Audi turns 100 tomorrow, wants to become Numero Uno

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Audi head Rupert Stadler has said he wants to out-sell his great rivals, BMW and Mercedes-Benz, part of the Daimler group, by 2015.

The company is banking on being able to better resist the global downturn than its competitors thanks to the appeal of its products in Europe and China.

Audi -- the name is the Latin translation of the German word "Horch" (Listen) -- was founded in 1909 by engineer August Horch.

Over the years it has undergone several transformations. In 1932 it merged with three German auto makers, a move that explains its current symbol, four linked rings.

Between 1940, when it was called on to take part in the Nazi military effort, and the late 1960s, it produced no vehicles at all.
It was only after its acquisition from Daimler-Benz by Volkswagen in 1965 and the determination of one of its engineers that the Audi 100 emerged in 1968.

Online Special

Check out the 100 Years Online Special on                          Audi’s Official Microsite

Audi’s 100 Years Anniversary Sculpture (By Gerry Judah) – Photos

The sculpture it’s made entirely of steel and although the design looks simple, it’s actually extremely complex, because the structure has to be rigid and completely balanced without the need for hundreds of supporting props. The total weight of the structure is 40 tonnes – and it took 12 men four weeks to fabricate, assemble and install

The 35 meter high sculpture features two Audi cars – the legendary 1937 Auto Union streamliner as well as the just launched R8 V10 sports car suspended in the air, at either end of a dramatic ‘swoosh’ of tyre tracks, as if they are driving off into the sky.

The company’s most important event will be held at Ingolstadt tomorrow i.e July 16, 2009