Audi Automobilwerke GmbH, Zwickau, Germany 1910 - 1939

Auto Union GmbH, Ingolstadt. Germany 1965 - 1969

Audi AG, Ingolstadt, Germany 1969 to date

A seemingly late entry to the automobile industry the company was the outcome of a disagreement between August Horch and his co-directors over his conviction that competition sold cars whereas they thought them a waste of time and money. He initially used his own name for the company, but was very soon told he could not, so he reverted to Audi which means "hark" or "listen" and is the Latin translation of Horch.

The first model for the new company was the Typ A 10/22PS with an engine capacity of 2,612cc, overhead inlet and side exhaust valves. Somewhat inevitably it retained features from Horch's design for his erstwhile company, including twin ignition. In 1911 it became the Typ B/28PS.

With competition in mind there followed a range of larger engined cars of which the Typ C of 3,560cc was fitted with an aluminium sports body and a team of three cars entered for the Alpine Trials from 1911 to 1914. In 1913 they won the team prize and the model was thereafter known as the Alpensieger. The production Typ C engine gave a modest output of 35bhp.

The other models were the Typ D and Typ E with engine sizes of 4,680cc and 5,699 respectively. In 1913 the smaller Typ G was added to the range with an engine capacity of 2,084cc. Apart from the original Typ A, they remained in production up the outbreak of war in 1914. The Typs C, E and G recommenced production in 1919 and continued until 1924. In common with other German cars these postwar cars were bodied with "vee" radiators. This may have been as a snub to their victors in the war, who had drawn up strict restrictions on German companys under the Treaty of Versailles. One such was that the development of aero engines was prohibited and, as is so often the case with such politics, it resulted in the development of lightweight car engines.

The first new postwar model was the Typ K designed by Hermann Lange which retained the same engine capacity as the Typ C but was a much more modern design with aluminium alloy crankcase/cylinder block, pistons and rear axle casing. It also had a much higher output at 50bhp and the layout of the controls followed the American practice of left hand steering and centre gearshift. Production figures were modest and only about 200 were made.

The even more advanced Typ M was announced in 1923 with a 6 cylinder, single overhead camshaft engine of 4,655cc one shot chassis lubrication and servo brakes on all for wheels. About 230 were manufactured up to 1928, but they were not a financial success due to high manufacturing costs.

Following the fashion for more cylinders Audi launched the Typ R Imperator in 1928 with 8 cylinders in line and a capacity of 4,872cc turning out 100bhp, but to keep costs down it had a retrograde side valve layout, three speed gearbox and mechanical brakes. About 150 cars were made up to 1932.

The company had, since 1920, been run on behalf of Horch by the directors, as he had left to take up a post at the Ministry of Economics in Berlin. In 1928 a controlling interest in the company was acquired by Jurgen Skafte Rasmussen, who required factory space to build the DKW car in addition to the motorcycles he had been making since 1920. The Imperator was continued and three new models were added to the range, the 6 cylinder 3,838cc Dresden, and the Zwickau in two engine sizes with straight 8 engines of 4,371cc and 5,130cc.

Rasmussen had acquired the rights to the Rickenbacker designs in 1927, when the company went into receivership, and although Capt. Eddie Rickenbacker, the famous flying ace, denied it, the designs of these engines were very similar the American ones. Up to 1932 about 450 Zwickaus and 70 Dresdens were made. The last car to be made under this management was the Typ P, which had a 4 cylinder engine from the Peugeot 201 and the chassis and body of the DKW V4, but very few were made. Sales of all Audis declined to 77 in 1931 and to only 22 in 1932.

The depression was really beginning to have a serious effect on the German economy by this time and Horch and Wanderer were also in difficulties so they formed an alliance and called it Auto Union. The result was that the Union now had a range of cars, still marketed under their original marques, from the little DKW up to the V12 Horch. A new interesting new model called the Audi Front was designed, using the 1,950cc 6 cylinder engine from the Wanderer and front wheel drive from the DKW. It had a backbone chassis and independent suspension all round with transverse leaf springs and Perrot brakes (a design pioneered by Karl Rabe at Austro-Daimler in 1927 with the ADR model). It was launched in 1933 looking similar to a small Horch and after April 1934 it was built in the Horch factory. The engine capacity was raised to 2,257 in 1935 and it became the Audi Front 225, but although it sold quite well with 3,519 being made, it was heavy to steer and had a difficult gearchange. Some attractive Glaser cabriolet bodies were available on this chassis. It was replaced in 1939 by another Audi, the 920, which used a 6 cylinder engine from the Horch (identical to the straight 8 in design) and the body from the 6 cylinder Wanderer, dispensing with the front wheel drive. This was a much nicer car to drive and faster, with a top speed of around 80 mph. It continued in production until April 1940 by which date 1,282 had been made with the option of two body styles; a 4-door saloon from the factory, and a 2-door cabriolet by Glaser.

