International Audi --- History of Audi
Audi is one of Germany's oldest automobile manufacturers. The four star emblem that symbolizes the unification of Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer makes up what we know as AUDI AG today. In 1899 a man by the name of August Horch established the enterprise HORCH & CO. Horch innovated his first automobile in 1901 with the aid of several co-workers. This vehicle had a top speed of 32 km/h. Eventually Horch left management within this company and started up another company called Audi. In 1911, Horch took part in a famous race called The International Austrian Alpine Run and was the first prize winner. As a result, Horch formed an Audi team to enter the race from 1912-1914, and Audi became the team prize winner for these three years. Before World War I, Audi began to build a reputation as being a top notch car manufacturer, and its name started to make headlines on a global scale. By the time World War I came about, Audi began producing vehicles specifically geared toward the war effort itself. Horch decided to leave the company in 1920 when the post-war recession began to cause problems for the company. Audi struggled throughout the late 1920's into the early 1930's, but the company did survive with the help of a merger with several other vehicle manufacturers. This is where DKW, Horch, Wanderer, and Audi all became one, and the four rings which represent this merger are still seen today.
Before World War II, Audi had a vehicle with a 6 liter V16 engine, along with 382 KW (582PS) that exhibited a lot of power. When World War II erupted, the union was building cars for Germany. All sorts of vehicles were developed during the war, including submarine parts. Once the war was over, numerous vehicles started being produced at a rapid rate. In addition, bundles of engines and car types were also produced in bulk quantity. A 4-stroke system replaced the 2-stroke system by 1965. Audi also began to change its focus toward a new kind of drive train. However, there was quite a bit of skepticism among the board of directors about designing such a vehicle. Many felt that this type of high technological vehicle designed by a company that was not considered "big time" like Mercedes or Porsche would be a waste of time from an economical standpoint. The board did not see such a vehicle as being a quality seller among consumers. However the vehicle was designed with a great amount of success and project QUATTRO came about. Audi instantly became a big name on a global basis and was seen as a reputable car manufacturer capable of producing high tech vehicles.
Numerous parts from other existing vehicles were used in order to get this new drive train car ready for the market. In 1980, after many testing and trial periods, the first UR-Quattro was designed and power had augmented up to 200hp. In 1991 Audi introduced two fantastic sport vehicles: the Quattro Spyder and the Avus Quattro. These two vehicles had aluminum body shells and indicated how Audi was heading toward more a lightweight type of construction for future vehicles. By 1994, the Audi A8 came out. This vehicle had an all-aluminum body. Current Audi automobiles continue to impress with their lightweight features and sell in vast amount among the competitive market despite recent economic hardships among car manufacturers.
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