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In 1909, August Horch founded Audi. He had another company, bearing his own name, but due to disagreements he left and was prohibited from using the name or variations of it. During a meeting with business partners, the son of one of the partners suggested using the name Audi. Horch means to hark or to hear, in German and Audi mean to listen in Latin.
In 1910 the Type B, 10/28 PS emerged, the first of a range of Audi cars to be produced and some of them were quite successful in sporting events. Horch left the company in 1920, during a prolonged recession, to work in a high position in the ministry of transport. In 1921 Audi became the first German manufacturer to make a left-hand drive car, which proved much safer and eventually became the norm in the country.
In 1932 Audi merged with DKW, Wanderer and Horch to form Auto Union. From this, the distinctive logo of four interlinked rings was devised, each ring representing one of the original companies. The aftermath of World War II saw the company devastated, but in 1949 the company reformed and started production of small two-stroke cars under the DKW brand. In 1964 Volkswagen acquired a significant stake in the company. Production moved to four-stroke engines and the DKW name was dropped in favour of the Audi brand.
The Audi name is perhaps most well known for the Quattro, which was introduced in 1980, a turbocharged coupe with all-wheel drive. It had great success in rallying and ensured that Audi became associated with technical innovation and quality. As a result, a second hand Audi is good value for money. The company saw sales grow quickly from 653,000 in 2000 to over one million by 2008, making Audi cars a significant contribution to the profit of the entire Volkswagen group.