It was not until 1965 that the name Audi was revived by Volkswagen, when they rescued the failing Auto Union company. It was a DKW F102 saloon with a new 1,696cc engine and aimed at the middle price market dominated in Germany by BMW. The DKW was associated in the public's mind with cheap downmarket 2-strokes and so there was a need to re-brand this model.

In 1966 came the luxury model Audi L and the L80 with a higher performance engine giving 80 bhp. and in 1967 the Variant estate car. Improvements and larger engines were gradually projecting the Audi marque into the more expensive end of the market so that by 1970 they were challenging Mercedes. They were also becoming serious, high volume, manufacturers with sales of the later Audi 100 reaching 827,474 and a million in May 1973.

The company had merged with NSU in 1969 as Audi NSU Auto Union AG but was controlled by Volkswagen with whom some badges were swopped. The Audi 50 became the VW Polo in 1978 with the 1,272cc engine after 190,828 were produced. The Audi 80 and VW Passat also shared many mechanical components including the single overhead camshaft 4-cylinder engine and the front suspension. This was the first Audi to sell more than a million as production figures were 1,103,766. The second generation Audi 80 replaced it in 1978.

The new Audi 100 was launched in 1976 with single overhead camshaft engines of 1,588cc and 1,984cc, but in 1977 it was available with the revolutionary 5-cylinder in line engine with a capacity of 2,144cc. They were now challenging the middle range Mercedes and BMW cars adding a 5-cylinder diesel to the range and the Avant 5-door hatchback. The Audi 200 of 1980 with disc brakes on all four wheels, power steering and electric windup windows featured an optional turbocharged engine giving 170 bhp.

1980 saw the introduction of the radical Audi Quattro with it's four wheel drive layout and unusual styling. It was a very obvious choice for an international rally car and the engine performance was soon raised from the production 200, to 285 bhp with turbocharging and an intercooler. These works rally cars won three major events in 1981 and the Championship in 1982 and again in 1983 fitted with an improved KKK turbocharger and correspondingly larger intercooler which boosted the engine output to 370 bhp.

The Quattro Sport of 1984 was even more powerful, the engine now had four valves per cylinder, and in full works tune was giving almost 500 bhp, but production was stopped after the minimum number of 200 had been made for homologation. It was a very expensive car at DM 198,000. The lower powered Quattro was more successful with 21 World Championship Rally wins in 4 years compared with only 2 for the Quattro Sport. It was a difficult car to handle, but has been developed into a competitive hill climb competitor which held the record for Pikes Peak.

By 1986 all Audi models could be specified with four wheel drive and with engine sizes ranging from 1,595cc and 70 bhp up to the 2,226cc turbocharged 5-cylinder giving 220 bhp.

The first V8 engined Audi became available in 1988 with 250 bhp from 3,562cc and a body resembling the smaller saloons with a long wheelbase option. It remained in production up to 1994 when it was replaced by the new A8 which used a light aluminium alloy space frame saloon body and 2,771cc V-6 or 4,172 V-8 engines (a 3,697cc V-8 being added in June 1995).

The more powerful S8 of 1999 had an V-8 engine with 3 valves per cylinder and producing 360 bhp from 4,200cc.

Since 1978 Audi were without a small car and so in 1996 they announced the A3, a 3-door hatchback with a range of 4 engines starting with a single overhead camshaft 1,597cc and rising to a twin overhead camshaft 1,781cc with 20 valves. Also available was the 1,896cc turbo diesel. By 1998 there were additional turbocharged options based on the 1,781cc engine and giving outputs of 150 and 180 bhp and available with four wheel drive. The S3 introduced in 1999 was delivering 209 bhp and the TT 2-seater coupe with options up to 224 bhp.

The larger Audis continued to be developed too and the A4 with Avant estate version was available from 1994 with various engine options from a 4-cylinder 1,595cc giving 101 bhp up to the S4 with an engine capacity of 2,671cc from a V-6 producing 265 bhp.

The A6 saloon could be specified with any of 5 petrol engines from 1,781cc up to 2,671cc and two diesels and was joined by the S6 in 199 with a 3,697cc V-8 engine giving 360 bhp.

Alongside these models was the Cabriolet introduced in 1991 with both 4-cylinder and V-6 engines the largest being 2,771cc.

Bibliography:

Alle Audi Automobile 1910-1980, by Werner Oswald, publised by Motorbuch Verlag, 1980