As a service for the media and fans, the “Anniversary Dates 2024” booklet details over 30 anniversaries across Audi’s history It highlights various aspects of Audi’s history, including products, the company, and motorsports
The most notable anniversaries at a glance: In the “Anniversary Dates 2024” digital booklet, Audi Tradition details this year’s anniversary highlights and summarizes over 30 historically significant events spanning products, the company, and motorsports. The booklet is now available for download in English and German from the Audi MediaCenter.
The anniversaries that Audi Tradition is celebrating in 2024 are as varied as the history of the brand with the four rings itself. The Audi 50 turns 50, the Auto Union GmbH in Ingolstadt turns 75, and Audi founder August Horch established his first company in Cologne 125 years ago. The anniversary booklet lists over 30 anniversaries, including a look at Audi models launched over 30 years ago receiving their “H” number plates in 2024. Among these is the Audi A8; its launch in 1994 marked Audi’s entry into the luxury class. Made in Neckarsulm and unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show, the sedan pioneered the Audi Space Frame, a body made entirely of aluminum. The iconic Avant RS2 also turns 30 in 2024. Developed as a joint project between Audi and Porsche, the Avant RS2 established the tradition of RS high-performance models. The booklet devotes an entire chapter to the RS2. Audi Sport quattro turns 40: A powerful production car from Germany For Audi Sport, 1984 turned out to be especially successful. The season kicked off with a victory when Walter Röhrl won the legendary Monte Carlo Rally in an Audiquattro in January. Stig Blomqvist and his co-driver Björn Cederberg went on to win the World Drivers’ title and Audi took the World Manufacturers’ title. The season ended in victory for Harald Demuth.
Inspired by Bauhaus: Coupé study from 1995 began series production in 1998 178,765 first-generation Audi TT Coupés had rolled off the production line by 2006 Audi designer Torsten Wenzel introduced the study to series production: “The Audi TT is a driving sculpture”
Twenty-five years, three generations: The brand with the four rings wrote design history with the Audi TT. Since its debut in 1998, the sports car has struck a chord with people worldwide thanks to the fun it promises drivers and its clear design language. „Auto Europe“ voted it the best new car of the year in 1999.
In the mid-1990s, the Audi A8 luxury model elevated the Audi brand to a higher position and gradually led to the renaming of the model series: The Audi 80 became the Audi A4, and the Audi 100 was dubbed the Audi A6. Introduced in 1994, the Audi A4 was the first model to embody Audi’s new design language. Next was the Audi A3 premium compact car, launched in 1996, and the second generation of the Audi A6, introduced in 1997. In the course of emotionalizing the brand through a fresh, progressive design, American designer Freeman Thomas, under the then Head of Design Peter Schreyer, created a puristic sports car in the Audi TT Coupé. Audi presented the study to an enthusiastic trade show audience at the IAA in Frankfurt in September 1995. The model name “TT” is reminiscent of the legendary Tourist Trophy on the Isle of Man, one of the oldest motorsports events in the world and one where NSU and DKW celebrated great successes with their motorcycles. The name “TT” also recalls the sporty NSU TT of the 1960s. The Audi TT Coupé’s deliberate departure from the usual Audi nomenclature underscored the complete novelty of the model. Designer Wenzel: “In the Audi TT, every shape has a clear function” In December 1995, the decision was made to mass-produce the Audi TT Coupé.
In the anniversary year of 2023, Audi Tradition will bring out a number of NSU highlights from AUDI AG’s historical vehicle collection for events. Ten-part series with classic and exotic cars from NSU’s product history
The traditional NSU brand is celebrating its birthday. In 1873, Christian Schmidt and Heinrich Stoll founded “Mechanische Werkstätte Schmidt & Stoll” in Riedlingen for the production of knitting machines, which later evolved into NSU Motorenwerke AG and ultimately into today’s Audi site in Neckarsulm. Even NSU’s name is closely associated with Neckarsulm, as the company name is derived from the city on the Neckar and Sulm rivers. NSU impressively demonstrates the development of mobility – from bicycles and motorcycles to automobiles. For its 150th anniversary, Audi Tradition is bringing out a number of NSU highlights from its historical vehicle collection. The special exhibition “Innovation, audacity and transformation”, a cooperation project between Audi Tradition and the German Bicycle and NSU Museum (Deutsches Zweirad- und NSU-Museum), is also under construction. The exhibition will be on display at the Audi Forum in Neckarsulm and at the German Bicycle and NSU Museum in Neckarsulm starting on June 14.
