History of Audi

Introduction

Audi remains one of the most popular names in automobiles in the world. The modern Audi is a true marvel as evidenced by the popularity of the many Audi models purchased by consumers all throughout the world. While most are well aware of the modern Audi and the trends it follows, very few are aware of the early history of the Audi in Europe. This history is quite interesting and well worth a closer look.

The 20's

Audi introduced the very first German left-hand drive car in 1921, which soon became the most popular method of driving due to the fact that manoeuvrability was easier and the view of oncoming traffic was better. The first eight-cylinder vehicle, the Horch 303, was introduced in Berlin in 1926, with the engine design done by Paul Daimler and having an output of 60 hp. The DKW car with rear-wheel drive and imitation leather upholstery was first manufactured in 1928.

The 30's

The DKW car with the front wheel drive began to be produced in large numbers in 1931, using the two-stroke DKW engine powering a wooden body. 1932 was the year that Auto Union AG was formed by the merger of Audi, Horch, DKW, and Wanderer. The new Audi was presented at the Berlin Motor Show in 1933, and this car was the first regular passenger car utilizing front wheel drive. A number of racing cars were created by the Auto Union, successfully modelling their cars' designs after those done by Ferdinand Porsche. The Auto Union car was the first to be able to race faster than 400 kilometres per hour on a regular road, thanks in large part to the 545 hp engine. Crash tests begun in 1938, making Audi one of the first car manufacturers to carry out the crash and rollover tests.

The 40's

The 1940's was a time of low production for the Auto Union AG group, as the majority of the production was oriented towards providing resources for the Second World War that was raging around the continent at the time. After 1941, the company only produced military vehicles for a number of years until Auto Union AG's plants were dismantled in 1949 and the company was deleted from commercial records. Auto Union GmbH began on September 3rd, 1949 in Ingolstadt. Only DKW motorcycles were developed during that year.

The 50's

1950 saw the production of the first DKW post-war passenger cars by the new Audi company, Auto Union GmbH. The model was made available as both a convertible and saloon car, and were produced in Dusseldorf until the beginning of the next decade. The Sonderklasse three cylinder car with a two stroke engine, but the engine had twice as many combustion cycles as a regular engine, making it as powerful as a four stroke, 6 cylinder engine. 1957 was the year in which the trend changed from owning motorcycles to owning cars, and demand for cars increased. NSU was a major producer of motorcycles, but the company began to produce cars again in response to the demand. The 1957 German Motor Show saw the unveiling of the NSU Prinz, and this was the turning point in the history of carmaking. Daimler-Benz bought Auto Union GmbH in April 1958, and owned the company until 1965. Auto Union GmbH opened a few factory dedicated exclusively to producing cars in 1959, and this facility was considered to be one of the most modern in Europe.

The 60's

1963 saw the NSU Prinz steal the crowd at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The Wankel Spider was the name given to the vehicle, and the single-rotor rotary piston engine two-seater car that was the creation of Felix Wankel became the belle of the ball. Volkswagen bought Auto Union GmbH in 1964, and the company was fully owned and operated as a VW subsidiary in 1966. The name Audi was reborn in 1965 when the company was purchasing by VW, and the first Audi DKW Model F102 car was released in 1965. 1968 was the year that the Audi 100 was released. The creation of Dr. Ludwig Kraus, the Audi 100 became one of the top selling cars in Europe and was the first in a new line if Audi cars that guaranteed Audi independence in the future. Audi merged with NSU and Auto Union GmbH in 1969 to form the Audi NSU Auto Union AG company, with the main offices in the city of Neckarsulm.

The 70's

1972 was the year that the Audi 80 was first launched, a four cylinder version of the Audi 100. As with its older cousin, the Audi 80 was instantly a hit and sold millions around the UK and Europe. More than 1,000,000 Audi 80's were produced and marketed within the next 6 years. The Audi 50, launched in 1974, was seen as the company's answer to the oil problems in the world. The model was designed to be the smallest Audi car, and the VW Polo was soon marketed as the Volkswagen version of the Audi 50.

The 80's

1980 was a big year for Audi: the year in which the Audi four wheel drive sports coupe was introduced. The Geneva Motor Show was the launch site of this unique high performance car, and the Audi Quattro became one of the most popular cars in motor sport. 1982 saw the release of the brand new Audi 100, the car with an incredibly lightweight design and excellent drag coefficient. The car was known to be one of the most progressively designed vehicles, and newspaper claimed it to be "outclassing the rest of the automotive world." In 1985, Audi NSU Auto Union AG changed its name to Audi AG, as the NSU products were no longer being offered by the company. The new Audi 80 was released in 1986 with a body made completely from galvanized steel, and with aerodynamics better than the Audi 100. The Audi V8 was created with the intention of moving Audi into the premium class, and the new model featured 4WD, a 3.6 liter 8-cylinder engine of steel alloy, 4 valves per cylinder, and an automatic transmission controlled electronically. The diesel direct injection was also developed in 1989, and the result was an engine that consumed far less fuel. The Audi 100 was presented in 1989 with a 2.5 liter TDI 5-cylinder engine.

