Myth Buster
Audi TT
AUDI TT MkI 1 IT WAS RECALLED TO FIT A SPOILER
Safety concerns about the behaviour of the comparatively new (it was launched in 1998)
TT at speeds over 112mph prompted Audi to recall the cars for modifications back in 2000. Most that came back were fitted with a spoiler, leading to the myth that this is what the recall was for. In reality, the work was to update the ESP (Electronic Stability Programme) and modify the suspension. The spoiler didn’t have to be fitted, but it was a costfree and distinctive option, so most owners went for it anyway.
2 IT WENT STRAIGHT FROM CONCEPT TO PRODUCTION
The TT can trace its origins back to a 1995 concept car shown at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show. And while the production version that came three years later was very similar, it wasn’t a copy; the bumpers had a slightly different profile, but the most obvious change was the addition of a rear quarterlight behind the doors.
3 THE NAME STANDS FOR ‘TECHNOLOGY AND TRADITION’
We have Audi itself to blame for this, with its use of the phrase ‘technology and tradition’ in marketing for the car. The truth is, it stands for ‘ Tourist Trophy’ and references the British Isle of Man TT motorcycle races in which NSU competed from 1907. Volkswagen merged NSU with Audi in 1969, and while the link between motorcycles and cars may be a little dubious, NSU did have a convention of also using ‘ TT’ for its four-wheeled products, such as the Prinz-based 1000TT, 1200TT and TTS models of the Sixties and Seventies.