Where did it start from?
Audi's history is one of the most "varied" in the history of the automotive industry. It was created from the merger of four brands, Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer, in 1932 to form the Auto Union AG brand, whose logo was the four rings. These four rings symbolize the four brands, although the DKW car factory also had the same logo, so this made it much easier for the company to choose a logo.
Audi AG was formed in 1985 from Audi NSU Auto Union AG. Together with the traditional brands Auto Union GmbH and NSU GmbH, Audi Tradition presents and presents Audi's rich and diverse history. Ferdinand Porsche developed the Auto Union engines and played a major role in the brand's success. After 1949, Ingolstadt became the headquarters of Auto Union. In 1958, the alliance with Mercedes fell apart after six years, as the Auto Union management continued to favor two-stroke engines. Auto Union's main shareholder, Friedrich Flikk, maintained close ties with Heinrich Nordhoff, the head of VW, who took over the brand with the four rings in 1965.
From 1969, the company name was changed to Audi NSU Auto Union after the merger with NSU, which was simplified to Audi in 1985. The partially galvanized Audi 80 opened up new horizons in automotive engineering in 1972, and the introduction of the Audi 200 5T in 1980 successfully introduced the Audi brand into the upper class. The Audi Quattro permanent all-wheel drive was a world sensation when it was introduced, the first time Audi had used it in a series-production car, and not just in the world of rallying.
Stages (breakthroughs)
- 1885 Founding of the Wanderer Automobile factory
- 1899 Founding of the August Horch-Cie automobile factory in Cologne
- 1907 Founding of the DKW machine building plant
- 1909 Founding of the August Horch Automobil plant, Zwickau
- 1910 Renamed Audi Werke GmbH
- 1932 Merger of Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer factories under the name AUTO UNION AG
- 1949 Move of AUTO UNION to Ingolstadt
- 1962 Sale of the Düsseldorf factory, where a total of 484,000 cars were produced.
- 1965 Volkswagen acquires majority ownership in AUTO UNION AG
- 1968. Audi 100 is introduced
- 1969. Audi 100 Coupé S is introduced at the IAA
- 1969. NSU, which has been operating since 1873, merges with AUTO UNION AG AUDI NSU AUTO UNION AG
- 1972. Audi 80 is introduced
- 1974. Audi Audi 50 is introduced
- 1976. Audi 100 - second generation
- 1977. Production of NSU cars ceases
- 1978. Audi 80 - second generation
- 1982. Audi 100 - third generation
- 1983. Audi Sport Quattro is introduced at the IAA
- 1985. Audi AG is born
- 1986. Audi 80 - third generation
- 1988. Audi V8 is introduced
- 1989. European record: the Audi 100 TDI covered 4,818 km on a tank of fuel
- 1990. Audi 100 - fourth generation
- 1991. Audi 80 - fourth generation
- 1992. The Audi 100 is replaced by the Audi A6
- 1994. The Audi 80 is replaced by the Audi A4. The station wagon version of the Audi A6, the Audi A6 Avant, is released. The Audi A8 is launched. Audi establishes the Audi factory in Győr in Hungary.
- 1995. The Audi A4 Avant is introduced. The Audi TT concept car is created
- 1996. The smallest Audi makes its debut: the A3
- 1997. The new Audi A6 is launched
- 1998. The assembly of the Audi TT sports car begins at the Gyor plant
- 1999. The Audi TT Coupé is launched
- 1999. The new Audi A4 is launched
- 1999. The five-door Audi A3 is launched
- 1999. The Audi S3 is launched on the Hungarian market
- 2000. The Audi A2 is launched internationally. International launch of the Audi allroad quattro
- 2000. Market launch of the Audi allroad quattro
- 2000. Domestic launch of the Audi A2 (October)
- 2000. Audi Forum opens its doors in Ingolstadt (December)
- 2001. Hungarian launch of the new Audi A4 (March)
- 2001. Audi launches the new A6 in Hungary (August)
- 2002. International launch of the new Audi A4 Cabriolet (February)
- 2002. Hungarian launch of the new Audi A4 Cabriolet (July)
Source: audi.iwk.hu