WHAT DOES TT STAND FOR?

The TT in Audi TT doesn’t stand for “Technology & Tradition,” or indeed anything automotive. Rather it is an homage to a long-forgotten part of Audi’s heritage, NSU, and that company’s success at the Isle of Man’s Tourist Trophy motorcycle races. Yes, the TT is named after a motorcycle race, specifically evincing memories of NSU success in 1953 and 1954 with its single cylinder, yet incredibly complex Rennmax racer. The first consumer product to wear the iconic designation was the 1959 Quickly TT, a piffling little moped designed for Europe’s still-struggling economy. Five years later, the almostas-dinky NSU Prinz 1000 TT and TT S were introduced, but at least they had four wheels. It would be 30 years before the moniker was used again, with the introduction of the very-close-to-production TT Coupe concept at the 1995 Frankfurt auto show.