Audi A6 history: from the 1968 Audi 100 to the ninth-generation A6

Audi A6 (and Audi 100/5000/200) history

In the late 1960s Volkswagen had barred its new Auto Union subsidiary from developing its own cars, but technical director Ludwig Kraus built a mid-size sedan in secret anyway. Approved after the fact, it was presented in November 1968 as the Audi 100: the first Audi with no DKW technology, and the car that kept Ingolstadt independent within Volkswagen. Audi of America counts the Audi 100 as the first Audi sold in the US, in 1969.

The second-generation Audi 100 (C2, 1976) introduced Audi's five-cylinder engine, and in North America the C2 and C3 were sold as the Audi 5000 from 1978 to 1988. The aerodynamic C3 reached a drag coefficient of 0.30, and an Audi 100 introduced the first TDI direct-injection diesel at the 1989 Frankfurt show.

In 1994 the facelifted C4 Audi 100 was renamed the A6. Five more generations followed (C5–C9), adding the S6, the RS 6 (from 2002), the allroad wagon and, in the eighth generation, a 48-volt mild-hybrid V6. Audi says it has built almost ten million C-series cars.[1],[2],[3],[4],[6],[8],[9],[10],[11],[12]

Years and production numbers

Generations and key variants

Engine and drivetrain facts

• Audi's first five-cylinder (2,144 cc, 136 PS) debuted in the 1976 Audi 100; Audi 100 5E deliveries began in March 1977, and the 170 PS Audi 200 5T added turbocharging in 1979.
• The 1989 Audi 100 TDI used a 2.5-liter direct-injection turbo-diesel five with 120 PS; Audi's last five-cylinders, including the A6 2.5 TDI and the S6's 2.2 turbo, were phased out in 1997.
• The C8 A6 launched in the US for 2019 with a new 3.0-liter turbo V6 (335 hp, 369 lb-ft), with the turbocharger inside the V replacing the previous supercharger, and a standard 48-volt mild-hybrid system.
• The 2026 A6 sedan's 3.0-liter V6 makes 362 hp and 406 lb-ft, 27 hp and 37 lb-ft more than before, with seven-speed S tronic and standard quattro with ultra. A Sport plus package adds the quattro sport differential and all-wheel steering.
• The C6 RS 6's twin-turbo V10 weighed 278 kg and used dry-sump lubrication; Audi calls it the largest RS engine it has built.

Sources:[3],[4],[5],[6]

What changed over the years

1. 1968 (C1)Audi 100 presented in November; first Audi without DKW technology.
2. 1976 (C2)Second-generation Audi 100 introduces the five-cylinder; sold in the US as the 5000 from 1978.
3. 1982 (C3)Aerodynamic body with a 0.30 drag coefficient; quattro and turbo versions; 100/200 names replace 5000 in the US for 1989.
4. 1994 (C4)Facelifted Audi 100 renamed A6; the 100-based S4 becomes the S6.
5. 1997 (C5)New A6; allroad (2000), S6 Avant and the first RS 6 (2002).
6. 2004 (C6)Larger A6 with single-frame grille; V10 in S6 and RS 6.
7. 2011 (C7)Supercharged 3.0 V6 in the US; later 2.0T and 3.0 TDI; S6 moves to a 4.0 twin-turbo V8.
8. 2018 (C8)48-volt mild-hybrid V6; A6 allroad returns to the US for 2020; RS 6 Avant sold in the US for the first time.
9. 2025 (C9)Ninth generation built at Neckarsulm; US A6 sedan from 2026 with 362 hp, priced from $64,100.

Sources:[1],[2],[3],[4],[5],[6],[7],[8],[11],[12],[21],[24],[25],[31],[36]

What to check before you buy one

• Identify the generation from the VIN and model year. C7 (2012–2018) and C8 (2019–2025) A6s look similar from a distance but have different engines, electronics and quattro systems.
• On a C8 or C9, confirm whether the car has the optional sport differential, all-wheel steering or air suspension. These are significant factory options that are hard to verify visually.
• For a 2014–2016 A6 TDI, check its emissions-modification status and any related paperwork by VIN.
• For any S6 or RS 6, confirm it is genuine through the VIN and build data. S line packages make standard A6s look very similar.
• Ask for service records, especially on turbocharged and supercharged V6s and V8s, and check open recalls by VIN before buying.

Model-specific problems by generation are tracked on our Audi A6 known issues page. Engine guides: 2.0 TFSI (EA888) turbo four, 3.0 TFSI supercharged V6, 3.0 TFSI turbo V6 (EA839), 4.0 TFSI twin-turbo V8, 5.2 FSI V10, 3.0 TDI V6 diesel.

Audi A6 (and Audi 100/5000/200) prices and values

Medians of asking prices, not transaction prices; every trim is blended, so performance variants usually sit well above these medians. "Below new median" compares each model year's median used listing with the median listing price of a new 2026 A6 today. More in our Audi A6 depreciation study.

Mileage: across 3,321 used Audi A6 listings in our November 2026 study (all model years), the median odometer reading was 71,153 miles and 0.4% showed 200,000 miles or more. See how long a Audi A6 lasts.

How to verify a Audi A6 (and Audi 100/5000/200)'s factory options

A6s of the same year can differ by thousands of dollars in engine, quattro version, suspension and option packages. CarWhere checks the 17-character VIN for licensed factory build data and, when it exists, lists the equipment the car was built with. It does not promise a complete option list for every VIN.

Standardized 17-character VINs began with the 1981 model year, so early Audi 100s and the first 5000s predate them; every A6 has one.[37]

For pre-1981 examples, the data plate and engine stampings carry the original factory codes; a VIN-based build lookup does not apply to them.