Currently Audi is enjoying the success of being the stronger premium brand, in adverse market conditions, against its age old competitors. 2008 saw Audi attain its goal of retailing one million units and thus continuing its success as the 13th consecutive year of growth. 2008 was also a record profit fiscal year for Audi.

Some of the big milestones

In 1910 the decision was made to come up with a new name and while visiting with friends, a student of Latin announced that Horch in German means hark or listen, which in Latin is the word Audi. Audi Werke GmbH was formed and so one of the legends of the automotive world was born.

Numerous road vehicles were produced using a range of engines, with the first six-cylinder appearing in 1924. Audi was also instrumental in changing the face of German motoring when it produced the first left hand drive car, the Audi Type K, in 1921. Judged to be safer as it provided a better view of the road ahead, these versions quickly became the standard in the country.

August 1928 saw Jorgen Rasmussen, the owner of DKW, acquire the majority of shares in Audiwerke. However a new era was to be ushered in on the 29th June 1932, when Audiwerke, DKW, Horch and Wanderer merged to create the Auto Union AG stable. This enabled the company to be able to cater to all segments of the expanding market, from motorcycles to luxury cars.

Not stopping there the company entered the world of racing in 1934 with the Silver Arrow. Reaching a top speed of well over 400 km/h, it featured the worlds first mid mounted engine.

Auto Union rapidly established itself as one of the true industry pioneers, particularly when in 1938 it was one of the first companies to conduct its own rollover and crash tests.

At the same time, by 1938, the Silver Arrow had won 37 out of 54 Grand Prix. Hidden from a world a war, its parts are eventually rediscovered in a mineshaft, assembled, and then unveiled to the world. At the time its engine technology remains unmatched, only to be beaten a half decade later, with the advent of turbocharged racing engines. It could be said its reappearance is perfectly timed as it took the world 40 years to catch up with it.

The Second World War brought with it demands for production of military vehicles, but in 1945 the company had its entire assets expropriated and many of its factories were dismantled. This was far from being the end and Auto Union GmbH was formed in the company?s current home of Ingolstadt in September 1949.

The company was quick to find its feet again, producing a motorcycle and a delivery van before that year was out and following that up with the DKW Meisterklasse F 89 P in 1950 in both saloon and Karmann convertible derivatives.

In 1954 Felix Wankel, an experimental engineer, pioneers a design that weathers the test of time. The four stroke engine with triangular pistons relies on fewer parts, ensuring better performance whilst also saving weight. Its simplicity endures to this day.

The company that exists today was very much formed in December 1964, when Volkswagenwerk AG acquired the majority of shares in Auto Union GmbH. The new owners decided to drop the DKW brand in 1965, instead looking to the Audi name for success.

Initially though the Auto Union name remained, with the first car to come out of the new company being called the Auto Union Audi. It later became the Audi 72, the car that is accredited with being the first genuine Audi. That was followed in 1968 by the Audi 100, a car that took the brand into the upper end of the luxury segment and set a new standard within the industry.

In 1969 Auto Union merged with another Volkswagen company, NSU, a name well known for producing motorcycles and small cars. It was from this era that the badges TT and TTS were derived that already had a reputation in motorsport.

In 1980 Audi was the indisputable star of the Geneva Motor Show, when the covers came off its four-wheel drive performance coupe, the first to carry the now iconic Quattro badge. This system was to not only revolutionise modern motoring, but to dominate in rallying and other forms of motorsport around the world.

There was more to come though, when Audi unveiled its first turbocharged diesel engine in 1989. Since then it has become a leader in efficient and clean diesel technology, setting an unrivalled benchmark for others to follow.

In Audi's continuous mission to create lighter vehicles, 1993 saw the introduction of the all ? aluminium bodies for our cars. Sacrificing neither strength nor safety, this revolutionary frame structure, Audi Space Frame, causes a sensation in the motoring world and soon becomes that standard everywhere.

In 1994 Audi changed the way it named its vehicles following the introduction of the A8. It also began to expand its range and provide a level of luxury that was often unseen in some of the market segments. The introduction of the A3 was such an example, while the industry was again stunned when the TT went into production in almost the same form as the concept show car.

Audi is continuing to evolve with a number of new models on the way as it expands its exciting lineup. Recent unveilings at both the Paris and Detroit Motor Shows for the A1 and the Sportback Concept as well as the R8 V10 show the ongoing evolution of the brand.

The future of Audi seems even more promising with the array of new products that have entered the market and that will continue to be launched. As at the end of June 2009 Audi was the strongest premium brand in Western Europe. The company has successfully entered markets such as China and India where sales records put Audi in front of the pack. Audi has gone as far as producing cars in India.

From a technological perspective Audi reigns superior. Vorsprung durch Technik ? Advancement through Technology - quattro, clean-diesel, Audi Space Frame are but a few accolades that attest to this.