Audi Cars: 14 Essential Things That You Probably Don’t Know

I have owned many models of Audi Cars, and in my opinion, Audi cars ae one of the top-quality cars that you can purchase.

Over the years, I accumulated much knowledge about Audi Cars, and today I want to share some of my knowledge about Audi’s history and its cars.

Let’s start…

Is Audi a German Car?

Audi AG, simply known as Audi, is a German car manufacturer producing high-performance luxury vehicles. 

Audi Company’s headquarters are located in Ingolstadt in Bavaria, Germany. 

Audi owns 13 production facilities in 10 countries across the globe and serves worldwide.

German automotive manufacturing company Audi was initially founded by Augustus Horch on 16 July 1909.

Audi has endured many transformations throughout its history by merging together with other car manufacturing companies and relaunches.

Speaking of the present time, Audi is basically owned by its parent company, the Volkswagen group. However, Audi also has numerous shareholders from across the globe.

Audi has been in business since 1909, and  Audi is among the top ten most valued car companies. Source

Click to check my other articles on Germany. I also linked them all at the end of this article.

 

The History of Audi

Audi Beginnings – Where Does The Audi Name Come From?

The origins of Audi are complex.

August Horch, the mastermind and inventor behind Audi Cars, founded company A. Horch & Cie. in Cologne in 1899 but moved his company 3 years later in 1902 to Reichenbach im Vogtland (a town of Saxony in eastern Germany).

In 1904, the joint-stock company August Horch & Cie. Motorwagenwerke AG came into being, but after some tribulations with Horch’s Chief financial officer, Augustus Horch decided to leave Motorwagen Werke AG.

Later, Augustus Horch founded his second company called the Augustus Horch Automobilewerke GmbH in 1909, later named Audi.

Now the thing is, he got sued for trademark infringement by his former business partners and was not allowed to use “Horch” as his company’s trade name.

Therefore, he called a meeting with his closest business friends, Paul and Franz Frikentscher.

While the three were eagerly discussing and thinking of a good name, Franz’s son, who was studying Latin in the corner of the room, came up with the idea to call the company “Audi” instead of Horch.

Franz’s son got inspired by the founder’s back name, “Horch” which translates to “Hark” or “Hear” in German and means “Audi” in Latin (coming from “audire” – “to listen”).

The idea was immediately accepted, and “Audi” was born. On the 25^th of April 1910, the company’s name became official as Audi Automobilwerke GmbH Zwickau (later in 1915, Audiwerke AG Zwickau).

In 1920, when Augustus Horch was offered an elite position at the ministry of transport, he left Audiwerke AG Zwickau, but still fully engaged with Audi as a key member of the board of trustees.

Automobile company Wanderer, DKW with the initial firms Horch & the Audiwerke, all merged together into Audi and led to the foundation of the Auto Union AG (a group of 4 German automobile manufacturers fused into one union) later in 1932.

The modern era of Audi

Due to Audi’s excellence in motorsports as well as its engineering and manufacturing expertise, the Volkswagen Group bought a 50% stake in Audi in 1964, ultimately leading to the beginning of Audi’s modern era.

After successfully relaunching the company only 1 year later and launching the Audi F103 series, Audi’s parent company, the Volkswagen Group, decided to further merge Auto Union with NSU Motorenwerke (a German automobile, motorcycle, and pedal cycle manufacturer).

Consequently, Audi came into its present-day form.

Today, Audi, alongside its fellow German car companies including VW (Volkswagen), BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche, count among the world’s most prestigious luxury car manufacturers.

The parent company of Audi

The Volkswagen group is a German multinational automotive manufacturing corporation that deals in designing, manufacturing, and distributing passenger and commercial vehicles, engines, turbomachinery, and motorcycles.

Additionally, Volkswagen offers connected services such as leasing, financing, and fleet management.

Audi has been a part of the Volkswagen group since 1964 and is one of the best car manufacturers in the automotive industry.

Other than Audi, the Volkswagen group also sells

• passenger vehicles under Bugatti, Bentley, Porsche, Lamborghini, SEAT, Škoda, Cupra, Ruf, and Volkswagen brands;
• light commercial cars via the VW Commercial Vehicles brand;
• heavy commercial vehicles under marques of the Volkswagen group’s subsidiary Traton; and
• motorcycles under the Ducati brand.

The meaning behind Audi

Audi’s founder Augustus Horch settled with the idea to name his company according to his surname’s Latin translation.

