Audi Logo

Brand History

The Audi Story

August Horch founded August Horch Automobilwerke GmbH in Zwickau on July 16, 1909 after leaving the earlier company that bore his name. Unable to keep using his surname, he adopted Audi—the Latin equivalent of the German imperative 'horch,' meaning 'listen'—and renamed the firm Audi Automobilwerke GmbH on April 25, 1910. On June 29, 1932, Audi joined DKW, Horch and Wanderer to form Auto Union, represented by four interlocking rings. A new Auto Union company began production in Ingolstadt in 1949; the Audi name returned on the F103 in 1965, the same year the company joined the Volkswagen Group. Auto Union merged with NSU in 1969 and became AUDI AG in 1985. The quattro introduced in 1980 became central to Audi's engineering and premium-brand identity.

Logo History

Evolution Of The Audi Logo

1. 1910–1932

   Early Audi cars used the standalone Audi name and number-one emblem after the company adopted its new name in April 1910.

2. 1932–1985

   The four interlocking rings originated as Auto Union's trademark and represent Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer. The company adopted the AUDI AG name in 1985.

3. 1995–2009

   The rings received a dimensional chrome treatment and were commonly paired with a red Audi wordmark.

4. 2009–2016

   A refreshed corporate design revised the three-dimensional rings and accompanying wordmark.

5. 2016–2022

   Audi standardized flat, monochrome two-dimensional rings for its digital identity.

6. 2022–present

   The Q8 e-tron debuted thinner, chrome-free, high-contrast black-and-white vehicle rings as Audi's revised corporate identity.

Model Evolution

Audi Through The Years

8 milestone models from 1965 to 2024.

1965

1968

1972

1980

1994

1998

2006

2024