‘Barn find’ Audi becomes viral hit with petrolheads

A rare car tucked away in an Angus garage for almost 30 years has become a global internet sensation.

In 1994, Fred Harrison parked his prized Audi Quattro Turbo in a Montrose lock-up and pulled the door down.

And there the white coupe remained untouched – until car journalist and TV presenter Jonny Smith made an excited trip north to unearth the vehicle for viewers of his Late Brake Show channel on YouTube.

Jonny’s “barn find” videos are a huge hit with petrolheads and he has nearly 400,000 subscribers to the Late Brake Show.

So he was contacted by Fred’s younger brother, Jason, who wondered if the Audi might grab Jonny’s interest.

It did - and the video of the car emerging from almost three decades of hibernation has had more than 300,000 views in less than a week.

Jason, 50, says he is astonished by the response to a story born out of tragedy for the family.

Electrician Fred passed away last year aged 65 after a devastatingly short battle with cancer.

Jason said: “We have always been into cars and this was Fred’s pride and joy.

“We still have the receipt for it from August 12 1991. He traded in a Mitsubishi Starion, which was a rare car at the time – and handed over £3,995 as the balance for the Audi.

“Fred had loads of great cars but the

Quattro was always his favourite. But in 1994 he reversed it into the lock-up, took the wheels off, put it up on blocks and that was it.

“I don’t know if he had an idea he was going to do it up, or just tuck it away.”

Fred may just have known how sepcial the car is. It’s one of around just 75 right-hand drive Ur-Quattro models made before mass production got under way at the Ingolstadt factory in Bavaria.

It may need a refurb costing tens of thousands of pounds but its originality, and features including a period body kit and rare alloy wheels, make it special.

In 2021, an immaculate Ur-Quattro with less than 10,000 miles on the clock sold at auction for £163,000.

Jason with rare Audi Quattro Turbo.