AUDI is celebrating 30 years of the Quattro with an Easter Egg for journos.

Tucked deep in the press material all about Quattro is this car show gem – the Ur Quattro on display at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show.

Yes, it’s so Ashes To Ashes, it’s untrue! Thought the Beeb were over-egging the strip lights and brown? This proves they most certainly were not.

Had I been born 30 years earlier, it could have been me wondering why someone had left a load of flowers on the stand next to the car. Before oogling, then softly padding away on the plush carpet tiles (fire risk? Even I remember the famed Geneva Motor Show fog of cigarette smoke…).

Contrast this to a shot taken of the 2010 Audi Geneva Motor Show stand.

Much more like it? Indeed… but, hang on. Isn’t that 2010 Audi range-topping R8, err, brown? And isn’t the 1980 Audi range-topping Ur Quattro a peachy, modern shade of white? Ah, yes: the more things change…

What WOULD be great is to get some more retro shots of Geneva up on here. Anyone out there (nudge-hint, Guild pals and PR chums…) have any?

My hit car colour of 2010

Citroen DS3 Racing past

Is the Giulietta an Alfa Romeo Rover 75?