Audi AG
Company History
Audi History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1909 in Zwickau, Germany
When was Audi founded?
Audi was founded in 1909 in Zwickau, Germany by August Horch, making it 117 years old.
- Founded
- 1909
- Founding place
- Zwickau, Germany
- Founders
- August Horch
- Headquarters today
- Ingolstadt, Bavaria, Germany
- Milestones documented
- 20 (1909–2026)
- Current CEO
- Gernot Döllner
- Acquisitions
- 4
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1909 | Founding in Zwickau |
| 1910 | The Audi name is registered |
| 1932 | Auto Union AG is formed |
| 1949 | Auto Union is re-established in Ingolstadt |
| 1958 | Daimler-Benz takes control |
| 1965 | Volkswagen takes over and the Audi name returns |
| 1968 | The Audi 100 is developed without approval |
| 1969 | Merger with NSU |
| 1980 | quattro all-wheel drive is unveiled |
| 1985 | The company is renamed AUDI AG |
| 1994 | A8 introduces the aluminium Space Frame |
| 1998 | Lamborghini is acquired |
| 2000 | The Le Mans run begins |
| 2015 | Diesel emissions scandal reaches Audi's V6 TDI |
| 2018 | An ~$904 million (800 million euro) order and a CEO resignation |
| 2020 | Volkswagen buys out the last Audi shareholders |
| 2023 | Gernot Döllner becomes CEO |
| 2024 | First Premium Platform Electric model |
| 2025 | Restructuring agreement and a China-only brand |
| 2026 | Formula 1 debut |
- Where was Audi founded?
- Audi was founded in Zwickau, Germany in 1909. wikidata.org
- Who founded Audi?
- Audi was founded by August Horch.
- When did Audi start?
- Audi was founded in 1909.
- How old is Audi?
- Audi is 117 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
August Horch trained at the Technical Academy in Mittweida and ran motor vehicle production as operations manager at Carl Benz's company in Mannheim before founding A. Horch & Cie. in Cologne on 14 November 1899. He moved the business to Reichenbach in Saxony in 1902 and to Zwickau in 1904, and left it in 1909 after disagreements with his board. He immediately started a second car company in the same town, but was barred from trading under his own surname. By the account Audi still tells, the son of a business partner was doing Latin homework in the room where the naming question was being argued and pointed out that Horch means listen in German, so the name could simply be translated into Latin: Audi. Audi Automobilwerke GmbH Zwickau was registered in 1910.
Founders
August Horch
Audi does not begin with a single founding moment but with a corporate split and a forced rename. August Horch, one of Germany's automotive pioneers, founded A. Horch & Cie. in Cologne on 14 November 1899 after working as operations manager for motor vehicle production at Carl Benz's company in Mannheim. He moved the firm to Reichenbach in Saxony in 1902, registered it as a joint-stock company and relocated to Zwickau in 1904, and left in 1909 after disagreements with his board. He immediately started a second car company in Zwickau, but was legally barred from trading under his own surname. By the account Audi still tells, the son of a business partner was doing Latin homework in the room where the naming question was being argued and pointed out that Horch means listen in German, so the name could be translated into Latin: Audi. Audi Automobilwerke GmbH Zwickau was registered in 1910, and Audi cars won the Austrian Alpine Rally three years running from 1912 with the Type C. On 29 June 1932, at the initiative of Saxony's state bank, Audi merged with DKW, Horch and the car division of Wanderer Werke to form Auto Union AG, then the second largest motor manufacturer in Germany. The four interlocking rings on today's Audi grilles stand for those four companies. August Horch was born in 1868.
Key Milestones
Founding in Zwickau
August Horch registers a new car company in Zwickau after leaving the firm that carried his own name, laying the foundation of the business that becomes Audi.
Source: audi.comThe Audi name is registered
Barred by a court from trading under his surname, Horch registers Audi Automobilwerke GmbH Zwickau, using the Latin imperative that translates the German word Horch, meaning listen.
Source: audi.comAuto Union AG is formed
On 29 June 1932, at the initiative of Saxony's state bank, Audi, DKW, Horch and the car division of Wanderer Werke merge into Auto Union AG, then the second largest motor manufacturer in Germany. The four interlocking rings stand for the four companies.
