Re:Audi: company history

["Doyt W. Echelberger" <Doyt@NWOhio.com>]

From: dsugerma@runet.edu
Date: 23 Mar 1998 10:50:22 EDT
Subject: Audi: company history

 Does anyone know where I may be able to find some facts regarding Audi 
history? I basically need to know when the company became known as Audi, 
as well as a few other historical facts. I've done some rather extensive 
web surfing, and couldn't find what I'm looking for. 

Dave '89 80q 135k
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Dave, I have a copy of A HISTORY OF PROGRESS,1996 edition, published by
Audi Public Relations, Ingolstat, Germany. I'll condense the first quarter
of the book:

Let's get some time-line perspective, by strting with the first real cars
in Germany. In 1886 Carl Benz got a patent for what was probably the first
internal combustion motor vehicle, and in 1896 he hired August Horch to run
his assembly operations. In 1899 Horch struck off on his own and started
the Horch & Cei Company, with head offices in Cologne. His company didn't
manufacture cars, but repaired them.

By 1901 he had designed a car, and in 1902 started a factory. By 1908 they
were making 100 cars a year. Horch got fed up and sold his interests and
name in 1909, and departed the Horch Company, which went right on building
Horch cars without him.

When August Horch left the Horch Company in 1909, he set up a new company
in Zwickau, and called it AUDI. By 1910 he had cars on the road, and they
had great success in the world's toughest competition from 1912-1914, and
they _were_ called Audi's. But it ain't over yet.

If you looked at the family tree of the present Audi Company, you would see
it starting in 1885, with the Wnaderer Company. The Horch Company started
in 1899, and DKW started in 1907. Audi stared as a separate company in
1909. NSU started in 1873. These companies eventually merged into what
became the _present_ AUDI COMPANY, and each has a story of how it grew and
when it merged. But clearly, AUDI was started in 1909 by August Horch, who
also had started the Horch Company in 1899. So, maybe that answers your
question.

So, Horch started Horch Motors, left it and started Audi Motors. And
eventually, Horch Motors merged with Audi Motors, as did Wanderer and DKW.
They formed AUTO UNION in 1932. So, now there isn't any Audi Company for
awhile. NSU joined AUTO UNION in 1969 and they called the new organization
AUDI NSU.  So the Audi name shows up again.
Then in 1985 the name changed from AUDI NSU to AUDI AG.

OK!  You had to ask, so you are partially responsible for this use of
bandwidth. I remind you, my source on the desk in front of me is the 1996
edition of HISTORY OF PROGRESS, published by the public relations division
of Audi AG, in Ingolstadt. I used an English translation by Colin Brazier
of Munich. Hope it helps with your question.

Doyt Echelberger
86 4kcsq
87 5kcstq