what car companies were merged to form audi?

German language automobile manufacturer

Auto Matrimony AG

The first (1932–1948) version of the Machine Union iv ring logo, which survives as the logo of Audi
Industry	Automotive manufacture, Motor racing
Predecessor	Zschopauer Motorenwerke J. Southward. Rasmussen (DKW) Audiwerke AG Zwickau Horchwerke AG Zwickau Wanderer plant, Siegmar (now function of Chemnitz)
Founded	Machine Matrimony AG Chemnitz, Frg (29 June 1932; 89 years ago  (1932-06-29))[i] Auto Union GmbH Ingolstadt, Germany (iii September 1949; 72 years ago  (1949-09-03))[two]
Defunct	ane Jan 1969 (merger with NSU to Audi NSU Motorcar Wedlock AG)
Fate	caused past Volkswagen, merged with NSU to create modernistic day Audi company.
Successor	Auto Wedlock GmbH (1949–1968) Audi NSU Car Union AG (1969–1985) Audi AG (1985–present)
Headquarters	Chemnitz (1932–1948) Ingolstadt (1949–1968) Neckarsulm/Audi NSU (1969–1985) Ingolstadt/Audi AG (1985–nowadays)
Products	Automobiles

Auto Union AG, Chemnitz, was an amalgamation of 4 German automobile manufacturers, founded in 1932 and established in 1936 in Chemnitz, Saxony. Information technology is the immediate predecessor of Audi every bit it is known today.

As well as acting equally an umbrella firm for its four constituent brands (Audi, Horch, DKW, Wanderer), Auto Union is widely known for its racing squad (Motorcar Union Rennabteilung, based at Horch works in Zwickau/Saxony). The Silver Arrows of the two German teams (Mercedes-Benz and Auto Wedlock) dominated not merely GP motorcar racing from 1934 onwards but fix records that would take decades to vanquish, such as the fastest speed ever attained on a public road (at 432.7 km/h (268.9 mph), a record lasting until 2017. After being reduced to most ruin in the aftermath of World War II, Machine Union was re-founded in Ingolstadt, Bavaria, in 1949, ultimately evolving into the modernistic day Audi company following its takeover past Volkswagen in 1964 and subsequently merger with NSU Motorenwerke in 1969.

The current corporate entity which bears the Car Union name – Automobile Union GmbH – was founded in 1985 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Audi AG; its purpose is to act as owner of Auto Wedlock'due south historical trademarks and intellectual property, equally well as managing Audi's heritage operations. The visitor'southward distinctive logo, of four interlocking rings to correspond the original 4 members of the Auto Spousal relationship, survives as the logo of Audi.

Germination [edit]

Auto Union was formed in Germany in 1932^[three] merging:

• Zschopauer Motorenwerke J. S. Rasmussen (brand DKW – steam-driven car) founded by Danish engineer Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen in 1916, it branched out into motorcycles, and so front end-drive two-stroke cars congenital at Audi works in Zwickau since 1931.
• Horch – founded 1904 by Baronial Horch in Zwickau. It built cars starting from straight-twin engines to luxury models with V8- and V12 engines.^[4]
• Audi – because of disputes with the CFO, August Horch in 1909 left his namesake enterprise and founded Audi across town, building inline-4-, vi- and eight-cylinder-engined cars. In 1928 Audi became a subsidiary of Zschopauer Motorenwerke.
• Wanderer (only car division) – founded in 1911, with pocket-size 4-cylinder cars and later a more luxurious direct-6 built in Siegmar (now Chemnitz)

In Baronial 1928, Rasmussen, the owner of DKW, caused a bulk ownership of Audiwerke AG.^[5] In the aforementioned year, Rasmussen bought the remains of the US automobile manufacturer Rickenbacker, including the manufacturing equipment for eight- and vi-cylinder engines. These engines were used in Audi Zwickau, Audi Imperator and Audi Dresden models. At the same time, 6-cylinder and four-cylinder (licensed from Peugeot) models were manufactured.