Source: audi.comAuto Union is re-established in Ingolstadt
After the Saxon plants are expropriated by the Soviet occupation authorities and Auto Union AG is struck from the Chemnitz commercial register in 1948, managers who fled west establish Auto Union GmbH in Ingolstadt on 3 September 1949 and begin building DKW vans and motorcycles.
Source: audi.comDaimler-Benz takes control
Daimler-Benz AG acquires 88 percent of Auto Union GmbH in April 1958 and makes it a wholly owned subsidiary the following year.
Source: audi.comVolkswagen takes over and the Audi name returns
Volkswagenwerk AG takes over Auto Union in 1965. The same year the company launches its first post-war model with a four-stroke engine, the F103 series, under the revived Audi name.
Source: audi.comThe Audi 100 is developed without approval
Development chief Ludwig Kraus designs a larger car in secret, against the wishes of Volkswagen management. Presented in Ingolstadt in November 1968 as the Audi 100, its success secures Auto Union's independence inside the Volkswagen Group.
Source: audi.comMerger with NSU
Auto Union GmbH and NSU merge to form AUDI NSU AUTO UNION AG within the Volkswagen Group.
Source: audi.comquattro all-wheel drive is unveiled
The Audi quattro, with permanent all-wheel drive and two manually lockable differentials, is shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1980. It goes on to win the World Rally Championship manufacturers' title in 1982 and both titles in 1984.
Source: audi.comThe company is renamed AUDI AG
AUDI NSU AUTO UNION AG becomes AUDI AG, with its head office in Ingolstadt, and sales responsibility moves from Volkswagen to Audi as part of the move upmarket.
Source: audi.comA8 introduces the aluminium Space Frame
Audi enters the luxury segment with the A8, the first volume production car built on the aluminium Audi Space Frame.
Source: audi.comLamborghini is acquired
Audi acquires Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. on 10 July 1998 after learning through an engine enquiry that the brand was for sale. Press reports at the time put the price at about 110 million US dollars.
Source: volkswagen-group.comThe Le Mans run begins
Audi takes the first of 13 wins at the 24 Hours of Le Mans between 2000 and 2014, including the first victory for a diesel car with the R10 TDI and later wins with the R18 e-tron quattro hybrid.
Source: audi.comDiesel emissions scandal reaches Audi's V6 TDI
United States regulators find defeat-device software in the 3.0-litre V6 TDI engine family developed by Audi and fitted to Volkswagen, Audi and Porsche models. A settlement worth at least 1.2 billion dollars covering about 78,000 vehicles receives final approval in May 2017.
Source: ftc.govAn ~$904 million (800 million euro) order and a CEO resignation
Munich II prosecutors impose an ~$904 million (800 million euro) administrative order on AUDI AG over the diesel engines, and Audi accepts it. CEO Rupert Stadler resigns the same year after being arrested; he is convicted of fraud by negligence in 2023.
Source: bbc.co.ukVolkswagen buys out the last Audi shareholders
Volkswagen AG, holding about 99.64 percent of the share capital, carries out a squeeze-out of the remaining 0.36 percent of AUDI AG shares, ending Audi's stock market listing.
Source: volkswagen-group.comGernot Döllner becomes CEO
The Supervisory Board appoints Gernot Döllner chairman of the Board of Management effective 1 September 2023, succeeding Markus Duesmann. He is confirmed for a further five years in autumn 2025.
Source: audi.comFirst Premium Platform Electric model
The Audi Q6 e-tron, the first production model on the 800-volt Premium Platform Electric developed with Porsche, reaches the market and becomes the first fully electric Audi built in Ingolstadt.
Source: audi.comRestructuring agreement and a China-only brand
Audi and its works council sign an agreement for the future that removes up to 6,000 German jobs by 2027 while ruling out operational layoffs to the end of 2033. The first model of the China-exclusive AUDI brand, the E5 Sportback, goes on sale, and fully electric deliveries reach a record 223,032 cars.
Source: audi.comFormula 1 debut
Audi enters Formula 1 as the Audi Revolut F1 Team, racing from the season opener in Australia on 8 March 2026 with a power unit developed at its motorsport site in Neuburg.
