Rear window demisters [Ed note: We call ’em defoggers and/or defrosters here in the US of A, Lewin – Pete] are rarely very interesting. They’re a bunch of conductive lines slapped onto the rear windscreen to help remove fog in the morning. However, many decades ago, Audi turned this boring practicality into a visual treat for the owners of its finest models.
Automakers love logos. They’re not just used to identify brands as a whole, either. Individual models and even individual features all get their own stickers and badging, highlighting whatever an automaker thinks is most important about a given car. In the 1980s it was “16-VALVE” this and “TURBO” that, before automakers rushed to slap an “i” badge on anything with fuel injection.
For Audi, so many decades ago, its headline feature was its quattro all-wheel-drive system. Purchase a duly equipped vehicle, and you got lots of really cool “quattro” badges on your car—plus a nice little easter egg that came out every time the weather got a little frosty. [Ed note: Audi specifies quattro is all lowercase, “Quattro” would be wrong. This bugs me. – Pete]
@retrogarageofficial You probably didn’t know that the quattro on the back window of my Audi Coupe Quattro or an Audi 80 / Audi 90 is actually part of the rear demister. #cars #cartok #audi
At some point, an Audi designer or engineer realized they could do something special with the quattro logo on the rear windscreen. It’s a simple logo that looks great as an outline, which made it perfect for such an application. On one row of the rear windscreen demister, instead of a straight line, the resistive heating trace is in the shape of the quattro logo instead.
Day to day, you probably wouldn’t notice this small touch unless you’re looking directly at it. However, this all changes when there’s frost on the rear windshield and the demister is engaged. By virtue of the shape of the heating lines, you get the quattro logo beautifully emblazoned in the icy crystals on your rear windscreen.
Of course, it only lasts as long as the frost does. Soon enough, the rear demister clears the screen and the effect disappears. But that’s what makes it so magical—it’s an easter egg that reveals itself in a really neat way.
The feature was available on a variety of models. It can be found on the Audi 100 and 200, as well as the Audi 4000 and the first two generations of the Audi coupe.
Quite a number of Audis of the 1980s and 1990s had this feature, like this Audi 4000. The defroster lines had lost continuity on this car, spoiling the effect, but the owner was able to execute a rough DIY repair to restore functionality.
It’s worth noting that this required Audi to produce bespoke rear windscreens for quattro models. This would have added extra cost to production, and complicated inventory for models that received this feature. It’s perhaps for this reason that the feature died out sometime in the early 1990s. For example, you won’t find it on a first-generation Audi TT, quattro-equipped or not.
Audi still sells a wide variety of quattro models with all-wheel drive. However, the technology is no longer treated with such reverence as it once was, and the badging is typically more subtle and refined. Just as dual overhead cams and fuel injection became less of a selling point as they became normalized, it’s been a similar story as all-wheel drive has become more common.
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It’s a shame to see that this neat easter egg didn’t keep appearing on newer models. Still, it’s a nice little design detail for owners of classic quattro Audis to enjoy each winter.
Image credits: amdisthebest (provided), Mike’s Virtual Garage via YouTube screenshot
Of course the TT was quattro only in name, being transverse Golf based. Guessing they’re Synchro/4MOTION instead
I saw a very nice looking Audi V8 Quattro in the salvage yard today, with this rear defroster.
I struggle to think about how much money I’d pay to retrofit this… …. Any aftermarket manufacturers reading this?!?
Conductive paint and a steady hand?
My 1991 Audi 90 Quattro 20V I had in highschool has this! It’s still in the family.
Nice! Does it still work?
Honestly don’t know, been a while since I’ve driven it, and it doesn’t get driven much anymore. Has over 100K miles on the odometer.
Those only came with a stick, right? Those are such cool cars. I’d love to find something like that as a project.
They’re very cool and drive great, however parts are nonexistent in the US, and when you can find them outside the US they’re very expensive, yet the cars are worth nothing. Real bad combo tbh.
That somehow only makes me want one more
If you can find a 2 Door I’d go with that. The 4 door should have been a 2 door from the factory, the rear doors are so short and the rear seat is so small.
