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Audi

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Audi is a famous maker of luxury cars from Germany.

Audi-Logo 2016
Audi-Logo 2016

The company is part of the Volkswagen Group. Its main offices are in Ingolstadt, located in Bavaria. Audi builds its vehicles in nine different production facilities around the world. It is known as one of the best-selling luxury brands globally. Along with BMW and Mercedes-Benz, it is a leader in the car market. The company uses the slogan "Progress through Technology" to describe its work.

The story of the name Audi is quite interesting. An engineer named August Horch started his first company in 1899.

Audi Typ E (1923)
Audi Typ E (1923)

Later, he had a legal problem with his old partners. They said he could not use his own name for his new business. He needed a new name for his second company in 1909. During a meeting, a young boy suggested a Latin word. The word was "audi," which means "listen" in Latin. This was a clever choice because Horch means "hark" or "hear" in German.

2018 Audi A1 S Line 30 TFSi S-A 1.0
2018 Audi A1 S Line 30 TFSi S-A 1.0

Audi's history involves many different companies joining together. In 1932, four brands merged to form a group called Auto Union. These four brands were Audi, Horch, DKW, and Wanderer.

Audi NSU Auto Union AG 1969
Audi NSU Auto Union AG 1969

To show this union, they created a logo with four interlinked rings. This logo is still used by Audi today. During this time, they made the Audi Front. It was the first European car to use a six-cylinder engine with front-wheel drive. This was a new way for the engine's power to reach the wheels.

The modern era of Audi began after many changes. In the 1960s, Volkswagen acquired the business from Daimler-Benz.

Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F038791-0035, Wolfsburg, VW Autowerk
Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F038791-0035, Wolfsburg, VW Autowerk

Volkswagen brought the Audi name back in 1965 with the F103 series. In 1969, they merged Auto Union with another company called NSU Motorenwerke. This merger created the company we know today. The company also moved its main operations to Ingolstadt after World War II. This move helped the brand grow into a major success.

Audi A6 Avant C9 Rutesheimer Autoschau 2025 DSC 9175
Audi A6 Avant C9 Rutesheimer Autoschau 2025 DSC 9175

You can see how Audi's history connects to modern cars. Many of the technologies they started long ago are still used. For example, the company once made small motorcycles and delivery vans.

Today, they make very advanced cars like the electric Q4 e-tron. These new cars are built in Zwickau, the same place where old models were once made. Audi has also become a sister company to Porsche. This happened in 2012 when Volkswagen bought Porsche completely. From old engines to new electric motors, the company keeps moving forward.

Audi R8 - Flickr - Alexandre Prévot (160) (cropped)
Audi R8 - Flickr - Alexandre Prévot (160) (cropped)
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🖼️ Images & Media (97)
File:Audi-Logo 2016.svg
Audi-Logo 2016.svg
File:Audi Typ E (1923).jpg
Audi Typ E (1923).jpg
File:1. Magdeburger Oldtimertag (5743586787).jpg
1. Magdeburger Oldtimertag (5743586787).jpg
File:Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F038791-0035, Wolfsburg, VW Autowerk.jpg
Bundesarchiv B 145 Bild-F038791-0035,...
File:Audi NSU Auto Union AG 1969.jpg
Audi NSU Auto Union AG 1969.jpg
File:Audi Quattro 20V - 001.jpg
Audi Quattro 20V - 001.jpg
File:Audi 100 C3 (1988–1991) (10629216834).jpg
Audi 100 C3 (1988–1991) (10629216834).jpg
File:Audi R8 - Flickr - Alexandre Prévot (160) (cropped).jpg
Audi R8 - Flickr - Alexandre Prévot (160)...
File:Volkswagen W12.jpg
Volkswagen W12.jpg
File:2007 Audi R8 Engine.JPG
2007 Audi R8 Engine.JPG
File:LED DaytimeRunningLights.jpg
LED DaytimeRunningLights.jpg
File:Audi TT 2014 (13558812864).jpg
Audi TT 2014 (13558812864).jpg

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