In 1930 the Saxony Regional Bank, which had financed Rasmussen's business organisation expansion in the 1920s, installed Richard Bruhn on the board of Audiwerke AG, and there followed a brutal pruning and rationalization of the various automobile-businesses that Rasmussen had accumulated. The outcome was the founding in Summertime 1932 of Auto Spousal relationship AG with but iv component businesses, existence Zschopauer Motorenwerke with its brand DKW, Audi, Horch and the automobile producing slice of Wanderer,^[6] brought together under the umbrella of single shareholder company Auto Matrimony. Although all four brands connected to sell cars nether their own names and brands, the technological development became more centralized, with some Audi models employing engines by Horch or Wanderer.

The Auto Union racing cars [edit]

Background [edit]

Auto Union chairman, Klaus, Baron von Oertzen, wanted a showpiece projection to announce the new brand. At the 1933 Berlin Motor Bear witness, German Chancellor Adolf Hitler appear 2 new programs:^[7]

• The people's machine: a project that became the KdF car
• A country-sponsored motor racing programme: to develop a "high speed High german automotive manufacture," the foundation of which would be an annual sum of 500,000 Reichsmark (RM)

At beau director's Adolf Rosenberger insistence, von Oertzen met with Dr. Ferdinand Porsche, who had done piece of work for him earlier, and adult his ain P-Wagen project racing auto based on the new 750 kg (i,650 lb) formula.^[7]

German racing commuter Hans Stuck Sr. had met Hitler before he became Chancellor, and not being able to proceeds a seat at Mercedes, accustomed the invitation of Rosenberger to join him, von Oertzen, and Porsche in approaching the Chancellor. In a meeting in the Reich Chancellory, Hitler agreed with Porsche that for the glory of Germany, it would be better for two companies to develop the projection, resulting in Hitler agreeing to pay £40,000 for the land'southward best racing car of 1934, as well every bit an annual stipend of 250,000 RM^[7] (£20,000)^[8] each for Mercedes and Car Wedlock. (In time, this would climb to £250,000.)^[9] This highly annoyed Mercedes, who had already developed their Mercedes-Benz W25, which notwithstanding was gratified, its racing plan having financial difficulties since 1931.^[9] It resulted in a heated exchange both on and off the racing track between the 2 companies until World State of war II.

Having garnered state funds, Machine Union bought Porsches Hochleistungsfahrzeugbau GmbH (HFB) (High Performance Automobile Ltd.) and hence the P-Wagen Project for 75,000 RM, relocating the visitor to Machine Unions Horch institute at Zwickau.^[vii]

Design [edit]

The Auto Union racing cars types A to D were congenital as Grand Prix racing cars from 1934 to 1939. They resembled the before Benz Tropfenwagen, also built in office by Rumpler engineers,^[10] The only Grand Prix racers to wear Car Union's four-ringed logo, they were particularly dominant in 1936. From 1935 to 1937, Auto Spousal relationship cars car won 25 races, driven by Ernst von Delius, Bernd Rosemeyer, Hans Stuck Sr., and Achille Varzi. Much has been written about the hard handling characteristics of this car, but its tremendous power and dispatch were undeniable – a driver could induce wheelspin at over 100 mph (160 km/h).

The cars used supercharged piston engines; eventually producing almost 550 hp (410 kW; 560 PS), designed to provide optimum torque at low engine speeds. Rosemeyer would later drive i around the Nürburgring in a single gear, to evidence the engine was flexible enough to do it. Unlike its rivals, information technology had a rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive layout. The fuel tank was located in the heart of the machine, directly behind the driver (who would be placed well towards the front end), so the car's front end-rear weight distribution would remain unchanged as fuel was used – exactly the same location used in modern open-wheel racing cars, and for the same reason. The chassis tubes were initially used as water carriers from the radiator to the engine, but this was eventually abandoned after they often sprung small leaks.

Racing results [edit]

The list of drivers for the initial 1934 season was headed by Stuck; he won the German language, Swiss, and Czechoslovakian events, forth with wins in a number of colina climbs, condign European Mount Champion.