I knew this, because my father had an 84 4000 Quattro, so I used to see it all the time. Sadly none of my subsequent cars have had rear defroster Easter eggs
the Toyota Prius does the same thing!
https://www.slashgear.com/img/gallery/4-hidden-easter-eggs-you-can-find-on-the-toyota-prius/hidden-prius-badging-1741305944.sm.webp
Nice find!
It’s such a fitting Easter egg, as it’s really only doing its thing during “quattro season”. I surely wouldn’t mind if it came back in some form.
I love it
I have a base spec Audi 80 quattro, stick with a lockable center diff. Still trying to find the proper control pressure regulator. It runs and drives with a part off a Golf, but not really well.
Ok, I’m not normally one for gimmicks, but this is super cool! I support defroster graphics as much as 80s and 90s body graphics.
Ed note: Audi specifies quattro is all lowercase, “Quattro” would be wrong. This bugs me. – Pete
Quattro was a specific Audi model available 1980-91, whereas quattro is Audi’s branded AWD system.
Ed note: Audi specifies quattro is all lowercase, “Quattro” would be wrong. This bugs me. – Pete
There is an explanation for this. Quattro was a specific Audi model available 1980-91, whereas quattro is Audi’s branded AWD system. Since Audi had already created the Quattro, when they wanted to use the name on their AWD system I guess they figured a lower case “q” would be a good way to provide distinction. I guess they thought using “vier” as a brand name didn’t sound so good.
I think as well the logo looks way cooler with a lowercase Q
100% cooler in lowercase as a logo design for sure, but using “quattro” as the standard for all appearances? Blech. It just looks like a mistake: https://www.audiusa.com/en/inside-audi/innovation/quattro/
I’m also reading there were some trademark issues as well that necessitated the lower case “q.”
I personally like the all lowercase lettering for it. It’s a subtle way to say ‘our AWD system is there for you when you need it’
Audi is generally just weird about capitalization – quattro, allroad, and e-tron are features of a car so they aren’t capitalized. Perfectly clear, so how about Avant and Sportback? Nope those are capitalized.
Ur-Quattro was a model so capitalized great! That differentiates it from the later awd on other models. So the electric SUV from 2019 was an E-tron? LOL, no it is also e-tron.
So did they have a Quattro quattro?
Given that there’s no non-quattro Quattro, I guess…erm, yes?
Yes, and the name was approved by Audi’s Department of Redundancy Department.
When I had my first car few cars, I would bring them to this local VW/Audi repair shop and the owner had a 4000 with this feature. I always thought it was the coolest thing
Also some appear to have the quattro script on the C-pillar windows that looks like a heating element, but its not connected to the edges of the glass
I’ve been staring at “quattro” for ten minutes trying to figure out worst-case scenarios of only parts of the defroster fail. The best I’ve got is that if part of the “a” and the “tro” stop working, it will tell you to “quit”
You sir are doing God’s work.
I want to ADD wires. Specifically, wires spelling “Suzi.” Imagine defrosting your shit as you idle on Devil Gate Drive with Suzi Quattro melting into your rear window. (Yeah yeah, it’s “Suzi Quatro,” but still.)
The quattro defroster was also on the B3 90 quattro.
You can see it faintly on this listing for 1988 90 quattro.
https://glenshelly.com/sales/sold-full/1988-audi-90-quattro
I used to have one (as well as a 91 cq), I always thought it was a cool touch.
Don’t forget all the cars with “5 Speed” badges.
But how else will I know it doesn’t have a lowly 3 or 4 speed?
Actually, I put a 5 speed badge on my ’94 SHO
We covered this earlier in the week: Monroney sticker. 🙂
GM “ABS” badge wishes to chat.
They talked, and quattro kicked their ass.
Man, they slapped that badge on everything!
Like Ford’s EFI badge on all of their trucks.
Along with Subaru’s “Front Wheel Drive” script badging.
The old Toyota pickups with 4WD mudflaps were my favorite.
Absolutely cool. And sure, it wasn’t free to implement, but it certainly wasn’t very expensive. I’m a fan.
I love it, most expense was likely the seperate inventory management.
The expense would have come from extra part numbers and that’s about it. The lines are silk-screened onto the windows, so no real cost other than having two screen variations, and then two finished part variations to contend with.