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Audi: Combining Design and Innovation in SUVs, Sedans,and Coupes
Highly Efficient, Sophisticated and Reliable Cars
How Audi Came About
August Horch founded the German luxury car brand in 1899, with the first Horch car to leave the factory in Zwickau in 1901. Leaving the company in 1909, he then began another company in Zwickau continuing to use the Horch name for the brand. Sued for using the Horch name he then called his automobiles Audi, a Latin word that when translated means Hark or Listen. The Audi AG, as now known, is a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group since 1964. The Company headquarters are located in Ingolstadt, Bavaria.
The first Audi was a 2.6 litre four-cylinder model and this was followed by a 3.6 litre, a 4.7 litre and 5.7 litre model. These Audi cars proved to be successful, even on the racing circuit. Audi was also the first German production car to have left-hand drive brought out in 1921. The idea behind it was that a left-hand drive would have better traffic visibility, especially when manoeuvring. This proved highly successful for Audi sales.
Audi Models
The Four-Ring Audi Logo
The four overlapping rings of the Audi logo represent the amalgamation of Audi with DKW, Horch, and Wanderer to the Volkswagen fold. The first ring is for Audi, the second DKW, the third one Horch, and the last one Wanderer. The tagline used for advertising in the USA is “innovation through technology”. However, in Canada, the German version of “vorsprung durch technik” is the preferred use for advertising projects.
During the 1970’s as the Audi image was considered to be conservative, it was decided to develop the four-wheel drive technology from Volkswagen’s military vehicle into an Audi performance car and a rally racing car. So, for 1980 the turbocharged Audi Quattro coupe came about. This was also the first German production car featuring a permanent four-wheel drive through a centre differential. In the early part of the 21st century, Audi set forth on a German racetrack to claim and maintain several world records, such as Top Speed Endurance. This effort was in-line with the company's heritage from the 1930s racing era "Silver Arrows".
Today, Audi continues its tradition of building high performance sedans and coupes, while pushing the boundaries about what one should expect from these luxurious cars. From their flagships A series sedans to their revolutionary R series coupes, Audi has built a reputation for award-winning design and engineering. The result of which has caught on with North American buyers who actively seek out this brand when purchasing a vehicle.