In 1935, the engine had been enlarged to v 50 (305 cu in) displacement, producing 370 bhp (276 kW; 375 PS). Achille Varzi joined the team and won the Tunis Thousand Prix and the Coppa Acerbo. Stuck won the Italian Grand Prix, plus his usual collection of hill-climb wins, again taking the European Mountain Title. The new sensation, Rosemeyer, won the Czech Grand Prix.

Hans Stuck Sr. in an aerodynamic Type B in Italia

Stuck as well managed to break speed records, reaching 199 mph (320 km/h) on an Italian autostrada in a closed-cockpit streamliner.^[eleven] Lessons learned from this streamlining were afterwards applied to the T80 state speed record car.

1939 Type C/D V16 hillclimb car

For 1936, the engine had grown to a full half-dozen L (366 cu in), and was now producing 520 bhp (388 kW; 527 PS); in the hands of Rosemeyer and his teammates, the Car Wedlock Type C dominated the racing world. Rosemeyer won the Eifelrennen, High german, Swiss, and Italian Grands Prix, every bit well every bit the Coppa Acerbo. He was crowned European Champion (Car Union's merely win of the driver's title), and too took the European Mountain Championship. Varzi won the Tripoli Grand Prix, while Stuck placed 2nd in the Tripoli and German Grands Prix, and Ernst von Delius took second in the Coppa Acerbo.

In 1937, the machine was basically unchanged and did surprisingly well confronting the new Mercedes-Benz W125, winning 5 races to the 7 of Mercedes-Benz. Rosemeyer took the Eifel and Donington Grands Prix, the Coppa Acerbo, and the Vanderbilt Cup. Rudolf Hasse won the Belgian Grand Prix.

In improver to the new iii Fifty (183 cu in) formula, 1938 brought other challenges, principally the death of Rosemeyer early in the year, in an attempt on the land speed tape on a German autobahn. Tazio Nuvolari joined the team, and won the Italian and Donington Grands Prix, in what was otherwise a thin yr for the team, other than nevertheless another European Mountain Championship for Stuck.

In 1939, as war clouds gathered over Europe, Nuvolari won the Yugoslavia Yard Prix in Belgrade, while Hermann P. Müller won the 1939 French Grand Prix.

Second World War [edit]

The buildup and onset of World War II encouraged the evolution and production of special vehicles for military purposes in the 1930s. Auto Marriage became an important supplier of vehicles to Federal republic of germany's armed forces.^[5] Post-obit the outbreak of war, civilian product was interrupted in May 1940. After this, the company produced exclusively for war machine purposes.^[v]

For the production of Junkers aircraft engine under license, Auto Matrimony founded in 1935 the subsidiary "Mitteldeutsche Motorenwerke" (Key German Motor Works) at Taucha, northeast of Leipzig.

During World War II, Automobile Matrimony/Horch supplied the chassis for the Sd.Kfz. 222 armored automobile. Powered by an 90 PS (66 kW; 89 hp) Horch V8 engine, it reached a top speed of 50 mph (80 km/h) on the road. The all-wheel bulldoze Kfz. eleven, or Horch/Wanderer Type 901, was used as a medium transport vehicle to shuttle German military machine officials. Horch works likewise produced the AWD heavy transport vehicle Type 801 (both named Einheits-PKW der Wehrmacht).

From the beginning of 1944, Auto Wedlock plants (Horch and Audi plant at Zwickau, Mitteldeutsche Motorenwerke and Siegmar/Wanderer plant at Siegmar-Schönau) were heavily bombed and severely damaged. The U.Southward. Ground forces occupied Zwickau on 17 April 1945 almost the end of WWII. After withdrawal of the U.Southward. Army on 30 June from Zwickau, all Saxon plants of Automobile Union were occupied by the Ruddy Ground forces.

The company exploited slave labor at Leitmeritz concentration army camp. According to a 2014 report deputed past the company, Auto Union bore "moral responsibleness" for the iv,500 deaths that occurred at Leitmeritz.^[12]

Eastward Germany [edit]

Postwar, the Saxon plants of Auto Union were located in the Soviet-occupied zone of communist E Deutschland.

