Audi history: from August Horch to quattro, the A8 and e-tron

Audi history timeline

Milestones link to a full history page with years and production numbers, key variants, what changed and what to check before you buy one.

1. 1899

   August Horch founds his first company

   August Horch, who had managed motor-vehicle production at Carl Benz in Mannheim, founded A. Horch & Cie. in Cologne on November 14, 1899. He moved the business to Zwickau in 1904 and turned it into a corporation.[1],[2]

2. 1909–1910

   Horch becomes Audi

   After leaving his first company in 1909, Horch founded a new carmaker in Zwickau. Barred from using his own name, he used its Latin translation: "horch" ("listen!") became "audi." He delivered the first Audi-badged car in May 1910, and Audi won the Austrian Alpine Rally three years running from 1912 to 1914.[2],[3]

3. 1932

   Auto Union and the four rings

   On June 29, 1932, Audi, DKW and Horch merged, and Wanderer's car division joined them, to form Auto Union AG, Germany's second-largest carmaker. The four interlocking rings stood for the four founding companies.[1],[2]

4. 1934–1939

   Silver Arrow racing

   Auto Union's mid-engined Grand Prix cars, designed under an agreement with Ferdinand Porsche, debuted at the Avus in May 1934. In October 1937 Bernd Rosemeyer became the first driver to exceed 400 km/h on a public motorway.[1]

5. 1949

   A new start in Ingolstadt

   Soviet occupation authorities dismantled Auto Union's Saxon plants after the war. Former managers founded Auto Union GmbH in Ingolstadt on September 3, 1949, building DKW two-stroke vans, motorcycles and cars.[1],[2]

6. 1958–1965

   Daimler-Benz, then Volkswagen

   Daimler-Benz took over about 88 percent of Auto Union in April 1958 and the rest in 1959. Volkswagen bought the company in 1965, the same year the first post-war Audi, with a four-stroke engine, revived the Audi name.[1],[3],[4]

7. 1968

   Audi 100

   The Audi 100, developed in secret by technical director Ludwig Kraus and approved only afterwards by Volkswagen's board, was presented in November 1968. It was the first Audi with no DKW technology, and its success secured the company's future within Volkswagen.[1],[5]

   Audi A6 (and Audi 100/5000/200) history →

8. 1969

   NSU merger and the move to America

   Auto Union GmbH and NSU joined forces in 1969 to form Audi NSU Auto Union AG, based in Neckarsulm. Audi of America dates its US history to 1969, with the Audi 100 its first car sold in the United States.[2],[6]

9. 1971–1972

   "Vorsprung durch Technik" and the Audi 80

   The slogan "Vorsprung durch Technik" was created in 1971, inspired by the NSU Ro 80. The Audi 80, launched in 1972, became the first Audi built more than a million times and was sold in the US as the Fox.[1],[5],[7]

   Audi A4 (and Audi 80/90) history →

10. 1976

    The five-cylinder engine

    Audi introduced its inline five-cylinder in the second-generation Audi 100, with 2,144 cc and 136 PS. A turbocharged version followed in the 1979 Audi 200 5T.[8]

11. 1980

    The Audi quattro

    Audi showed the quattro at the Geneva Motor Show on March 3, 1980: the first high-volume car with permanent all-wheel drive, powered by a 200 PS turbocharged five-cylinder.[3],[9],[10]

    Audi quattro all-wheel drive history →

12. 1981–1984

    Rally championships

    With quattro, Audi won the World Rally Championship manufacturers' title in 1982, the drivers' title with Hannu Mikkola in 1983, and both titles with Stig Blomqvist in 1984.[1],[3]

    Audi quattro (Ur-quattro) and Group B rally cars history →

13. 1985

    AUDI AG

    On January 1, 1985, Audi NSU Auto Union AG became AUDI AG and moved its head office from Neckarsulm to Ingolstadt, so the company and its cars shared one name.[2],[3]

