In 1899 an inventor and businessman August Horch registered a manufacturing firm that produced automobiles in a German town of Mannheim. The company`s name was "Horch and Company". Four years later the firm is moved to Zwickau.
In 1909 a series of failures followed that almost drove the company to bankruptcy. August Horch was forced to leave the company as his partners thought he was the one to blame.
Nevertheless, August didn`t give up and some time later established his own company called "Horch" in Zwickau. Anyway, there were two companies bearing the same name in the same place and that didn`t last long: ex-partners brought an action against Horch expecting him to rename the firm (they were actually afraid of a young and worthy competitor). The claim was granted. Then August took a Latin variant of the former name: "Audi", which is the same as "Horch" in German that is "listen". And so that was how in 1909 a world known brand and a world known company "was born".
The first automobile called «Audi-A» was produced in 1910.
Modern "Audi" image is based on four principles: high technologies, emotionality, sports cars qualities, and global claims. Each of the principles exists to accomplish a certain mission, a certain task, however they share a common aim, common goal, which is to at least double the sales volume in the next 5-6 years, catching up with their main competitors BMW and Mercedes-Benz.
The company endows its novelties with a sporty character following the brand`s concept. This is evinced in outstanding dynamic characteristics, powerful engines, suspensions, in the exterior and interior design. What is more, there are also sports modifications (S code) and super-sports ones (RS) produced along with standard models. RS6 cannot leave one indifferent: its 450-horsepower engine literally provokes you into impetuous sprints or lane changing, while on the autobahn it is electronic speed limiter that keeps you from doing over 250 km/h. However marketing policy demands more aggressive sporting spirit nourishment, therefore Audi sponsors mountain skiing, golf, and sailing competitions and supports two well-known European football clubs.
