'Audi 5000' to Success

It is the scariest roller-coaster ride in recent automotive history.

It began in the early 1980s with a steady rise in sales and euphoric predictions. Thanks to ultra sleek styling that pioneered the idea of having glass flush with the car's exterior surfaces, Audi appeared well on its way to becoming a worthy rival to BMW and Mercedes at the top of the luxury car food chain in the U.S.

Then ...