The Audi 50 (known internally as Typ 86) is a small supermini car produced by German automaker Audi from 1974 to 1978, and sold only in Europe. Introduced two and three years after the French Renault 5 and the Italian Fiat 127 respectively, the Audi 50 and its VW Polo twin were seen at the time as Germany's first home-grown entrant in Europe's emerging class of "supermini" hatchbacks, supplanting a generation of small and often rear-engined economy cars.
History
Development and design
Audi had noticed the fast growth in popularity of small, front-wheel drive cars with a large, upward swinging rear hatch, top-hinged at the rear edge of the roof, and a maximised rear space that could be flexibly used. In the 1960s, hatchbacks were still an innovative vehicle concept, and Audi began thinking of such a car in 1968. When NSU folded into the Volkswagen group, and was initially merged into "Audi NSU Auto Union AG", plans became firmer.
Audi NSU's design and development center in Ingolstadt