“Horch” basically means “listen” in German which is equivalent to its Latin form “audi”, yet it is also widely believed that “Audi” may be a creative acronym standing for “Auto Union Deutschland Ingolstadt”.Audi’s slogan: Vorsprung durch Technik meaning Making Advance or Being Ahead through Technology, perfectly sums up the company’s nature.

What do the four rings of Audi stand for?

Audi’s famous logo of four merging rings symbolizes the fusion of four car companies that united together to form Audi’s predecessor company, the Auto Union.

These four car manufacturers included Audi, Horch, DKW, and Wanderer.

What is Audi best known for?

Legendary German luxury carmaker Audi continues its legacy of excellence in the automotive industry.

Audi is best known for its advanced and innovative technology, attention-grabbing design, and mind-blowing performance. 

Moreover, each Audi model has a signature Quattro four-wheel-drive system and a luxurious, well-crafted interior.

Due to Audi’s smooth designs, elegant curves, and lines, Audi vehicles are some of the most good-looking cars on the road that won’t go out of fashion any time soon.

Audi’s luxurious features are never overdone. They are kept in a perfect balance between luxury and modern functionality plus, with the company’s huge selection of models, there is a car for everyone.

SUGGESTED READING: Is Germany a First World country? Explained

Audi’s first-ever model vs. the most recent model

Audi Type A 10/22hp Sport-Phaeton

When 1910 Audi Automobilwerke GmbH was created, the company’s very first model was introduced that same year.

Audi Skysphere

Audi’s most recent car in 2021 is the Audi Skysphere which is a concept vehicle depicting the progressive luxury sector of the future through its innovative and mind-blowing concept.

Are Audi Cars reliable?

Reliability is definitely something you should consider if you’re looking for a car to drive for many years to come.

Audi cars come with a warranty of 3 years. Yet, most Audis outlive the warranty period without a problem.

Is Audi an expensive car to maintain?

Audi vehicles require a decent amount of maintenance costs.

According to RepairPal, other brands’ average annual repair cost lies at approx. $652, while Audi’s annual maintenance cost is $987, which is significantly higher compared to others.

But that is most probably because Audi vehicles include a lot of specialty parts, features, and a great deal of technology.

Nonetheless, just like any other car, with proper care and maintenance, Audis can last you up to many years, of which the most common service to get done is the oil change.

Audi’s most expensive car

The 2003 Audi LeMans Concept is the Audi’s most expensive car ever sold. This spectacular car was sold for an insane amount of $5,000,000.

But what makes it so expensive?

Well, first and foremost, it’s an Audi, and second, it is an extremely rare car flaunting a 5-liter engine with a power of 449 kW (610 PS; 602 hp) and goes from 0-100 km/h in 3.7 seconds.

2003 Audi LeMans Concept features headlights made entirely of LEDs, the Audi Space Frame (the structural body framework) solely made of aluminum, with its outer skin made from carbon fiber and aluminum.

The car also has an electronically controlled rear spoiler.

The 2003 Audi LeMans Concept also featured the magnetic ride magneto rheological dampers providing a more responsive drive and excellent handling.

The 2003 Audi LeMans concept car is no doubt one of the most beautiful examples of impeccable speed, breathtaking design, futuristic technology, comfort, and perfection in workmanship.

Does Audi make hybrid cars?

Automobiles have a huge impact on the environment. With cars being heavy CO2 emitters and air polluters, Audi offers an ever-growing range of plug-in hybrid models.

These come in 3 different driving modes:

– pure electric

– purely combustion or

– an automatic combination of both

Audi’s plug-in hybrid cars are equipped with the Audi combustion engine allowing its consumer to enjoy excellent performance, luxurious design, and workmanship as well as optimized fuel efficiency.

Has Audi stopped making diesel cars?

Due to the growing environmental issues, Audi is committed to stopping making petrol and diesel cars by 2033 to move towards more ozone-friendly cars.

The prominent German car manufacturer indeed stated that it is already producing more new electric cars than diesel or petrol models and continues to increase electric car production in the upcoming years.

Top Ten Best Audi Cars To Date

Without any doubt, Audi is packed with many innovative and groundbreaking technologies and produces some of the best engines in the world.

Therefore, I accumulated the Top 10 Best Audi Cars ever made:

1. Audi Sport Quattro S1 (1985-1986)

2. Audi V8 (1988-1993)

3. Audi S2 (1991-1995)

4. Audi RS2 Avant (1994-1995)

5. Audi S8 (1996-present)

6. Audi A5 (2007-present)

7. Audi TT RS (2012-present)

8. Audi R8 V10 (2006-present)

9. Audi RS7 (2013-2017)

10. Audi RS Q8 (2019-present)