Audi's Austrian Roots: A Historical Perspective

Audi AG is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles, with its headquarters in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. Audi is a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, which owns dozens of high-performance automakers, including Lamborghini, Bugatti, Porsche, and Bentley. The origins of Audi date back to the early 20th century and the initial enterprises founded by engineer August Horch. The name Audi is derived from the Latin translation of Horch, which means listen.

Audi is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles

Audi AG is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles, headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. Audi is a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, which also owns Lamborghini, Bugatti, Porsche, and Bentley. Audi's origins date back to the early 20th century, with its complex history involving several initial enterprises, including Horch and Audiwerke, founded by engineer August Horch. The modern Audi era began in the 1960s when Volkswagen acquired Auto Union from Daimler-Benz and relaunched the Audi brand.

Audi's name is derived from the Latin translation of its founder August Horch's surname, with "Horch" meaning "listen" in German, becoming "audi" in Latin. The four rings of Audi's logo represent the four car companies (Horch, DKW, Wanderer, and Audi) that merged to form Audi's predecessor company, Auto Union, in 1932.

While Audi is a German automaker with its headquarters in Germany, it has manufacturing plants worldwide, including in Hungary, Belgium, Mexico, Slovakia, Spain, Russia, Brazil, India, and China. Audi's slogan, "Vorsprung durch Technik," translates to "Progress through Technology," reflecting the company's focus on technological advancements. Audi, along with German brands BMW and Mercedes-Benz, is among the best-selling luxury automobile brands globally.

Audi was founded by August Horch in 1899 as Horch & Cie

On 14 November 1899, August Horch established the company A. Horch & Cie. in the Ehrenfeld district of Cologne. In 1902, he moved with his company to Reichenbach im Vogtland. On 10 May 1904, he founded the August Horch & Cie. Motorwagenwerke AG, a joint-stock company in Zwickau (State of Saxony). After troubles with Horch chief financial officer, August Horch left Motorwagenwerke and founded in Zwickau on 16 July 1909, his second company, the August Horch Automobilwerke GmbH.

Horch was prohibited from using his own name for his new car business, so he called a meeting with close business friends, Paul and Franz Fikentscher from Zwickau. During this meeting, Franz's son, who was quietly studying Latin in the corner of the room, blurted out, "Father – audiatur et altera pars... wouldn't it be a good idea to call it audi instead of horch?". "Horch" in German means "hark" or "hear", which is "audi" in the singular imperative form of "audire" ("to listen") in Latin. The idea was accepted by everyone attending the meeting. On 25 April 1910, the Audi Automobilwerke GmbH Zwickau (from 1915 on Audiwerke AG Zwickau) was entered in the company's register of Zwickau registration court.

The name Audi comes from the Latin translation of Horch, meaning listen

The name Audi comes from the Latin translation of Horch, meaning "listen". This is derived from the surname of the company's founder, August Horch.

Horch founded his first car company, Horch & Cie, in 1899. However, due to creative differences with his partner, he left to start a new company. This second car company was named Audi, derived from the Latin translation of Horch's surname.

The name Audi was enthusiastically accepted by Horch and his business partners. The Audi Automobilwerke GmbH Zwickau was entered into the company's register in 1910, and the first Audi automobile, the Audi Type A 10/22 hp Sport-Phaeton, was produced the same year.

Over the following years, Audi grew famous for its excellence in motorsports. In 1964, the Volkswagen Group purchased a 50% stake in Audi, and today, Volkswagen owns dozens of high-performance automakers, including Audi, Lamborghini, Bugatti, Porsche, and Bentley.

Audi is owned by the Volkswagen Group

Audi AG is a German automotive manufacturer of luxury vehicles, headquartered in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany. Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. Audi is a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, which is a German public multinational conglomerate manufacturer of passenger and commercial vehicles, motorcycles, engines, and turbomachinery.

The Volkswagen Group, headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany, is a publicly traded family business owned by Porsche SE, which is in turn half-owned and fully controlled by the Austrian-German Porsche and Piëch family. The Volkswagen Group sells passenger cars under the Audi, Bentley, Cupra, Jetta, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT, Škoda, and Volkswagen brands. The Group also offers motorcycles under the Ducati name and light commercial vehicles under the Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles brand.

The Volkswagen Group has a long history in motorsport heritage and has a deep-rooted connection with Audi. In 1964, the Volkswagen Group purchased a 50% stake in Audi, utilising their manufacturing and engineering expertise. Over the years, the Volkswagen Group has expanded its portfolio of high-performance automakers, including Lamborghini, Bugatti, Porsche, and Bentley.

In February 2020, Volkswagen AG announced its intention to acquire all Audi shares it did not already own, making Audi a fully-owned subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. This change took effect on 16 November 2020, solidifying Audi's position within the Volkswagen Group.

Audi vehicles are manufactured all over the world

Audi's two principal assembly plants in Germany are Ingolstadt, the former Auto Union site, and Neckarsulm, the former NSU plant. The Ingolstadt site was acquired by Volkswagen in 1964 and is also the location of Audi's headquarters. The Neckarsulm site was acquired by Volkswagen in 1969.

Outside of Germany, Audi produces vehicles at the following locations:

• Aurangabad, India
• Bratislava, Slovakia
• Brussels, Belgium
• Changchun, China
• Győr, Hungary
• Jakarta, Indonesia
• Martorell, Spain
• Puebla, Mexico
• San José Chiapa, Mexico
• São José dos Pinhais, Brazil
• Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, India

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