The new company bearing the name audi nsu auto union ag, with its head offices in neckarsulm, was created retrospectively as of january 1. A presentation of all the rally cars that audi has launchedfrom the audi 80 to the quattros and the coup s2, as well as a comprehensive statistics sectionmake this a book that everyone will. Here you will find fascinating facts and neverbeforeseen photos revealing the origins of the company which you now know as audi ag. Covers the complete history of audi from 18992009, in fascinating text and 1,000 illustrations from the very start, the four interlinked rings were the brand emblem of auto union ag, the secondlargest german motorvehicle manufacturer when the company was formed in the town of chemnitz in 1932. However, audi didnt give up and began assembling prewar models in 1949. The history of the 485 horsepower, 3liter v12 1939 auto union twinsupercharger type d, which has a top speed of 205 mph, is fascinating. Audi s english websites still praise him for his negotiating skills and his high reputation both of which allowed him to. But few know the story of the road car that shared all the motorsports tech with those spectacular racecars. In 1949, dkw was reestablished in the federal republic of germany before being taken over by mercedesbenz. Audi, dkw, horch and wanderer became auto union ag. Four interlocking rings symbolised the merger of four automobile manufacturers based in the german state of saxony. The 205 mph 1939 auto union type d could set price record. Auto union racing cars 19341939 documentary film youtube. Before world war ii, auto union ag used the four interlinked rings, only on auto union racing cars in that period.
But also it was fairly important when in 1985 audi nsu auto union ag, was simply shortened to audi ag and meant a unique brand was back and ready into the market. Audi evolved from the takeover of nsu motorenwerke ag and auto union, which was comprised of audi. Along with nonfiction and illustrated series, you will also find historical. Here are brief details of the roots of todays audi ag. This is a public domain image of the history of the audi logos. The audi and horch brands in the town of zwickau in saxony, wanderer in chemnitz and dkw in zschopau all enriched germanys automobile industry and contributed to the development of the motor vehicle. The vintage books displayed below are for the most part used and no longer in print. These are the same books that form the basis of the grand prix history library and the links provided should assist you in obtaining similiar copies. If youre an auto union fan, this book is a musthave. The dkw f 102 was the last auto union model produced prior to the volkswagen takeover the audi 72, launched in 1965, was the successor to the dkw f 102 and marked the start of a new era for auto.
The four interlocking rings chosen as its emblem symbolised the indissoluble unity of the four membercompanies. That year he attempted to produce a steamdriven car, called the dkw. Rare 1960 auto union sp coupe is available at auction. It is the immediate predecessor of audi as it is known today as well as acting as an umbrella firm for its four constituent brands audi, horch, dkw, wanderer, auto union is widely known for its racing team auto union rennabteilung, based at. Automobile company wanderer was originally established in 1885, later becoming a branch of audi ag.
Bruhn led audi back when it was auto union, according to the local. When auto union ag was established, it was the secondlargest motor vehicle manufacturer in germany. Its an extremely rare vehicle imported from germany from the brand that would later turn into audi. Auto union s grand prix racecars of the 1930s were the greatest the world had ever seen. In 1960 the company was still called auto union, it was owned by daimlerbenz and it produced cars with twostroke engines that the management were slow to recognise as outdated.
Auto union ag, chemnitz, was an amalgamation of four german automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in chemnitz, saxony. Audi ag was formed from audi nsu auto union ag in 1985. Mercedes and auto union are formed and begin to dominate the world scene. After differences of opinion with the board, august horch left the company and formed a second car company. This logo shows the union of audi with 3 other german car brands that formed auto union.
This logo is one of the most memorable of the company, as it combines the four rings with a distinctive brand. Therefore, in 1945, the us army raid caused great damage to audi s plant and a few years later auto union ag was removed from the commercial register. From auto union to audi, a story of partnership classic. This is the auto union type c, a gp car from 1936 powered by a supercharged 6. Audi ag can look back on a very eventful and varied history. This book contains at least a hundred rare photographs. As with any used book purchase please read all descriptions carefully and good luck hunting. Picture gallery of cars 1961 1970 in south africa 1961 jaguar mkii 3. Auto union merged with nsu, worlds largest manufacturer of motorcycles, in 1969 and hence, was renamed as audi nsu auto union ag. Audi exploited nazi slave labor during world war ii.
The trademark symbol of auto union and presentday audi, the four overlapping rings, symbolized the four marques forming auto union. It was then that the audi brand was introduced to the united states. These values continue to drive audi into the future. In this highquality book are beautiful, and some of them previously unpublished, pictures. At audi tradition, you will find a large selection of accessories with the branding of dkw, wanderer, horch, auto union, audi 1, and nsu a tribute to the model revolutions and milestones in the companys long history. Audi s modern motor racing heritage began with the quattro. As time went by the logo evolved but since then it has always continued with the four rings that symbolize the strength of this union. The four rings of the audi badge symbolize the brands audi, dkw, horch and wanderer.