“There are so many stories to tell from the long history of NSU,” said Tobias Fräbel, an employee at Audi Tradition responsible for the corporate archives of the Neckarsulm site and the NSU brand. “Since we can’t tell all the stories in just one text, Audi Tradition will offer stories and background information about the company, its products, its involvement in racing and much more throughout the year.” These posts can be found on Audi Tradition’s Instagram channel and in the Audi MediaCenter. There, Audi Tradition will launch a ten-part series. From March to December, one NSU model will be introduced every month – from the brand’s classics, whether they have two or four wheels, to prototypes and exotic models.
Ten vehicles and other exhibits illuminate the evolution of vehicle lighting Stephan Berlitz, Head of Lighting Development, AUDI AG: “Digitalization takes automotive lighting technology to a new dimension” New exhibitions launching November 18 at the museum – fascinating information on the exhibits is available via the Audi Tradition app from late November
The new special exhibition “The Speed of Light” at the Audi museum mobile in Ingolstadt is, for the first time, telling the whole story of lighting development through the rich product history of the brand with the four rings. The special exhibition looks back to the beginnings of vehicle lighting – when early automobiles still used actual fire for illumination. Ten vehicles serve to trace the various epochs in lighting technology, while other exhibits illustrate the functionality and the fascination of constantly evolving headlight and rear light technologies. “The Speed of Light” can be viewed at the Audi museum mobile from November 18, 2022, to June 4, 2023, and digitally on the Audi Tradition app.
“The early days of the automobile were long in the dark,” says Stefan Felber, curator of Audi Tradition’s new special exhibition. Felber explains: The headlights and rear lights that modern drivers now take almost for granted had a difficult start because, as cars were derived from carriages, they initially adopted the lighting technology of the day: candles in wind-sheltered enclosures, which were not much more than mere position lights. It was only with higher speeds and the advent of night driving that safe illumination of the road became increasingly important and soon a legal requirement. From candles to the later kerosene lamps, vehicle lighting began evolving rapidly. Carbide headlights served as a bridge technology until the implementation of electric lighting. The so-called “Bosch light” of 1913 was the first significant milestone towards modern headlights.
Xavier Ros, Board Member for Human Resources and Organization at SEAT, is transferring to the Board of Management of AUDI AG on 20th May 2022 Xavier Ros is a Group manager with international experience returning to Audi Sabine Maassen, Board Member for Human Resources and Organization at AUDI AG since 2020, is leaving the company for personal reasons and by mutual agreement
At today’s meeting of the Supervisory Board of AUDI AG, Xavier Ros was appointed Board Member for Human Resources and Organization at AUDI AG. He will succeed Sabine Maassen on 20th May 2022. Having attained a degree in mechanical engineering, Ros started his professional career at Audi in 1994 before switching to SEAT in 1999 and later to Volkswagen. Since September 2015, he’s been in charge of SEAT’s Human Resources division in Martorell. With this transfer to the Audi Board of Management, the company’s executive level is becoming even more international by bringing a native of Spain on board.
The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of AUDI AG, Dr.Herbert Diess, on the Board of Management change: “In the biggest transformation in the company’s history, Group synergies are more important than ever. I’m delighted to welcome Xavier Ros to Audi. With his experience in the Group, he’s well acquainted with technical development and production at Audi, and he’ll provide an international perspective with regard to our personnel transformation. I wish him all the best. I’d like to thank Sabine Maassen on behalf of the Supervisory Board for her valuable work over the last two years, and especially for her outstanding Covid-related crisis management during this period. Despite these circumstances, she significantly advanced the transformation at Audi.” Peter Mosch, Chairman of the General Works Council and Vice Chairman of the Supervisory Board of AUDI AG: “The simultaneous digital, ecological and electric transformation requires exemplary commitment from the Audi employees.
