History of the location
Back to overview 1873 | Christian Schmidt and Heinrich Stoll establish a workshop for the production of knitting machines in Riedlingen on the Danube. |
1880 | The company relocates to Neckarsulm |
1886 | Bicycle production begins |
1900 | Motorcycle production begins |
1906 | Production of automobiles begins (“Original Neckarsulmer Motorwagen”) |
1928 | Automobile production ends and the factory in Heilbronn is sold |
1933 | Ferdinand Porsche commissioned to build the NSU/Porsche Type 32, the VW Beetle’s predecessor |
1945 | Part of the plant is destroyed in World War II; production gradually resumes beginning in mid-1945 |
1955 | NSU Werke AG is the world’s largest motorcycle plant |
1958 | Automobile production resumes with the NSU Prinz I to III |
1964 | Production of the NSU/Wankel Spider, the world’s first production car with a rotary piston engine, begins |
1967 | Series production of the NSU Ro 80 begins; due to its futuristic design and rotary piston engine, it is voted “1968 Car of the Year” |
1969 | Merger with Auto Union GmbH Ingolstadt to become Audi NSU Auto Union AG; the majority shareholder is Volkswagen AG |
1974/75 | The site is threatened with closure during the oil crisis. In the legendary “March on Heilbronn,” employees fight successfully to save the plant |
1975 | To better utilize production capacity, contract manufacturing of the Porsche 924 begins; the Porsche 944 follows shortly thereafter |
1982 | The Audi 100 achieves a world-record coefficient of drag (Cd) value of 0.30 |
1985 | Introduction of the fully galvanized car body in the Audi 100 and Audi 200; company renamed AUDI AG and headquarters moved to Ingolstadt |
1988 | AUDI AG enters the full-size car class with the Audi V8 |
1989 | Introduction of turbocharged diesel engine with direct fuel injection in a passenger vehicle |
1990 | First DTM victory for Audi with an Audi V8 quattro driven by Hans-Joachim Stuck |
1994 | Start of production of the Audi A8, the first series-produced vehicle in the world with a completely aluminum body (ASF – Audi Space Frame) |
2000 | Production of the Audi A2, the first aluminum, large-volume production car, begins |
2001 | Victory in Le Mans with the newly developed FSI direct fuel injection |
2005 | Audi Forum Neckarsulm opens |
2006 | German premiere of the Audi R8 sports car; first victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a diesel engine developed in Neckarsulm |
2007 | Establishment of the production turntable between the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm plants with the start of production of the Audi A4 Sedan |
2008 | Inauguration of the new Audi toolmaking shop |
2011 | Audi acquires a 23-hectare plot in the Böllinger Höfe industrial park in Heilbronn (further plots acquired in 2014 and 2018) |
2012 | Inauguration of the Technical Center for Fiber-Reinforced Polymers and the new Engine Test Center |
2013 | Audi Neckarsulm receives the J.D. Power Award as “Best Production Plant in Europe” |
2014 | Inauguration of Audi Böllinger Höfe (Logistics Center and R8 production) |
2015 | Audi Forum Neckarsulm celebrates its tenth anniversary |
2016 | New Audi A8 production buildings open |
2017 | Opening of the Fuel Cell Competence Center |
2018 | Inauguration of the Technical Center for the Testing of Aluminum Materials |
2019 | Establishment of an MEA Technical Center (functional layer systems) for fuel cell development; start of the cross-site Mission:Zero environmental program with measures for decarbonization, sustainable water use, resource efficiency, and biodiversity |
2020 | Start of production of the all-electric Audi e-tron GT quattro |
2021 | Automotive Initiative 2025 (AI25): Establishment of a network of expertise for the digital transformation of vehicle production and logistics; establishment of a Competence Center for high-voltage batteries |
2022 | Optimizing production for electromobility: Modernization of existing buildings, groundbreaking ceremony for new paint shop |
2023 | Inauguration of C20, the new five-story Technical Development building. |