Blue Audi TTS

The TT name honors the foundation of Audi as a car company, which was formed through a merger between NSU and Auto Union, brought together in 1969 by parent company Volkswagen. NSU manufactured cars, motorcycles, and pedal bikes—its motorcycles often competed in the famed Isle of Man TT races.

The 1980s aren’t particularly known for exciting automotive design, but by the mid-1990s, that began to change. Many manufacturers started producing cars with bolder, more striking designs. The TT was one of these forerunners. Its production was initially delayed due to the need for seamless welding technology, which was essential to achieving its distinctive shape.

My wife and I had the chance to test drive one a few years ago, and it was a blast. Not a hardcore sports car, to be sure, but plenty of fun to motor around in. A small personal connection I have to the TT is the fact that its sales span from 1999 to 2023 mirrors one of my own career eras—working at a single manufacturing company during that same period.