Source: audi.comMajor Acquisitions
Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A.
1998Volkswagen learned that Lamborghini was available when its owners approached Audi for an engine for a prototype, and Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. was acquired on 10 July 1998, with Audi given operational responsibility. The aim was a halo brand for the group's premium end and an outlet for shared high-performance engineering. Press reports at the time put the price at about 110 million US dollars; Audi did not confirm a figure.
Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.
2012The Volkswagen Group acquired the Italian premium motorcycle maker in 2012, with operational responsibility assigned to Audi, to extend the group's premium positioning into two wheels and share engineering in high-performance combustion engines, lightweight materials and rider assistance electronics.
Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A.
2010On 9 August 2010 Audi took a 90.1 percent stake in the Turin design and engineering house Italdesign Giugiaro, including the brand rights and patents, through its Italian subsidiary Lamborghini Holding. The aim was to bring styling, rapid prototyping and low-volume engineering capacity inside the group rather than buying it from third parties. Audi acquired the remaining 9.9 percent on 28 June 2015, when Giorgetto Giugiaro left the firm. Neither price was disclosed.
Sauber Group
2024Audi announced its Formula 1 entry in 2022, took an initial stake in the Swiss Sauber team in 2023, and in March 2024 said it would take a 100 percent stake in the Sauber Group, turning the Hinwil operation into its own works team. The purpose was to field a factory entry under the 2026 power unit rules, with the engine built at Audi's motorsport site in Neuburg. The price was not disclosed.
Keep researching Audi
Audi Company History FAQ
What were the major eras in Audi's history from 1909 to 1965?
Founded in 1909 by August Horch, Audi merged into Auto Union in 1932 (creating the four rings), dominated 1930s Grand Prix racing with Silver Arrows, relocated to Ingolstadt after WWII, and was revived by Volkswagen in 1965.
How did the 1980 Audi Quattro change global automotive engineering and rally racing?
Unveiled at the 1980 Geneva Motor Show, the permanent all-wheel-drive Audi Quattro dominated the World Rally Championship (winning titles with Michèle Mouton, Hannu Mikkola, Stig Blomqvist, and Walter Röhrl) and proved AWD superiority on road cars.
What was the landmark aerodynamic breakthrough of the 1982 Audi 100 (C3)?
Engineered under Ferdinand Piëch, the 1982 Audi 100 featured flush glass and a record-low drag coefficient of 0.30, transforming automotive aerodynamic design and winning the European Car of the Year award.
When was the Audi A8 luxury flagship introduced with the aluminum Space Frame?
In 1994, Audi launched the first-generation Audi A8 luxury sedan, pioneering the 100% aluminum Audi Space Frame (ASF) unibody to directly challenge the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and BMW 7 Series.
How did Audi dominate the 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race between 2000 and 2014?
Audi won the prestigious 24 Hours of Le Mans a record 13 times in 15 years, pioneering direct fuel injection (TFSI in R8), Le Mans diesel racing (TDI in R10), and hybrid all-wheel-drive (e-tron quattro in R18).
When did Audi launch the mid-engine R8 supercar?
In 2006, Audi introduced the high-performance R8 mid-engine supercar (sharing platform architecture with the Lamborghini Gallardo/Huracán), featuring full-LED headlights and exposed carbon fiber sideblades, elevating Audi's global supercar status.
When did Audi launch its first mass-production electric vehicle (Audi e-tron)?
In September 2018, Audi unveiled the fully electric Audi e-tron SUV (later renamed Q8 e-tron) in San Francisco, featuring virtual exterior side mirrors and dual-motor electric all-wheel drive, launching Audi's EV transition.
What are Audi's primary strategic priorities across electrification and motorsport in 2025 and beyond?
Audi is running out a compressed model offensive: Premium Platform Electric cars such as the Q6 e-tron and A6 e-tron, the Q9 flagship SUV and A2 e-tron family in 2026, and a Formula 1 works entry that began in March 2026. It dropped its fixed 2033 combustion-engine end date in June 2025 and now expects combustion and plug-in hybrid models to stay in the range for roughly another seven to ten years.
What do the four rings on Audi mean?
The iconic four interconnected rings represent the massive 1932 merger of four independent German automakers (Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer) to form Auto Union.
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