A factory commitment to motorsport was out of the question for the newly founded Auto Union in Ingolstadt, despite the involvement of many private drivers with DKW cars and their championship victories in the 1950s and 1960s. All resources were needed to develop new models and maintain series production. As a result, motorsport remained a private matter for a few enthusiasts who initially enriched the early German and later even the European motorsport scene with their DKW race cars.
The revival of the Audi brand initially went unnoticed in the motorsport world due to the lack of a competitive model. It wasn't until the Audi Super 90 that Audi occasionally appeared on starter lists at motorsport events. The same applied to the Audi 100, a mid-size sedan introduced in 1968. Its dimensions and comfort-oriented engine and chassis setup made it far from an ideal basis for a racing car. Therefore, only a few motorsport appearances are known. In 1970, the Schuller/Wellmann team achieved a 38th-place finish at the Monte Carlo Rally with an Audi 100.
The Audi 100 Coupé S, introduced in 1970 with a slightly sportier design, also saw limited motorsport participation. Notably, it competed in two international events: the 1971 Cedar Rally in Lebanon and the 1972 Andorra-Barcelona Rally.
The successor model, the Audi 100 C2, launched in 1976 with larger dimensions and improved comfort, was rarely seen in motorsport. Apart from two pre-production Audi 100 5D models sent on a factory-organized promotional world tour, only two Audi 100 5E models are known to have participated in motorsport. These cars competed in the 1979 Australian Rally, driven by Warmbold/Gauzère/Schlüter and the Behret/Schmidt/Schmid team. They featured stock engines and were fitted with roll cages for regulatory reasons. These exceptions proved the rule: the Audi 100 played no significant role in motorsport.
It wasn't until the Audi 80 that racing participation and success became more frequent. The 1980s marked the glorious era of the Audi quattro, which dominated the rally scene for years. However, this era came to an abrupt end in 1986 when Audi withdrew from the World Rally Championship.
The Audi 100 got another chance in 1987 when the World Rally Championship was restricted to Group A following fatal accidents during the 1986 season. The Audi 200 quattro was homologated for this group. At the Safari Rally, Mikkola/Hertz and Röhrl/Geistdörfer secured a double victory with this executive sedan in rally trim. This victory marked the end of Audi's rally involvement.
Audi's focus shifted to circuit racing. In the USA, the aim was to demonstrate the superiority of the quattro drivetrain. The suitable car was already available. The Audi 200, also known as the Audi 5000 in the USA, was further developed into a circuit racing car during its Group A rally involvement. Multiple speed records were set during development and testing.
It was no surprise, then, when the Audi 200 Trans-Am won eight out of thirteen races in the 1988 series, driven by Walter Röhrl, Hurley Haywood and Hans-Joachim Stuck. Hurley Haywood claimed the championship title. This was the final race outing for the Audi 200. The following year, Audi shifted to the IMSA-GTO series with the Audi 90 IMSA-GTO, continuing their winning streak in the USA.