first Audi in the compact class. The car was designed in just 21 months by the merged Audi and NSUdevelopment department in Ingolstadt, headed by Audi chief designer Ludwig Kraus , commissioned by Volkswagen -director Rudolf Leidig . The assignment was to create a successor to the small NSU models with front wheel drive and front engine (NSU in question have rear-engined and rear-wheel drive ). [1] That the car from the outset as well as Volkswagen has been designed, evidenced by the German registration papers, which state as a manufacturer "VW VOLKSWAGEN WORK". Only a single prototype "Audi / NSU AUTO UNION" on the admission papers. [2] . Not for NSU like brand name is chosen, is because this brand was gradually abandoned within the Volkswagen Group. The NSU Ro80 is the last car with that brand, it actually last as NSU developed model is as Volkswagen K70 marketed.

The Volkswagen version of the Audi 50, Volkswagen Polo named, was originally intended as a cheap version of the Audi 50 and arrived in 1975 on the market. The Polo has a more sober executed interior and less powerful engines. After several years of marketing considerations decided exclusively luxurious, large cars to bring the Audi brand in the market and from July 1978, the model is produced solely as a Volkswagen Polo. In 1977, the sedan version of this car, it also originally referred to as Audi model Volkswagen Derby on the market. Only much later, in 2000, Audi returns to the compact segment with the back (also on the VW Polo-based) Audi A2 .

Versions
All Audi 50 models are equipped with a four-cylinder petrol engine :
 * Audi 50 L (HA 0.9 liter engine, 40 hp )
 * Audi 50 LS (HB 1.1 l engine, 50 hp)
 * Audi 50 GL (HC 1.1 l engine, 60 hp)
 * Audi 50 GLS (1.3 l HH motor, 62 hp)

[Rust edit ]
The extreme corrosion sensitivity of the car (VW used cheap steel and fit virtually no rust protection toe) are of 180 828 copies produced almost no more left. In Germany there were in 2005 only 558 copies are known to the authorities, the actual number of good cars is much lower [2] .