History of Audi In Australia

History of Audi In Australia

In Australia, Audi was not a popular brand forty years ago. Buyers at that time were rare and few, despite the car’s arguably bland exterior. What about the brand? What else is there besides the Quattro, the revolutionary rally car that dominated the world in the 1980s?
Audi’s logo is the four-ring symbol. It represents the union of four companies, Audi, DKW Wanderer and Horch (named after August Horch). Auto Union, formed in 1932, was the official marriage between the four companies.

After legal issues, Horch was not allowed to use his company name. The name Audi, however, came from a comment made by a friend’s son, who was learning Latin. “Father, audiature et alterna pars… wouldn’t it be an idea to call it Audi rather than Horch?” Horch, in German, means “listen”. Audi is the Latin equivalent.
The date April 25, 1910, was a date that would be infamous for Australia and New Zealand a half decade later. Audi Automobilwerke GmbH Zwickau, which changed its name to Audiwerke AG Zwickau, in 1915, released the Type A Sport-Phaeton, its first car. The Type A had a large inline-four engine of 2.6L. By 1924, a six-cylinder version was released.

Audi was founded in 1928 when Dampf-Kraft-Wagen took a majority stake in Audiwerke. Auto Union used the four rings before WW2, but only for racing cars. In the 1930s, DKW focused on fuel-efficient vehicles and smaller cars. Their market share was over 17 per cent in 1938, while Audi had a 0.1.

Audi was virtually forgotten in sales for almost two decades, from 1939 to the late 1960s. This was due to clever work done by engineers behind the scenes to counter the perception that VW (the current owners) did not want to promote the brand. A restart can be traced back to 1949 when an Audi factory was tasked with building DKW pre-war cars.

Volkswagen held a 50% stake in 1964. This was after Daimler-Benz had purchased the Audi brand in the late 1950s, which led to the revival of the Audi nameplate. In 1968, a secret project was launched by engineers in response to VW’s perceived mismanagement and lack of support. The result was the Audi 100. Audi was back.

Audi is now one of the most respected car brands in the world. Audi’s Quattro, with its rally achievements, certainly contributed to this perception. In 2018, Audi is seen as a premium brand, offering a wide range of luxury sports cars, small, medium and large passenger vehicles, and luxury luxury cars. Audi’s research and design program is compared to that of Mercedes-Benz and BMW. With the e-Tron, an electric vehicle, on its way, Audi has been hailed as a pioneer.

Audi In Australia: A History In Brief

Audi Australia Pty Ltd was formed in January 2001 by AUDI AG and Astre German Automotive Pty Ltd. Audi Australia Pty Ltd is the exclusive importer and distributor of Audi vehicles in Australia. The premium Audi brand is produced by AUDI AG in Ingolstadt. Audi has modern factories in Neckarsulm in Germany, Gyor in Hungary, and also assembly operations in Malaysia Indonesia, the Philippines China, Poland, and Brazil.

Audi has an impressive history in the automotive industry. Audi cars arrived in Australia in the 1960s, but earlier there were a variety of DKW, Horch, and Wanderer vehicles that represented Audi’s pioneering history.

The Audi logo, consisting of four rings interconnected, represents the roots of Audi – the brands of Audi, DKW Horch, and Wanderer. Together with AUTO UNION, NSU and other companies, they shaped the development of the automobile.

Audi has been a leader in the automotive industry since its very beginnings:

Audi was the first German luxury vehicle to be front-wheel drive.

Audi was the very first to introduce hydraulic engine mounts in 1975. These are now industry standards and reduce vibrations for vehicle occupants.

Audi introduced the five-cylinder engine a year later.

Audi’s Quattro was the first four-wheel drive car in the world to be turbocharged.

The Audi 100, which is the predecessor to today’s stunning Audi A6 model, achieved the lowest drag coefficient of any production vehicle in 1982. This marked a new direction for vehicle styling.

Audi also introduced flush-glass, a concept widely used in the automotive industry today as vehicles become more streamlined.

Audi has also made other breakthroughs that are well-known.

• The fully galvanised body
• aluminium space frame technology
• Its leadership in active and Passive Safety
• five-valve engine technology

In 1999, AUDI AG celebrated its 100th anniversary of automobile history. Audi Australia, as well as Europe, is proud of its history and bright future. Audi’s investments will ensure the company remains a leader in the industry for years to come.

Audi has gained ground both in Europe and Australia. Audi Australia is confident in its product line and superior technology to reach the company’s long-term goal of being the market leader among European prestige and luxury brands.

Audi has the youngest product range of any prestige car in Europe. It is also the most aggressive and fastest-growing marque when it comes to sales growth.

Audi’s revolutionary “Quattro”, an all-wheel-drive concept, is yet another feature that sets it apart from its European competitors. The campaign to educate the public about the benefits of this technology was launched in 1998 by Audi and ran successfully through 1999.

