A Brief History of Audi

Audi was started in November of 1899 by a man named August Horch, a German engineer and automobile enthusiast. The original name of the company was A. Horch & Cie, but after being ousted by the board, he made multiple attempts to start another car company, but was unable to open anything in his name because of copyright infringement (he couldn't use his name for his new companies because his original company was named after him). His son, however, found an interesting title for his new company. He suggested that the company be called "Audi": the latin word for "to listen", as "Horch" mean "hear" in German. This was a clever way for Horch to legally create a new company while still maintaining the integrity of his name and his business. Audi's main goal was to create sporty, aggressive cars but with a touch of artistry and style. Their slogan, "Vorsprung durch Technik", means "progression through technology", and this can clearly be seen throughout all of Audi's automobiles. They were the first car company to create a production car with left-handed drive, a huge innovation because it allowed the driver see oncoming traffic more clearly, and therefore made overtaking cars easier. Audi has always maintained a certain style of elegance and beauty while also making their cars extremely aggressive and sporty, as can be seen in their greatest achievement to date, the Audi R8.