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From YourSITE.com Feature Cars Long before Audi experimented with the allroad and even predating the modern trend of SUVs that inspired Audi’s off-road apiring Avant, the then-well-known and now-defunct Audi tuner Treser built their own interpretation. Even in the 1980s, first with the Type 85 Audi 80 (second-generation 4000 for Americans) and then with the cars like this Type 89 Audi 80, Treser saw the potential of Audi’s quattro all-wheel drive system in off-road situations. The cars were reportedly marketed as a vehicle for the persuit of falcons.
The Treser Hunter was based on the Audi 80, featuring a raised suspension. The chassis was strengthened and many components were upgraded to deal with the off-roading ambitions of this precursor to the allroad. A built-in bull bar, sump guard and exterior tubular steps all functioned in the same capacity – outfitting the car properly for extended use in the bush. Arch extensions were both functional and added considerable muscle to the look of the car. Revised front and rear bumpers blended the arches and allowed for the various bars and protective pieces, while a Treser grille clearly marked the car’s creator.
Conversions built by Treser such as this particular Hunter were neither cheap nor common – and remain so. In its day, the standard Treser Hunter cost almost twice as much as an ur-Quattro – the suspension alone reportedly cost £28,000, with a total package in its day weighing in at £44,741.37. Examples today are rarely seen on the market. It is reported that most Hunters were purchased by wealthy Sheikhs from the Middle East, spirited away to places like Oman and added to private collections from which most have not resurfaced. The current owner of this particular Hunter reports that his own research in the matter, including communications with Walter Treser, suggest that there is only one Type 89 Hunter known to exist in Europe – the 115 bhp test prototype. The rest, it is reported, were sold to Sheikhs in the United Arab Emirates.
The history of this particular example is said to have started with its purchase by a wealthy Sheikh who was visiting London on business and spotted a Hunter on the showroom floor. He liked it so much that he placed an order for a Hunter as a gift to his nephew as a birthday gift for the 18-year old. The Treser Hunter you see here was originally ordered in a wild electric green color. The interior was a black half-fabric spec, along with gold-plated interior door grab handles. Gold plating also adorns the car’s side trim and windshield surround – a sign of the whacky tastes that were abound in the jet-setting 1980s. Unlike European Hunters that were fitted with a 245 bhp turbocharged 5-cylinder, it is said cars bound for the Middle East such as this one were fitted with a normally-aspirated 160bhp unit.
The car was then shipped to Gemballa Tuning in Leonburg, near Stuttgart, Germany at the request of the Sheikh. At Gemballa, the Hunter was further tailored to the wishes of the owner, fitting it with specially ordered rear-facing cameras with custom wing-mounted pods. The camera system featured a zoom function button inside the car that lights up and recording devices mounted in the trunk. Further wiring jacks were added to the interior for use with an array of audiovisual devices - many of which have since been removed from the car, though the wiring remains. The Hunter’s interior also received a unique green steering wheel, since removed, and Gemballa’s trademark green dials. Following its stay at Gemballa, the car was shipped on to Oman, where it was presented as a gift to the Sheikh’s nephew who is said to have not taken a liking to the electric green hue of the car. Sometime in 2001 and at the direction of the nephew, the car was re-sprayed in what has been described as a Mad Max inspired matte black. This appears to have included a full window-out respray, though some of the original green paint can still be found in remote places such as underneath the carpet in the trunk. The new paint was supposedly done in preparation for making the car more attractive for sale in the Dubai market where it was eventually sold. Wheels fitted on most Hunters were Treser’s own TRX rim design – manufactured in Metric sizes. Standardization of the tire industry to SAE radius sizes made the wheels obsolete, as no tires now fit those original rims. Those rims were since separated from the car, their fate unclear. At some point during the car’s life, the rearward facing cameras were also removed, though their pods that housed them are still there.
The car was then sold by the Sheikh’s nephew to its current owner, Jon Saxon – an automotive journalist and features editor for CAR magazine. During his career, the British-born and Dubai-based Mr. Saxon has worked for other publications such as VW Motoring, Performance VW, The Golf and Auto Tuning in Germany. He’s also freelanced for Yahoo, Eurotuner and Sports Car International. Jon is not new to vintage Audis by any stretch, and he was intrigued by this rare vintage Treser Audi. Saxon has considered an extensive restoration on the car, though another ’82 ur-Quattro project has left him little time to devote to his Treser Hunter. As such, he recently decided to put it up for sale. Today, the car does show evidence of its age. There are some minor cracks in the plastic bumpers, some paint flake on the powder-coated bull bars and some minor rust on the passenger door sill. Still, it’s in remarkable condition given its age and quite a rare find – the spiritual precursor to today’s Audi allroad. Editor’s Note: At the time of this article’s writing, Mr. Saxon has listed his Treser Hunter on Ebay for sale. Should you be interested in purchasing the Hunter, bids can be placed and contact can be made with him via the auction listing HERE.
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