As Audi moves to unveil its latest concept car signaling a new era of brand design, the brand’s design chief Massimo Frascella appears to have gone back to a deep brand heritage catalogue for influences. While TT, Auto Union Silver Arrow and ur quattro influence seem obvious, it would appear he’s gone even deeper into the obscure by touching on the obscure TT Open Sky concept of 2021, a targa-roof design study developed by supplier Magna Steyr and shown publicly at the 2001 Frankfurt IAA.
A keen eye will catch the TT Open Sky in the teaser videos and imagery Audi has revealed in the build-up to the concept reveal. You’ll catch a studio-shot top view shot that’s likely one of the period press release images you see here.
The TT Open Sky’s history is an interesting one. Set to be revealed by Magna Steyr on their stand in the OEM supplier hall of the Frankfurt Motor Show on the morning of September 11th, 2001, the car’s debut like everything else that morning was interrupted, overshadowed by world events that unfolded the very day it was revealed.
Even during the halcyon era of early 2000s auto industry motor shows, the Frankfurt IAA stood out as easily the largest in the world. Spread across vast halls that can swallow up even major car launches, Audi’s presence was so massive that it built a temporary structure in a central courtyard, while the rest of the Volkswagen Group took an entire hall. Other buildings were filled with smaller manufacturers, aftermarket tuners and suppliers. That’s where Magna Steyr displayed the TT Open Sky. So while some of the larger launches like Audi’s Avantissimo concept did get adequate attention, cars like the TT Open Sky located in more hidden parts of the Frankfurt Messe slipped by unnoticed.
In the main show hall, television screens across the show floor suddenly carried CNN’s coverage of the terrorist attacks unfolding in New York and Washington, D.C. Car journalists and manufacturer executives stopped following press conferences and huddled around monitors. The world changed in real time, and most of the cars launched that day became historical footnotes.
That’s unfortunate, because the TT concept with its tragically ironic Open Sky designation deserved more recognition. Magna Steyr knew the TT better than anyone outside Audi. The Austrian supplier had engineered both the TT Coupe and TT Roadster for production, translating Audi Design’s vision into vehicles that could be built on an assembly line. For their own study, Magna’s engineers revisited the TT with an eye toward creating the best of both worlds: the security of a coupe with the open-air freedom of a roadster.
The solution was an innovative removable roof system. The “Open Sky” featured two fiberglass composite panels that could be detached at the push of a button. A secondary press of the button triggered an automated mechanism that neatly stowed the roof halves in the trunk. It was a clever idea, offering roadster fun without giving up winter usability—a problem Audi and other brands were actively trying to solve in that era.
Structurally, Magna Steyr combined elements from both versions of the production TT. The roadster’s reinforced front end, floor, A-pillars, and doorsills provided rigidity, while the coupe’s rear section ensured a distinctive roofline when the panels were in place. A hidden B-pillar was integrated into the triangular side window and rollover bar, delivering safety without disrupting the car’s profile. It was thoughtful engineering, executed by a team that already knew the TT inside and out.
Of course, the “Open Sky” was never intended as a production car. Suppliers often create these studies to showcase capability, inspire conversations and explore future design solutions. In this case, Magna demonstrated its expertise in roof systems, structural integration, and full-vehicle prototyping. Audi itself didn’t pursue the concept further, and no TT variant like this was ever offered in series production.
For North American enthusiasts, the TT “Open Sky” is even more obscure. The car never traveled beyond Europe, and Audi had no intention of offering such a model stateside. Even in Europe, it remained a one-off showpiece… though maybe two-off given there’s a second blue car clearly visible in one of the press photos. Today, it stands as a fascinating artifact of early-2000s experimentation, when automakers and suppliers toyed with clever roof solutions ranging from retractable hardtops to glass roof panels.
While the ultimate fate of the TT Open Sky concept is unknown, it was curious that the car showed up in Audi teaser videos for the concept it plans to debut as part of its “TT Moment 2.0”. Set to be revealed later today, the one clear image we have of the car shows that the Open Sky’s inclusion in the teaser wasn’t by mistake. The new concept clearly shows cuts in the roof for targa-style functionality.
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