Like many german manufacturers, auto union plants became a target for allied bombing during the second world war. If youre not into rally or audi motorsport history, this. While a large portion of pages are dedicated to the r8the marques 10cylinder supercarthe book also features a sport quattro rally car, a q7 crossover and an old auto union racecar. The first car of this merger was the audi 100, which was soon followed by the audi 80fox in. A brief history of the four rings audiworld audi news. The history of audi ag is varied and rooted in several initially independent companies. Audi releases a coloring book to keep you entertained in. Another company, nsu, which also later merged into audi, was founded during this time, and later supplied the chassis for gottlieb daimlers fourwheeler on 14 november 1899, august horch 18681951 established the company a. The auto union grand prix racing cars types a to d were developed and built by a specialist racing department of auto union s horch works in zwickau, germany, between 1933 and 1939 of the 4 auto union racing cars, the types a, b and c, used from 1934 to 1937 had supercharged v16 engines, and the final car, the type d used in 1938 and 1939 built to new 1938 regulations had a supercharged 3l. After the collapse of the soviet union, audi engineers authenticated the car as a 16cylinder hillclimbing auto union that combined types c and d.
At the moment the brand auto union gmbh is a subsidiary of audi ag who tries to keep the heritage of all the audi cars and anything related to the history of auto union. In 1932, audi merged with horch, dkw and wanderer, to form auto union ag. To demonstrate its capabilities, audi toolmaking assembled this 1. The reader will be taken on a journey through a century of modern history and will experience the profound economic changes that occurred during this period. After world war ii most of the race cars were carted off. In 1932, they became part of auto union, joining audi, horch, and wanderer. Books accessories audi tradition vorsprung durch technik.
Sold to volkswagen in 1965, dkw became part of audi, and ceased production in 1966. Although auto union used the four ring logo, it was only used on auto union racing cars in that period, while the member companies used their own names and emblems. It was usually geared to allow a top speed of 175 mph, although with the right gears and tyres it was good for a whopping 215 mph. The audi story presents the history of audi comprehensively and in a stimulating, highly informative manner, and includes company and product history data. The 16 cylinder autounion c type of 1936 developed 520 bhp from its 6006cc engine. Fifteen years after researching and writing the monumental racing the silver arrows, racing historian chris nixon learned a stash of previously unpublished photos had been discovered, of mostly auto union gp cars from the 1930s. Audi ag the last nsu left the production line in march 1977, and from then on the company manufactured exclusively audi cars. Shortly after the vw takeover, auto union began selling cars under the audi. In 1945, after the war had ended, auto union ags premises were located in the zone occupied by the soviet forces, who expropriated its assets, dismantled the plant and had the company removed from the commercial register of the city of chemnitz in 1948. The brand names audi, dkw, horch and wanderer were retained. In our books, you can comprehensively study the history of audi nsu auto union ag, or browse through highquality illustrated books.
Nsu motorenwerke ag, or nsu, was a german manufacturer of automobiles, motorcycles and pedal cycles, founded in 1873. In an attempt to win the world land speed record and beat mercedes, the charismatic bernd rosemeyer drove an auto union streamliner on a section of the autobahn to hundreds of kilometers per hour, and his death. The auto union was a tuned formula one car wearing streamlined dress hence the literal name, and bernd was one of the few racers whod mastered this terrifying heavyweights evil handling. Auto union was bought by daimlerbenz in 1958, encountered more financial troubles, and was sold to volkswagen in 1964. Audi, a subsidiary of volkswagen, is a german manufacturer with a long and storied history. At the same time the company moved its head office from to ingolstadt.
With this merger, audi emerged as a separate brand. By the end of the decade auto union was owned by volkswagen, its name had changed to audi, it had consigned dkw to history and absorbed nsu. The rebirth of the audi brand in 1965 and the merger of auto union and nsu in 1969 added new significance to the topic of motorsport. The name nsu originated as an abbreviation of neckarsulm, the city where nsu was located. Together with the two traditional companies auto union gmbh and nsu gmbh, audi tradition nurtures and presents the deep and diverse history. Acquired by volkswagen group in 1969, vw merged nsu with auto union, creating audi nsu auto union ag, ultimately audi. This 1960 auto union sp coupe is currently up for auction on bring a trailer. Dkw was one of the four companies that formed auto union in 1932 and is hence an ancestor of the modern day audi company. Most were negatives and all were in excellent condition.
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