Audi has also been re-evaluating its dealer network, and several important appointments have been made around the country.

Audi also offers several value-added services to consumers, including the “Audi Alliance“, which is a three-year, two-level customer loyalty program that combines AudiCare’s 24-hour roadside service with exclusive member discounts on hotel rack rates and vehicle drive days as well as cultural and sports activities.

Audi Financial Services is Audi’s brand-named finance. It is now another option available to prospective purchasers. Audi’s brand finance offers special rates to over 60% of prestige buyers.

Audi Corporation is a service for companies that own five or more luxury cars. Audi Guaranteed buyback is a product to assure customers about resale value with the impending introduction of wholesale Goods and Services tax in Australia. Audi also offers its brand of insurance to customers.

Audi also offers a range of gadgets, gifts, and local products for those who have everything or just want high-quality lifestyle accessories, from leather goods to watches and bicycles.

Uniting Forces: The Merger of Four Companies Under the Iconic Four Rings Logo

Rasmussen acquired the majority of Audiwerke AG shares in August 1928. In the same month, he purchased the remaining equipment of U.S. automobile maker Rickenbacker. This included the production of 8-cylinder engines. These engines were used in the Audi Zwickau and Audi Dresden models that were launched in 1929.. The 6-cylinder and 4-cylinder models ( “the four” powered by a Peugeot) were also produced. Audi cars from that time were luxury cars with special bodywork.

Audi merged in 1932 with Horch, DKW and Walker to form Auto Union AG. Chemnitz. In this period, the Audi Front was introduced. It was the first European vehicle to feature a six-cylinder motor and front-wheel-drive. The powertrain was shared with the Wanderer but it was turned around so the drive shaft faced forward.

Auto Union, which represents these four brands, used the rings of the Audi badge before World War II. During that time, the badge was only used on Auto Union race cars. The member companies continued to use their emblems and names. As technology developed, it became increasingly concentrated. Some Audi models used Horch or Wanderer engines.

Auto Union, reflecting the economic pressures at the time, concentrated on smaller cars throughout the 1930s. By 1938, the DKW brand held 17.9% of German car sales, while Audi only had 0.1%. The “Audi” brand disappeared from the market completely for over two decades after the last few Audi were sold in 1939.

Model Introductions

Audi introduced new technologies in the late 1990s including the use of aluminium construction. The Audi A2, produced from 1999 to 2004, was a futuristic, super-mini, born of the Al2 concept. It had many features which helped regain the confidence of consumers, such as the aluminium frame. This was a world first for production car design. Audi’s TDI technology was further developed in the A2 by using frugal, three-cylinder engines. The A2 is extremely aerodynamic, and it was built around a Wind Tunnel. Audi A2 was criticized for its high cost and never really became a success, but it established Audi as an innovative manufacturer. This Mercedes-Benz rival sold well in Europe. Audi did not develop a replacement for the A2 until 2005.

In 1995, the Audi A4 was introduced to replace the Audi 80. The new nomenclature was also applied to the Audi 100, which became the Audi A6 with a minor facelift. The S4 also became the S6, and a new S4 in an A4 body was introduced. The S2 has been discontinued. The Audi Cabriolet (based on the Audi 80 platform) continued to be produced until 1999. It received engine upgrades on the way. In 1996, a new A3 hatchback (sharing the Volkswagen Golf Mk4 platform) was added to the range. The radical Audi TT roadster and coupe were also introduced in 1998 based on the same underpinnings.

There were a variety of petrol engines in the range, including 1.4, 1.6, and 1.8-litre four-cylinder, turbocharged 2.2-litre five-cylinders, and the 4.2-litre V8 engine. In 1998, the V6s were upgraded to new 2.4L and 2.8L 30V V6s, which had markedly improved power, torque, and smoothness. Along the way, other engines were added including a V8 3.7L and a W12 engine.

Audi AG Today: Innovations and Beyond

Audi sales increased strongly during the 2000s. Deliveries to customers increased from 653,000 units in 2000 to 1003,000 units in 2008. Eastern Europe (+19.3%), Africa (+17.2%) and the Middle East (+58.5%) saw the largest increases in sales. China has been a major market for Audi, accounting for 108,000 of the 705,000 vehicles delivered in 2009’s first three quarters. Audi’s popularity in China can be attributed to the fact that the Chinese government has chosen Audis as the vehicle of choice for their officials. Government purchases account for 20% of Audi sales in China. Audi was the largest contributor to the parent Volkswagen Group’s EUR1.5 billion operating profit in 2009. Bentley and SEAT suffered significant losses. Audi of America saw record sales in May 2011 with the new Audi A7, Audi A3 and Audi A3 Clean Diesel. Audi’s sales increased by 10% in May 2012. From 408 to 480 units in just one year.