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