The Early 90's

Nearing the end of 1991, Audi released two sports cars that were destined to make history: the Audi Quattro Spyder and the Audi Avus Quattro. Both models used aluminum for the body shell, and this began a trend of using sturdy lightweight materials for the construction of all future cars produced by Audi. Audi had been working with the Aluminum Company of America for years prior to 1993, and this was the year that that Audi Space Frame was exhibited at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The innovative principles of design used for this car included diecast node-connected extruded aluminum sections, thus making the frame of the car a good deal sturdier. The Audi A8 was presented in 1994 at the Geneva Motor Show, and this was the first car to be produced with the body made entirely of aluminum. Audi then began to rename its popular cars, with the A4 being the name of the old Audi 80, and the A6 replacing the name of Audi 100.

The End of the 20th Century

The Audi A3 was built in 1996 as the first compact Audi car, followed by the first aluminum car built in large volumes, the Audi A2, in 2000. The A4 soon became one of the most popular cars in the UK, Europe, and North America, followed in 1997 by the A8. The aluminum frame of the car made it much lighter than other steel framed cars, thus setting new standards for the car industry. Audi continued to release a number of new vehicles in both Europe and the United States, such as the perfect sports car, the Audi TT. Other models released in 1999 include the Audi S4, and Audi A6 2.7 T, and the Audi A6 4.2 T. By the end of 1999, sales for Audi's many cars had returned to record highs since the decrease in sales in 1989.

The Turn of the Century

The new millennium has been a time of revolution and change for the German car maker, with some amazing strides of progress being made in the first few years. The A4 was released with multitronic transmission in 2001. This Continuously Variable Transmission innovated Audi's transmission technology, and the A4 was designed with an upgraded body design, longer wheel bases, and an interior space with much more room and much more luxurious in design. The A4 has since been considered the most capable and dynamic sedan on the market today. 2003 was the year that the Pike's Peak Quattro concept was unveiled, a car that combines the quality and luxury of Audi cars with sports utility.

The 500 horsepower V8 engine uses FSI Direct Injection technology, and this was the first car to combine luxury with the future of SUVs. The A8 L was also released in the same year, and this luxury vehicle has proven to be one of the best performing vehicles of its class. In 2004, the A6 was upgraded and relaunched, with both the interior and exterior being redesigned to be much more luxurious and to accommodate the new 335 horsepower V6 and V8 engines in the 3.2 and 4.2 models respectively. The S4 Cabriolet also made its debut in 2004, with the high performance convertible taking the market by storm. The A3 had long been a bestseller in Europe before debuting in the US in 2005, and the A6 Avant, A4 Avant, and the A4 all got amazing facelifts that changed the appearance of the car to being much sleeker and smoother.

The Late 00's

The RS 4 was introduced in 2006, and the new, sleeker lines of the RS 4 combined with the innovative designs of Audi's engineers to create a car that changed driving dynamics forever. The 420 horsepower engine was an improvement on the A4 model engine, and the amazing torque and FSI technology incorporated into the RS 4 made it an instant bestseller. The first Audi Q7 was released in 2006, and this performance SUV took the top of the charts as being one of the best SUV cars on the market. The All-wheel drive and 7 seating design ensured that the Q7 was on the markets to stay, and the car won a number of awards in the UK, the United States, and Europe. The first precision sports car produced by Audi, the R8, was released in 2006. With the mid-engine car dominating the premium car class, Audi's unique design is considered to be one of the best of any modern sports car. Audi reinvented the look of both the Audi TT Roadmaster and Audi TT Coupe, keeping its efficient design while enhancing its performance greatly. Audi reintroduced the diesel TDI engine in 2007, working with VW and DaimlerChrysler to use Clean Diesel in the Bluetec model. The A5 coupe was released in 2007, taking the Geneva Auto Show by storm.

The Future

The future of Audi appears to be bright, especially in a world that is becoming increasingly environmentally conscious. Audi plans to ally with Sanyo, the Japanese electronics company, in order to develop a hybrid electric project for use by the Volkswagen Group. This could incorporate Sanyo parts in the design of the Audi sports cars, combining German engineering with Japanese innovation and technology. The E-tron electric drive powertrain system is in the works as well, with models of the drive train system being shown at the 2009 Frankfurt and 2010 Detroit Auto Shows. The concept is based on the A1 model, and it will combine a hybrid engine with a Wankel rotary engine to power the car once the battery has been drained. The electric powered car will be a front wheel drive, and the future looks bright for Audi in the world of electric cars.