Audi's History in Canada
Audi's History in Canada
The only people that don't appreciate the versatility, style-guides, and commanding presence of an Audi car are those who haven't had the opportunity to drive one. With a corporate history that calls back to a significant point in automotive development when 4 of Germany's well-established and oldest manufacturers came together to form the company now known as Audi.
Each of the four rings represents one of those original companies: Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer.
What we find when we look back before the time of that amalgamation are the shades and influencing points that helped form the Audi that exists today.
Where it All Began - Germany
In 1899 a man by the name of August Horch established the Horch & Cie. Company in Cologne and it was there that he assisted in constructing his first car. However, shortly after this period Horch came into conflict with others and left to form a different company. Unfortunately, while he would have preferred to use the Horch name the courts leaned in the favour of his previous business partners deeming the name, in context to the former company, was a registered trademark.
Ironically, if not for this feud we would not have the name Audi today.
In a clever move that foreshadows his future, Horch chose a Latin translation of his name, taking the word Horch or 'listen' (sometimes referenced as hark) and finding the word Audi. This idea, it is suggested, was presented to him by the son of one of his new business partners.
The company continued to succeed in the years to follow, however, after the First World War August left the company to work as an independent automotive expert in Berlin.
Interesting Experiences Ahead
Following the events of the Second World War, Audi began re-introducing pre-war vehicles to their manufacturing plants, eventually realizing models they had intended to release many years earlier. This included the now-famous Sonderklasse.
In the 1950s Audi was taken over by Daimier-Benz constructing a new plant in Ingolstadt which would become the most advanced of its kind in Europe.
Despite these successes there were more changes in store for the Audi brand and in 1966 became a fully-owned subsidiary of Volkswagen.
The Modern Audi Era
From the 19th Century onward to the 21st, Audi has seen its share of amazing advancements and contributions to the automotive industry. This includes the introduction and ahead-of-its-time fully-galvanized body types, and vehicles that went on to enforce the rise of Audi on a global scale.
In the 1990s, Audi's reputation as a luxury-class manufacturer was sealed through the launches of the Audi 8, Audi S4, Audi 11, Audi Cabriolet, and the Audi 100 Avant.
Crossing over into the 3rd century since August Horch originally founded the companies that would become Audi, we're still privy to the commitment to quality he intended. With highlights that include being the first manufacturer to feature peripheral white LED's and the first to bring a successful and approachable 12-cylinder engine to the market through the Audi Q7 in 2007.
With claims to fame that include German racetrack records and premium class features, the Audi brand has secured its place well into the future. Discover the opportunities that have made this global brand into one that continues to shatter expectations with outstanding quality and state-of-the-art features today at Audi Langley.