14. 1988

    Audi V8

    The Audi V8, the company's first large luxury model, arrived in 1988 with a 3.6-liter, four-valve V8. Its racing version won the German Touring Car Championship (DTM) in 1990 and 1991.[1],[3]

    Audi A8 (and Audi V8) history →

15. 1994

    The A8, aluminum and new model names

    The aluminum Audi Space Frame A8 replaced the V8 at the Geneva show in March 1994 and introduced Audi's new naming system. The A6 succeeded the Audi 100 that summer, and the fifth-generation Audi 80 became the A4 in November. The RS 2 Avant, the first RS model, also launched in 1994.[3],[11]

    Audi A8 (and Audi V8) history →

16. 1998

    Audi TT

    Shown as a concept at the 1995 Frankfurt show, the TT Coupé entered production at Győr, Hungary, in 1998; the Roadster followed a year later.[12]

    Audi TT history →

17. 2000–2014

    Le Mans

    Audi first raced the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1999 and won it 13 times between 2000 and 2014, with gasoline FSI, TDI diesel and e-tron hybrid race cars.[1]

    Audi at Le Mans history →

18. 2007

    R8 road car

    The first-generation Audi R8 mid-engined sports car went on sale in 2007, with a quattro system built around a viscous coupling at the front axle. Audi of America marked its US debut in 2008.[6],[13]

    Audi R8 history →

19. 2019

    e-tron

    The Audi e-tron, Audi's first fully electric SUV, went on sale in the US in 2019. It introduced electric quattro, which shifts torque between axles electrically in about 30 milliseconds.[6],[14],[15]

    Audi e-tron electric vehicles history →

20. 2023

    End of the TT

    The last TT, a TTS, was built at Győr in 2023, the last of 662,762 TTs over three generations. In the US, a 50-car TT Roadster Final edition closed out the line.[12],[16]

    Audi TT history →

21. 2025–2026

    A new lineup and Formula 1

    For 2025 the new A5 replaced both the A4 sedan and the A5 Sportback in the US, and the ninth-generation A6 sedan followed for 2026. Audi entered Formula 1 with its own factory team and power unit in 2026.[17],[18],[19]

    Audi A4 (and Audi 80/90) history →

Audi model naming over time

Key US milestones

quattro systems at a glance

Full detail and buying advice: Audi quattro all-wheel drive history.

Every Audi model history

How to check a Audi's factory build

Standardized 17-character VINs began with model year 1981[42]. For a 1981-or-later Audi, CarWhere can check a VIN for licensed factory build data and, when it exists, list the equipment the vehicle was built with in plain English: see the Audi build sheet by VIN. Coverage varies by VIN and model year. Earlier vehicles are identified by their original serial number, vehicle data plate and engine stampings instead.

Frequently asked questions

More Audi research

• Audi tools & data hub
• Audi A3 known issues
• Audi A4 known issues
• Audi A5 known issues
• Audi A6 known issues
• Audi A7 known issues
• Audi A8 known issues
• Audi Q3 known issues
• Audi Q5 known issues
• Audi Q7 known issues
• Audi Q8 known issues
• Audi e-tron known issues
• Audi Q4 e-tron known issues
• 2.0 TFSI (EA888) turbo four
• 2.5 TFSI five-cylinder
• 4.2 FSI V8
• 5.2 FSI V10
• 4.0 TFSI twin-turbo V8

Sources

Production figures, dates and ratings come from Audi AG and Audi of America press and heritage materials, official race results and reputable automotive press wherever available. References marked secondary are encyclopedic or enthusiast sources used only where a primary figure was not available. Market medians are CarWhere's own analysis of live US dealer listings from licensed vehicle-data providers.

