August Horch

August Horch, a brilliant but stubborn engineer, was forced out of the board of Horch Automobil-Werke GmbH in 1909 and founded a new company, translating his surname into Latin—'Audi'—to create a new marque that would eventually revolutionize rally racing with the Quattro system.

August Horch’s innovations in the early 20th century fundamentally changed the automotive landscape, introducing advanced engineering principles that prioritized reliability and performance. His patents and brand equity were eventually acquired by the Auto Union conglomerate in 1932, which became the core asset of the modern Audi AG following its re-establishment in Ingolstadt in 1965.