| German sport luxury brand Audi has played
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| | the 1950s highlighted by Daimler's
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| a strong role in helping to shape
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| | acquisition of the company in 1958 fueled
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| consumer tastes and influence the entire
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| | further expansion. In 1964, the
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| European touring market. For nearly 100
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| | Volkswagen group purchased Audi from
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| years, the Audi brand has been synonymous
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| | Daimler and to this day Audi remains a
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| with producing high quality, reliable,
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| | significant part of the Volkswagen
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| and well engineered vehicles. An odd
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| | establishment.
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| start almost scuttled the company's
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| | By the late 1960s, Audi began what many
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| plans, yet today Audi has risen above
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| | consider to be its historic run to the
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| adversity and is producing cars that are
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| | top of automotive excellence. New models
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| world renowned in quality and
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| | were developed several of which were also
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| engineering.
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| | marketed as Volkswagen models for that
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| August Horch founded Horch Automotive in
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| | era. In 1980, Audi shook the automotive
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| Cologne, Germany in 1899, and began
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| | world to its foundation when it released
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| manufacturing cars in 1901 which featured
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| | its Quattro sports car, a vehicle with
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| a horizontal engine producing upwards of
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| | full time all wheel drive and a
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| 5 horsepower. Demand for these models
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| | turbocharged engine. Instantly, the
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| propelled Horch to expand production and
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| | Quattro propelled the Audi name to the
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| move to a larger manufacturing facility
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| | top of the race car world when the
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| where a newer, more powerful model
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| | vehicle began to win race upon race.
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| cranking out a then-amazing 10 horsepower
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| | Undeniably, the Quattro was such a
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| was released.
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| | runaway hit that the model was banned
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| By 1910, Horch himself was booted out of
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| | from some races for having an "unfair"
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| the company that sported his name so he
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| | technological advantage.
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| set up shop elsewhere and began to sell
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| | Throughout the 1980s and the 1990s, Audi
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| cars under the Audi moniker. Originally,
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| | began to produce additional models
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| Horch tried to use his family name, but
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| | including its first premium model, the
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| German courts ruled against him thus the
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| | Audi V8 in 1988. Sporting a 3.6L 32-valve
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| Audi name was selected instead. In
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| | V8 engine, the Audi V8 featured full time
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| German, Horch means "hark" and the word
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| | all wheel drive and a four speed
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| "audi" is the Latin translation of horch
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| | electronically controlled automatic
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| hark. So, although he could legally no
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| | transmission. This particular model was a
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| longer use his family name, the Latinized
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| | huge departure from earlier Audis and set
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| version of the same won out. Guess which
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| | the brand on a collision course with
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| name is known today?
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| | Mercedes and BMW, Germany's two other
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| In between a pair of devastating world
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| | luxury brands in a bid for automotive
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| wars, the modern Audi company began to
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| | supremacy.
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| take shape. Indeed, the "four rings" logo
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| | Today, Audi continues to expand and
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| of the company represents the union of
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| | compete against all of the top luxury
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| four distinct German automotive
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| | brands in the world. New technology
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| manufacturers under the auspices of Audi.
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| | including its Audi Space Frame
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| Yes, you guessed it: the Horch company
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| | all-aluminum body - known for its
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| that originally booted Mr. Horch was
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| | rigidity and improved crashworthiness -
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| absorbed by Audi and makes up one of the
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| | are among the highlights of a brand that
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| four rings. August Horch lived to see
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| | doesn't settle for second best. From
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| that big day, but he also witnessed the
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| | sedans to sport coupes to an all new SUV,
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| dismantling of the company following the
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| | Audi has a model that competes against
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| end of the second world war.
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| | the likes of Lexus, Mercedes, Cadillac,
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| Reparations was the rallying cry when
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| | Infiniti, and BMW its chief competitors.
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| World War II ended, thus the Soviet Union
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| | That "hark" sound you hear is both the
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| who was occupying the eastern portion of
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| | name of a company and the attention the
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| Germany during the postwar era,
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| | brand deserves in a sea of capable
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| appropriated the company, took all of its
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| | premium models produced by Germany's
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| assets, and by August 1948 the company no
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| | esteemed Volkswagen Group. Yes, Audi has
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| longer existed. One year later thanks to
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| | weathered several storms and the company
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| state loans and Marshall plan assistance,
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| | appears poised to continue its thrust
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| a resurrected Audi was back on the scene
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| | forward thanks to its many innovations
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| producing a delivery van and a
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| | and continued high quality.
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| motorcycle. Continuous growth throughout
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