Digitized light for more safety and a progressive technology experience Extensive technology portfolio with many intelligent functions A8 L Horch as the top model for China
(Full text version) With sharpened design, particularly in the front and rear, and innovative technologies, Audi is ensuring the increased presence and sporty elegance of the A8. For that reason, the company with the four rings is even more intensively working out the confident and progressive character of the active luxury sedan. The new high-end headlights and taillights inspire with innovative functions and form the apex of the A8’s established technology portfolio. The flagship of the brand thereby creates a contemporary and user-oriented experience – whether for passengers or drivers.
As the successor to the Audi V8, the A8 has been the brand’s leading edge in the luxury sedan segment of Audi’s portfolio since 1994. The Audi A8 is a symbol of and a trailblazer for the status and prestige of the brand. The fourth generation of the luxury sedan, which Audi introduced in 2017, raised it to a new level with respect to power, look, and equipment. As an initial series model, the A8 revealed the future design language upon its launch and consequently it is essentially the progressive face of the brand to the present day. The sharpened design coupled with established technologies and outstanding comfort in the back seats define Audi’s premium conception in this segment. The sedan thereby represents the symbiosis of masterful comfort and sporty handling and it therefore covers the full breadth of driving experience. With precision in all details and many intelligent functions, the new A8 is a high-value technology pioneer in user-centered and confident mobility. Even more prestige and authority: the exterior design The Audi A8 is a sedan that represents status and exudes authority – now that it has been reworked, its exterior is even more representative, confident, and athletic.
The Audi A8 has always stood for the brand’s premium standards A pioneer in lightweight construction, light technology, and the MMI operating system
All-wheel drive quattro and light construction: When it was introduced at the 1994 Geneva International Motor Show, the Audi A8 sent a clear message to the competition. In the following interview, Oliver Hoffmann, Member of the Board for Technical Development, discusses the importance it has acquired at Audi since then and how it meets the increasingly complex demands of a digitized world.
The first Audi A8 was a milestone in the development of the Audi brand. What role did the A8 play then and what role does it play now in the brand’s conception of itself, including in distinguishing it from the competition? The A8 was the brand's first step into the luxury class. At the same time, with its many technical innovations and progressive design, it sent a strong message to customers and the competition: Audi is also a leading brand and a real force in the traditional luxury sedan segment. Even today, it is the flagship and it defines what premium means for us in that segment. I find that particularly fascinating about the A8. You mentioned that the A8 represents the brand’s premium standards more than any other car. How did Audi define premium in 1994 and what does premium mean today? In 1994, the focus was on technologies like the Audi Space Frame and quattro all-wheel drive, dynamic handling and driving comfort, and also on a high-quality interior experience. Since then, exquisite materials, the best workmanship, and outstanding seat comfort have become standard.
Digitized light for more safety and a progressive technology experience Extensive technology portfolio with many intelligent functions A8 L Horch as the top model for China
With sharpened design, particularly in the front and rear, and innovative technologies, Audi is ensuring the increased presence and sporty elegance of the A8, the trailblazer in the premium segment. For that reason, the company with the four rings is even more intensively working out the confident and progressive character of the active luxury sedan. The new high-end headlights and taillights inspire with innovative functions and form the apex of the A8’s established technology portfolio. The flagship of the brand thereby creates a contemporary and user-oriented experience – whether for passengers or drivers.
As the successor to the Audi V8, the A8 has been the brand’s leading edge in the luxury sedan segment of Audi’s portfolio since 1994. The Audi A8 is a symbol of and a trailblazer for the status and prestige of the brand. The fourth generation of the luxury sedan, which Audi introduced in 2017, raised it to a new level with respect to power, look, and equipment. As an initial series model, the A8 revealed the future design language upon its launch and consequently it is essentially the progressive face of the brand to the present day. The sharpened design coupled with established technologies and outstanding comfort in the back seats define Audi’s premium conception in this segment. The sedan thereby represents the symbiosis of masterful comfort and sporty handling and it therefore covers the full breadth of driving experience. With precision in all details and many intelligent functions, the new A8 is a high-value technology pioneer in user-centered and confident mobility.