The Audi TT started as a design study penned in Southern California. Freeman Thomas and J Mays, designers based at Volkswagen of America’s Simi Valley Design Center, created the initial sketches in early 1994, naming it the Bauhaus Coupe. A year later, the TT, whose name draws inspiration from the Tourist Trophy races held on the Isle of Man, appeared in concept form at the 1995 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
Spectators fell instantly for its simple but sleek design, and sensing sizable demand for it, Audi greenlit the coupe for production in December 1995. The automaker was going through a significant transition, revamping its portfolio and working to cement itself as a premium brand. So as the world caught its first glimpse of the two-seater, the TT didn’t just have to sell. Its mission was to attract new customers to the brand, serving as Ingolstadt’s halo car for the late ’90s.
The TT formally went on sale in 1998, with its Roadster variant following shortly thereafter — they sold in massive numbers. As the TT moved into its second generation in 2006, it grew larger and more potent with subsequent TTS and TT RS variants and got a stablemate in the form of the R8. Though the supercar debuted with unique styling, its design language can be traced directly to the tiny TT. By this point, the impact of its simple but stylish design was undeniable.
Although sales remained strong after the second-gen TT’s introduction, the 2010s and the global recession that accompanied them were troublesome. Sales in the United States shrunk, and despite the TTS and TT RS holding their own as serious sports cars in period comparison tests, sales
figures took nearly half a decade to recover.
The TT’s third and final generation, simply known as the Mk3, arrived in 2014. Based on Volkswagen’s MQB platform, the little sports car benefited from significant performance improvements, as did other VW products of the time. Still, its sales figures never recovered; thus far, in 2023, only a few hundred cars have sold.
As I made my way through the twisty canyons above Malibu in a 2023 TT Roadster, I couldn’t help but feel bummed that the TT didn’t sell as well as it should have. I mean, it has all the goods on paper. It’s small, relatively light, fun to drive, and gorgeous. So what gives?
The answer, of course, is complex. We could blame the popularity of SUVs in the last decade, but small, fizzy cars are down across the board. Such specialized machines seem more challenging than ever to justify as consumers demand their vehicles to do more. The trend isn’t to have multiple cars but one that can do everything.
While it didn’t define itself by its handling or straight-line performance, the impact of its design philosophy is immeasurable, namely how it surfaced across Audi’s portfolio in cars like the R8 or even in futuristic concept form on the big screen in Will Smith’s I, Robot. While its future is uncertain at this point, one thing is for sure: We’ll miss it once it’s gone.
Featured in Our December 2023 Issue
