AUDI AG

The AUDI AG stands for sporty vehicles, high build quality and progressive design – for “Vorsprung durch Technik.” The Audi Group is among the world’s leading producers of premium cars.

AUDI: The history of AUDI AG extends back to the 19th century. In 1899 August Horch wrote the first chapter in Audi’s history when he established the motor vehicle company known as Horch & Cie.. Ten years later, he founded a second car manufacturing company: Audi Automobilwerke in Zwickau. Following differences of opinion with the Board of Management and Supervisory Board, August Horch left the company in 1909 and immediately established a second car company in Zwickau. Because his surname was already in use and was protected by trademark, he chose its Latin translation for the new company. So "horch!" – or "hark" – became "audi!". The idea of using the Latin imperative form came from the son of one of August Horch's business partners; the boy, well-versed in Latin, had overheard the discussion about the search for a new company name. In subsequent correspondence, August Horch even signed his letters with the words "Kind regards – Audi-Horch". Audi Automobilwerke GmbH itself became a joint-stock company in December 1914.

DKW: Originally founded in Chemnitz in 1902 as Rasmussen & Ernst, the company moved to Zschopau in the Erzgebirge region in 1907. It initially manufactured and sold exhaust-steam oil separators for steam power plants, vehicle mudguards and lights, vulcanisation equipment and centrifuges of all kinds. The company's founder Jörgen Skafte Rasmussen began to experiment with a steam-driven motor vehicle in 1916, registering DKW (short for Dampfkraftwagen – steam-driven vehicle) as a trademark in 1922. In 1919, the company began manufacturing two-stroke engines, initially in the form of a working toy-engine.. In 1921, this led to a change of name to “Zschopauer Motorenwerke J.S. Rasmussen OHG.” One year later, the first motorcycles left the factory in Zschopau under the brand name DKW.

HORCH: At the end of the 19th century, there were already a number of car manufacturers in Germany. One of them was August Horch & Cie., founded on November 14, 1899 in Cologne. August Horch was one of the pioneering figures in automobile engineering. Before setting up in business on his own, his professional experience had included three years in charge of automobile production at Carl Benz in Mannheim. In 1904, August Horch moved his business to Zwickau and transformed it into a joint-stock company.

WANDERER: In 1885 two mechanics, Johann Baptist Winklhofer and Richard Adolf Jaenicke, opened a bicycle repair workshop in Chemnitz. Shortly afterwards they began to make bicycles of their own, since demand at that time was very high. These were marketed under the brand name Wanderer, and in 1896 the company itself began to trade as Wanderer Fahrradwerke AG. Wanderer built its first motorcycle in 1902. The idea of branching out into car production was finally put into practice in 1913.

Four interlocking rings symbolised the merger of four automobile manufacturers based in the German state of Saxony: Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer became Auto Union AG, then the second-largest motor vehicle manufacturing group in Germany. Here are brief details of the roots of today’s AUDI AG.

AUTO UNION AG: On 29 June 1932, Audiwerke, Horchwerke and Zschopauer Motorenwerke J. S. Rasmussen AG (DKW) merged on the initiative of the State Bank of Saxony to form Auto Union AG. A purchase and leasing agreement was concluded at the same time with Wanderer for the takeover of its motor vehicle division. The new company's head offices were in Chemnitz. Following the merger, Auto Union AG was the second-largest motor vehicle manufacturer in Germany. The company emblem consisted of four interlocking rings, intended to symbolise the inseparable unity of the four founder companies. The Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer brand names were retained. Each of the four brands was assigned a specific market segment within the group: DKW – motorcycles and small cars; Wanderer – midsize cars; Audi – cars in the deluxe midsize segment; and Horch – luxury cars at the top end of the market.

AUDI PARTICIPATIONS

Ducati: Innovation, italian styles and victories; The motorcycles of th Ducati brand are renowned for thier unique design, but also as examples of outstanding expertise in lightweight technology and engine development, as evidenced by the array of motorsport triumphs.  Ducati has a long history of product innovation, developing mechanical and electronic solutions that have improved the motorcycle riding experience. Over time Ducati has been able to take the relationship between the rider and the bike to higher levels, creating an increasingly "connected" experience between the two sides. 

"Ducati is a global brand with a potent Italian soul: sporty spirit, excellent design, love of beauty, an ability to arouse strong emotions and offer unique experiences".

Claudio Domenicali, CEO Ducati Motor Holding

Lamborghini: Lamborghini manufactures the most sought-after super sport cars in the world. This siccess is based on the love of design and the continuous search for innovative solutions. Lamborghini is also heavily involved in motor racing - the Lamborghini Blancpain Super Trofeo. Founded in 1963, Automobili Lamborghini is headquartered in Sant’Agata Bolognese, in Northern Italy. The Lamborghini Huracán, which made its world debut at the Geneva Motor Show in 2014, in the Huracán Spyder and rear wheel-drive version released in 2015, are the successors to the iconic Gallardo. With their innovative technology and exceptional performance, they redefine the driving experience for luxury super sports cars. The Coupé and Roadster versions of the Aventador and the Aventador Superveloce are the new benchmark in the world of luxury super sports cars with V12 engine. With 135 dealerships throughout the world, Automobili Lamborghini has created a continuous series of dream cars over half a century that include the 350 GT, Miura, Espada, Countach, Diablo and Murciélago, as well as limited editions such as the Reventón, Sesto Elemento and Aventador J. The Veneno Coupé, Egoista and Veneno Roadster were produced to celebrate the company's 50th anniversary in 2013, while the Centenario pays tribute to the 100th anniversary of the birth of founder Ferruccio Lamborghini in 2016.

Italdesign: As a design, engineering and prototyping service Italdesign is a incubator for new and innovative solutions. During the last half-century Italdesign has always been  one step ahead of the market changes.  Italdesign is one of the world’s leading companies in the provision of development services for the automotive industry. Thier declared mission is to provide a wide range of services dedicated to the development of new vehicles and industrial products, from styling to engineering and from prototypes manufacturing to testing and validation.

VEHICLES:

• AUDI A1 SPORTBACK
• AUDI A3 SPORTBACK,  A3 SEDAN
• AUDI S3 SPORTBACK, S3 SEDAN
• AUDI A4, A4 ALLROAD QUATTRO
• AUDI A5, A5 SPORTBACK, RS 5 COUPE
• AUDI A6 SEDAN, AUDI A6 ALLROAD QUATTRO 
• AUDI A7 SPORTBACK
• AUDI A8, AUDI A8L
• AUDI Q2, AUDI SQ5
• AUDI Q3
• AUDI Q5
• AUDI Q7
• AUDI Q8, RS
• AUDI TT COUPE, AUDI TT RS COUPE
• AUDI e-tron
• AUDI R8 COUPE V10 RWD, AUDI R8 SPYDER V10 PLUS, AUDI R8 SPYDER V10 RWD

vs Oct 2023