1. Company history (Audi History) — AUDI AG (audi.com / Audi Tradition)
2. Audi Tradition: The History of AUDI AG (MediaInfo, short version) — AUDI AG (audi.com / Audi Tradition)
3. History of the Four Rings (media release) — AUDI AG (audi.com / Audi Tradition)
4. A new era for the four rings: 60 years since the first post-war Audi (2025) — AUDI AG (audi.com / Audi Tradition)
5. Iconic models in the history of Audi: The Four Rings with a new profile — AUDI AG (audi.com / Audi Tradition)
6. Time to celebrate: 50 Years of Audi in America (April 16, 2019) — Audi of America (media.audiusa.com newsroom)
7. Audi captures the zeitgeist with this car: first Audi 80 unveiled 50 years ago (2022) — AUDI AG (audi.com / Audi Tradition)
8. 50 years of the Audi five-cylinder (Dec. 3, 2025) — Audi of America (media.audiusa.com newsroom)
9. 40 years, 40 figures, 40 images: quattro facts — Geneva, March 3, 1980 — AUDI AG (audi.com / Audi Tradition)
10. 40 years, 40 figures, 40 images: quattro facts — 200 PS original quattro — AUDI AG (audi.com / Audi Tradition)
11. 40 years, 40 figures, 40 images: quattro facts — 1994 RS 2 Avant — AUDI AG (audi.com / Audi Tradition)
12. The Audi TT: an icon of brand history (2023) — AUDI AG (audi.com / Audi Tradition)
13. 40 years, 40 figures, 40 images: quattro facts — 2007 Audi R8 — AUDI AG (audi.com / Audi Tradition)
14. Audi e-tron: electric quattro — AUDI AG (Audi Technology Portal)
15. 40 years, 40 figures, 40 images: quattro facts — 30 milliseconds — AUDI AG (audi.com / Audi Tradition)
16. Audi TT Roadster Final edition celebrates a legacy of the original Audi design icon (Nov. 2, 2023) — Audi of America (media.audiusa.com newsroom)
17. All-new Audi A5 model lineup ... mid-sized sedan offering (Feb. 24, 2025) — Audi of America (media.audiusa.com newsroom)
18. The all-new 2026 Audi A6 redefines the mid-size luxury sedan (Sept. 24, 2025) — Audi of America (media.audiusa.com newsroom)
19. Formula 1: Audi's factory team from 2026 — AUDI AG (audi.com / Audi Tradition)
20. Audi models listed for model year 1988 (fueleconomy.gov vehicle menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
21. Audi models listed for model year 1989 (fueleconomy.gov vehicle menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
22. Audi models listed for model year 1994 (fueleconomy.gov vehicle menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
23. Audi models listed for model year 1995 (fueleconomy.gov vehicle menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
24. Audi A6 — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
25. Audi models listed for model year 2023 (fueleconomy.gov vehicle menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
26. Audi models listed for model year 2024 (fueleconomy.gov vehicle menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
27. Audi 100 — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
28. Audi models listed for model year 1990 (fueleconomy.gov vehicle menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
29. Audi models listed for model year 1996 (fueleconomy.gov vehicle menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
30. Audi models listed for model year 1997 (fueleconomy.gov vehicle menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
31. 2013 Audi A8/S8/W12 media kit (revised July 2012) — Audi of America (media.audiusa.com newsroom)
32. Audi models listed for model year 2000 (fueleconomy.gov vehicle menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
33. Audi models listed for model year 2001 (fueleconomy.gov vehicle menu) — U.S. EPA / DOE (fueleconomy.gov)
34. Bevel gear center differential — AUDI AG (Audi Technology Portal)
35. Torsen differential — AUDI AG (Audi Technology Portal)
36. Hydraulic multi-plate clutch — AUDI AG (Audi Technology Portal)
37. Self-locking center differential — AUDI AG (Audi Technology Portal)
38. Crown gear differential — AUDI AG (Audi Technology Portal)
39. quattro with ultra technology — AUDI AG (Audi Technology Portal)
40. Audi Q5: quattro with ultra technology — AUDI AG (Audi Technology Portal)
41. Quattro (four-wheel-drive system) — Wikipedia (secondary reference)
42. 49 CFR Part 565 — Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) requirements — eCFR (U.S. Government)