In 1945, on the orders of the Soviet War machine Administration in Federal republic of germany, the factories were dismantled as war reparations,^[13] while the racing cars found stored in a colliery were returned to Moscow for reverse engineering science. Post-obit this, Auto Union AG assets were liquidated without compensation.^[13] On 17 August 1948, Automobile Wedlock AG of Chemnitz was deleted from the commercial register.^[13] The remains of Horch and Audi plants of Zwickau became the VEB (for "People Endemic Enterprise") Automobilwerk Zwickau, or AWZ; (Automobile Factory Zwickau).^[14]

The former Audi factory in Zwickau, now under East High german control, restarted assembly of the pre-war models in 1949. Those models were renamed IFA F8 and IFA F9 and were similar to the new West German DKW versions. In fourth dimension, a lawsuit compelled the Eastward Germans to finish using the DKW brand. The mill went on to industry the Trabant until the early 1990s, when information technology was acquired by Volkswagen, effectively re-establishing its connection with Auto Union and Audi.

New Auto Union [edit]

With the Red Army quickly advancing on Zwickau immediately afterward the war, and faced with the prospect of trying to salve what was left of the company, Motorcar Union's executives had no option but to flee and re-establish the company on the Western side of a now partitioned Germany. Thus a new Auto Union company was launched in Ingolstadt, Bavaria with loans from the Bavarian state authorities and Marshall Plan aid.^[fifteen]

1964 Auto Spousal relationship / DKW Munga.

The reformed company Motorcar Union GmbH was launched on 3 September 1949. The Ingolstadt facility had been run purely equally a spare parts operation since 1945, simply somewhen the directors institute the funding to restart production – initially in a converted granary building in the town. With West Germany withal in the early on stages of rebuilding its economic system after the war, the demand for inexpensive transport meant that only the DKW brand would survive into the postwar era. The luxury focused Audi and Horch brands were placed into dormancy, whilst Wanderer had been the property of its original parent firm. Auto Wedlock therefore continued DKW'south tradition of producing affordable front-wheel drive vehicles with 2-stroke engines.^[15] This included product of the small but sturdy DKW RT 125 Due west motorcycle and a delivery van known as DKW Schnellaster. Many employees of the Saxony factories in Zwickau (Audi and Horch factories), Chemnitz (Siegmar plant, sometime Wanderer) and Zschopau (DKW Motorcycle factory) came to Ingolstadt and restarted the production.

In 1950, afterwards a former Rheinmetall-Borsig manufactory in Düsseldorf-Derendorf was established every bit a second assembly facility, the visitor's commencement postwar car went into production: the DKW Meisterklasse F 89 P, available equally a sedan/saloon, a station carriage and the iv-seater convertible built by Karmann.^{[xiii] [16]} The F 89 were based on the DKW F8 (motor) and the DKW F9 (coachwork) pre-war constructions.

From 1956 to 1968, about 46,750 DKW Munga light four-bicycle drive military vehicles could be produced, more often than not for the German language and other militaries.

In response to pressure from Friedrich Flick, and then its largest single shareholder,^[17] Daimler-Benz acquired 87% of Auto Union in April 1958, taking complete command in the post-obit year. In 1958 it saw the render of the Machine Wedlock brand, represented by the Auto Spousal relationship 1000, a pocket-size saloon. At the same time the 1000 Sp, a coupé, was produced for Auto Wedlock by the coachbuilder Baur at Stuttgart. Under Daimler-Benz ownership the company invested heavily in the Ingolstadt plant. Auto production at Düsseldorf was concluded, and the plant became the centre of production for Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz L 319 – a role which it continues to the present day. The DKW and Mercedes brands were able to establish a greater presence in the North American market past an understanding with the Studebaker-Packard Corporation in 1956 which through 1964 was the only distributor in the United states of america. Because of SPC's big network of dealers, the Machine Union and Mercedes-Benz brands were able to expand much faster in the United states markets. Many dealers today can trace their origin dorsum to being Studebaker-Packard dealerships.^{[ citation needed ]}

Nonetheless, equally prosperity began to return to West Germany, and every bit West German products gained valuable currency through export to the rest of Europe and North America, Daimler became increasingly worried that Auto Matrimony'south merely market for its two-stroke products, without massive investment, would be impoverished East Frg. Two-stroke engines became less popular towards the center of the 1960s as customers were more attracted to the more refined four-stroke engines. They began selling shares, which with the agreed aid of the West German Government, were acquired by Volkswagenwerk AG.

