Audi is a German automobile manufacturer that was founded on the 29th of June, 1932, in Chemnitz (Germany), based on the foundation of an even older automobile company, Wanderer (established in 1885). Later, in the first decade of the 1900s, the man to whom we owe everything that Audi stands for today, August Horsch, was just transitioning from his former car company that was named for all of the partners in it to a new company of his own, the August Horsch Atomobilwerke GmbH, established in 1909.
This was to become the future Audi, but the initial journey of the company wasn’t a smooth one: the founder’s former partners from his initial company sued his for the use of his name, and the German court in Leipzig ruled that they were right and the name of Horsch should indeed stay with the original enterprise.
After the ruling, August Horsch called a meeting with two close business friends, trying to come up with a new name for his business. The son of one of them was studying Latin in the apartment where the meeting took place, and it as allegedly his idea to call the company Audi instead of Horsch, since the German name and the Latin one both translate as the imperative form “Hear!”.
Therefore, in August 1910, the name Audi Automobilwerke GmbH Zwickau was already being registered in courts as the company’s new name, and from there on the brand became associated more and more with quality vehicles of international renown and popularity.
At some point during its history, the Audi logo modified into the four rings we know today (the vector logo), and if you’re curious about the meaning, you should know that it represents the intertwined symbolic logos of the four companies which at some point merged into the main one (some time before World War II).
The Modern History of Audi and Audi USA
The concept of the Audi car has made it successful even after the WW2 drawback which the company suffered, and pretty soon the brand was also making a foothold for itself in the United States. Nowadays, everyone can get any Audi model from their local car dealer or on a lease, or even by ordering it online from any of its official distributors in the country.
As early as 2002 and 2003, the Audi cars had already become so popular that they were among the top 5-7 choices for any consumer looking for his or her next car. It’s one of the most popular foreign cars in America, especially in its A1, A2, A4, A5 and A6 wagon forms and particularly in its allroad (semi off-road) specs (S4 and TT most of all), which give the user all the advantages of a sports cover car.
The aftermarket parts for Audi cars are also highly available, so it’s easy to repair or upgrade your car (via performance tuning) at any OEM or basic Audi dealer or car shop. Used Audi parts are still good enough to repair or tune up any older model, which is one of the main reasons the Audi brand is so popular in this country. Any user review will basically point out that an Audi car is one of the best things to get for the prices they are for sale with.
Considering that the brand’s diesel motor, engineering mats and everything else are of an exceptional quality, it’s no wonder that any new release of Audi cars and new Audi models is awaited with huge excitement and media coverage (such as in the case of the Audi RS4 Avant or its 2014 updates). Also, the high popularity of the Audi cars means that the parts you can find all over the market are most probably genuine as well (though we recommend only trusting certified dealers).
Another popular aspect of the Audi brand in the United States is our people’s seemingly undying passion for race cars and rally cars. Some of the latest Audi models for races are the best cars for that, so there you have it. Ladies and gents, the Audi R8 (launched in 2014) steals the headlights and has the floor whenever it makes a public appearance or is mentioned.
It is basically hellfire on wheels and the crowds you’ll notice at any upcoming events which feature it will speak for themselves on the popularity which Audi cars hold in this country.
As for the affordability of the cars, most experts agree that if you compare the Audi models on the list of everything available to buy, from the cheapest to the fanciest, the price will be comparable (or even lower) than the similar models from competing brands such as VW, but the performance you’ll get for your cash tends to be better and, most importantly, more reliable in terms of durability and in terms of the availability of spare parts.
So whether you’re looking for a basic S3 quattro to get out of town with or for a 2008 Sedan, you can be sure the aftermarket covers everything from 2000 and 2012, from a 2007 TDI to a fancy RS6 or Q3 and Q5. The cars are so popular, that any local dealer should be able to know how a B5 vs. a B7 fares by heart and counsel you into choosing the best option.
To wrap it up, the Audi company and its brand are one of the most popular presences in today’s American popular culture, and the Audi superbowl commercial from 2014, although a bit controversial for its use of dogs, proved just how known and loved the brand is. Although the company announced that it won’t return to the Super Bowl this year for the first time since it joined, in 2008, it remains one of the most searched for and popular commercials in the history of the game.
For all we know, the company’s logo could make an appearance in any Christmas song music video or even a vampire movie or a computer game, its success is big with each such appearance. So go on, download that Audi race car wallpaper, it’s completely understandable.