Audi 50
Encyclopedia
The Audi 50 is a supermini
produced by German
automaker Audi
from 1974 to 1978 and sold only in Europe
. Introduced two or three years after the Italian Fiat 127
and the French Renault 5
, the model was seen at the time as Germany's first home grown entrant in Europe's emerging "supermini" class.
The Audi 50 was built by Audi NSU Auto Union AG
at the former NSU
factory in Neckarsulm
, Germany
and at the giant Wolfsburg
plant by Volkswagen
. The car was rebadged
six months later by Volkswagen
as the Volkswagen Polo
with a wider range of engine and other options. The Volkswagen Polo
was launched in the home market in September 1974 and appeared in export markets, including the UK, a few months later.
The car was offered as a three-door hatchback
with a 1093 cc petrol engine
, producing either 37 kW or 44 kW for the LS and GL models, respectively. The model was popular in Europe
, both because of its generous specifications for a car of the time, and on account of its relatively low price.
The Volkswagen
and Audi
badged models were sold alongside each other for 3 years until 1978, but the cheaper Volkswagen Polo
outsold the Audi 50, and Audi discontinued the Audi 50 in 1978, after a total production of 180,812 units. A planned facelift which would have given the Audi 50 a look closer to that of the Audi 100
and Audi 80
was never implemented because of a holding company board decision that the Audi
brand should concentrate on larger more expensive cars.
The Volkswagen Polo
range continued to evolve, with the Volkswagen Derby
notchback
version, despite being developed by Audi at Ingolstadt
, branded as a Volkswagen
and launched in 1977. Subsequently the Volkswagen Polo
has evolved through numerous generations to the present day. The Audi 50 had no replacement in the supermini
class until the launch of the significantly larger Audi A2
in 1999 which was also discontinued in 2005. In 2010 the Audi 50 was spiritually succeeded by the Audi A1
.
Supermini car
A supermini is a British term that describes automobiles larger than a city car but smaller than a small family car. This car class is also known as the B-segment across Europe, and as subcompact in North America....
produced by German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
automaker Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
from 1974 to 1978 and sold only in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
. Introduced two or three years after the Italian Fiat 127
Fiat 127
The Fiat 127 is a supermini produced by the Italian automaker Fiat between 1971 and 1983. It was introduced in 1971 as the replacement for the Fiat 850...
and the French Renault 5
Renault 5
The Renault 5 was first unveiled on 10 December 1971, being launched at the beginning of 1972.The Renault 5 was styled by Michel Boué, who died before the car's release, the R5 featured a steeply sloping rear hatchback and front dashboard...
, the model was seen at the time as Germany's first home grown entrant in Europe's emerging "supermini" class.
The Audi 50 was built by Audi NSU Auto Union AG
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
at the former NSU
NSU Motorenwerke AG
NSU Motorenwerke AG, normally just NSU, was a German manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles and pedal cycles, founded in 1873. It was acquired by Volkswagen Group in 1969...
factory in Neckarsulm
Neckarsulm
Neckarsulm is a city in northern Baden-Württemberg, Germany, near Stuttgart, and part of the district Heilbronn. As of 2004, Neckarsulm had 27,296 inhabitants....
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and at the giant Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg
Wolfsburg is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located on the River Aller northeast of Braunschweig , and is mainly notable as the headquarters of Volkswagen AG...
plant by Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
. The car was rebadged
Badge engineering
Badge engineering is an ironic term that describes the rebadging of one product as another...
six months later by Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
as the Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, coupé and estate variants....
with a wider range of engine and other options. The Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, coupé and estate variants....
was launched in the home market in September 1974 and appeared in export markets, including the UK, a few months later.
The car was offered as a three-door hatchback
Hatchback
A Hatchback is a car body style incorporating a shared passenger and cargo volume, with rearmost accessibility via a rear third or fifth door, typically a top-hinged liftgate—and features such as fold-down rear seats to enable flexibility within the shared passenger/cargo volume. As a two-box...
with a 1093 cc petrol engine
Petrol engine
A petrol engine is an internal combustion engine with spark-ignition, designed to run on petrol and similar volatile fuels....
, producing either 37 kW or 44 kW for the LS and GL models, respectively. The model was popular in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, both because of its generous specifications for a car of the time, and on account of its relatively low price.
The Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
and Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
badged models were sold alongside each other for 3 years until 1978, but the cheaper Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, coupé and estate variants....
outsold the Audi 50, and Audi discontinued the Audi 50 in 1978, after a total production of 180,812 units. A planned facelift which would have given the Audi 50 a look closer to that of the Audi 100
Audi 100
The restyled C2 Audi 100 was launched in 1976, with an in-line five-cylinder engine...
and Audi 80
Audi 80
The Audi 80 is a compact executive car produced by the German car manufacturer Audi, from 1966 to 1996. It shared its platform with the Volkswagen Passat from 1973 to 1986 and was available as a saloon car/sedan, and an Avant...
was never implemented because of a holding company board decision that the Audi
Audi
Audi AG is a German automobile manufacturer, from supermini to crossover SUVs in various body styles and price ranges that are marketed under the Audi brand , positioned as the premium brand within the Volkswagen Group....
brand should concentrate on larger more expensive cars.
The Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, coupé and estate variants....
range continued to evolve, with the Volkswagen Derby
Volkswagen Derby
The Volkswagen Derby is a saloon or booted or three-box version of the Volkswagen Polo supermini, produced by the German automobile maker Volkswagen, between 1977 and 1981....
notchback
Notchback
Notchback is a styling term describing a car body style, a variation of three-box styling where the third distinct volume or "box" is less pronounced — especially where the rear deck is short or where the rear window is upright...
version, despite being developed by Audi at Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt
Ingolstadt is a city in the Free State of Bavaria, in the Federal Republic of Germany. It is located along the banks of the Danube River, in the center of Bavaria. As at 31 March 2011, Ingolstadt had 125.407 residents...
, branded as a Volkswagen
Volkswagen
Volkswagen is a German automobile manufacturer and is the original and biggest-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, which now also owns the Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, and Škoda marques and the truck manufacturer Scania.Volkswagen means "people's car" in German, where it is...
and launched in 1977. Subsequently the Volkswagen Polo
Volkswagen Polo
The Volkswagen Polo is a supermini car manufactured by Volkswagen. It is sold in Europe and other markets worldwide in hatchback, saloon, coupé and estate variants....
has evolved through numerous generations to the present day. The Audi 50 had no replacement in the supermini
Supermini
A superminicomputer, or supermini, is “a minicomputer with high performance compared to ordinary minicomputers.” The term was an invention used from the mid-1970s mainly to distinguish the emerging 32-bit minis from the classical 16-bit minicomputers...
class until the launch of the significantly larger Audi A2
Audi A2
The Audi A2 is a Compact MPV styled five-door four- or five-seat hatchback designed supermini, produced by the German automaker Audi AG from November 1999 to 2005...
in 1999 which was also discontinued in 2005. In 2010 the Audi 50 was spiritually succeeded by the Audi A1
Audi A1
The Audi A1 is a supermini-class car launched by Audi at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show. Sales of the initial three door A1 model started in Germany in August 2010, with the United Kingdom following in November 2010...
.