In 1964, Volkswagen acquired the factory in Ingolstadt and the trademark rights of Auto Marriage, with the exception of the dormant Horch brand which Daimler-Benz retained. A programme that Daimler had initiated at Machine Union created a range of cars that would later on provide the basis for Volkswagen's line of front-wheel-drive models, such as the Audi 80 and Volkswagen Passat. At the time a new model, internally designated F103, was under evolution. This was based on the final DKW model, the DKW F102, with a four-stroke engine implanted and some front and rear styling changes. Volkswagen abandoned the DKW brand because of association with two-stroke engines, effectively leaving Volkswagen with the Audi make. The new model was launched in September 1965 as simply the "Audi." The name was a model designation rather than the manufacturer, which was however officially Car Union. As more models were later added to the Audi range, this model was renamed Audi 72.

In 1969, Auto Union merged with NSU Motorenwerke AG, based in Neckarsulm, almost Stuttgart. In the 1950s, NSU had been the earth's largest manufacturer of motorcycles, but had moved on to produce small cars similar the NSU Prinz, the TT and TTS versions of which are yet popular as vintage race cars. NSU and so focused on new rotary engines based on the ideas of Felix Wankel. In 1967, the new NSU Ro fourscore was a infinite-age car, well alee of its time in technical details such equally aerodynamics, calorie-free weight, and safety but teething problems with the rotary engines put an terminate to the independence of NSU. The mid-sized car NSU had been working on, the K70, was intended to slot between the rear-engined Prinz models and the futuristic NSU Ro lxxx. However, Volkswagen took the K70 for its own range, spelling the end of NSU as a separate brand.

Afterwards being merged with Neckarsulm car maker NSU, the official name became Audi NSU Machine Union AG, which was only shortened to Audi AG in 1985, ending both the Auto Union and NSU brands. The visitor's headquarters returned to Ingolstadt; at the same time Audi formed the new companies Auto Union GmbH, and NSU GmbH as wholly owned subsidiaries whose role was to own and protect the historical trademarks and intellectual property of both Auto Wedlock and NSU.

In May 2009, Porsche gained majority control of Volkswagen Group and proposed a merger of the two companies.^{[ commendation needed ]} In August 2009, Volkswagen AG's supervisory board signed the agreement to create an integrated Auto group with Porsche led by Volkswagen.^{[ citation needed ]} Volkswagen will initially take a 42% stake in Porsche AG by the end of 2009, and see the family^{[ clarification needed ]} shareholders selling the automotive trading business of Porsche Holding Salsburg to Volkswagen. Rumors began to appear in the printing the proper name Auto Union would be revived for the new grouping belongings company.^[xviii]

Logo [edit]

The trademark symbol of Auto Union (and present-day Audi), the 4 overlapping rings, symbolized the four marques forming Motorcar Wedlock: Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer.^{[xix] [20]}

Although Auto Union used the four ring logo, information technology was but used on Car Union racing cars in that period, while the fellow member companies used their own names and emblems.

There is also a version of logo that uses both overlapping and interlocking rings.^[21]

Tribute [edit]

Motorcar Union was tributed at the 1999 Monterey Historic Automobile Races.^[22]

Come across too [edit]

• List of German cars

References [edit]

Notes [edit]

1. ^ "History of Audi AG". Archived from the original on 14 January 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2016.
2. ^ 4 Rings: The Audi Story. Audi AG. one August 2013. ISBN978-3768826730.
3. ^ "Porsche Designs: From Racetrack to Battlefield". Ran When Parked. 27 January 2012.
4. ^ Peter Kirchberg, Juergen Poenisch: HORCH – Types * Technics * Models, Edition Audi Tradition, published by Delius Klasing Germany, ISBN 978-3-7688-1775-2.
5. ^ ^{a b c} Audi website "Archived copy". Archived from the original on iv February 2009. Retrieved 4 February 2009. {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
6. ^ Deutsche Autos, Ring ii, 2001, p. 85. sfn mistake: no target: CITEREFDeutsche_Autos,_Band_2,2001 (help)
7. ^ ^{a b c d} "Motorcar Union Blazon C". DDavid.com. Retrieved 20 June 2009.
8. ^ Setright, Fifty. J. G. "Mercedes-Benz: The German Fountain-caput", in Northey, Tom, ed. Earth of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Vol. xi, p.1311.
9. ^ ^{a b} Setright, p.1312.
10. ^ Wise, David Burgess. "Rumpler: I Aeroplane which Never Flew", in Northey, Tom, ed. Globe of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Vol. 17, p.1964.
11. ^ G.E.T. Eyston; Barré Lyndon (1935). Motor Racing and Record Breaking.
12. ^ Le Blond, Josie (26 May 2014). "Slave probe exposes Audi's Nazi by". The Local . Retrieved nine Jan 2020.
13. ^ ^{a b c d} Audi website "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 4 February 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009. {{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
14. ^ de:Automobilwerk Zwickau
15. ^ ^{a b} "Audi Worldwide> Home". Audi.com. 15 April 2009. Archived from the original on 4 Feb 2009. Retrieved 27 April 2009.
16. ^ "Spiegel Wissen: Motorcar Wedlock (german)". Retrieved 21 September 2008.
17. ^ Deutsche Autos, Band 2, 2001, p. 263. sfn error: no target: CITEREFDeutsche_Autos,_Band_2,2001 (help)
18. ^ Chris Hallett (15 May 2009). "The render of Auto Marriage". AutoCar. Archived from the original on eighteen May 2009. Retrieved 21 June 2009.
19. ^ Automobile Logo. "Audi Logo". Archived from the original on 30 September 2007. Retrieved 10 September 2007.
20. ^ "History of the Iv Rings-Part 1-Audi Auto Spousal relationship". Seriouswheels.com. Retrieved 27 Apr 2009.
21. ^ Audi'southward Typographic Stylings
22. ^ Monterey Historics 1999. Audiworld.com (one September 1999). Retrieved on 2013-07-sixteen.

Bibliography [edit]

• Bruintjes, Jeroen. "Auto Union Blazon E—The Stillborn 1.5-litre car: Why it (Nigh) did Be"
• Clarke, R.K., ed. (1986). On Audi & Auto Union 1952-1980. Road & Track Series. Cobham, Surrey, UK: Brooklands Books. ISBN0948207876.
• Oswald, Werner (2001). Deutsche Autos [German Cars] (in German). Vol. Band [Volume] 2: 1920–1945. Stuttgart: Motorbuch Verlag. ISBN3613021706.
• Snellman, Leif. "The Early Auto Unions, From P-Wagen to A-type"
• Ward, Rod (2015). Auto Union: Audi, Horch, Wanderer, DKW, Framo (and NSU). Machine Review series, no. 112. Leeds, U.k.: Zeteo Publishing. OCLC 919299525.
• Wise, David Burgess. "Rumpler: I Aeroplane which Never Flew", in Northey, Tom, ed. Globe of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Vol. 17, p. 1964.
• Forest, Jonathan, ed. (1985). Great Marques of Germany. London: Octopus Books. ISBN0706422562.

External links [edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Auto-Union.

• August-Horch-Museum
• Audi History
• Machine Matrimony Sales Brochures 1939
• AutoUnion: the cars, the drivers and the history
• Auto Union Historic site
• Documents and clippings about Car Marriage in the 20th Century Press Athenaeum of the ZBW

saenzevoichland.blogspot.com

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Auto_Union

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