New Auto Union Auto Union

dkw f89

with red army advancing on zwickau after war, , faced prospect of trying salvage left of company auto union s executives had no option flee , re-establish company on western side of partitioned germany. new auto union company launched in ingolstadt, bavaria loans bavarian state government , marshall plan aid.

the reformed company auto union gmbh launched on 3 september 1949. ingolstadt facility had been run purely spare parts operation since 1945, directors found funding restart production – in converted granary building in town. west germany still in stages of rebuilding economy after war, demand cheap transport meant dkw brand survive postwar era. luxury focused audi , horch brands placed dormancy, whilst wanderer had been property of original parent firm. auto union therefore continued dkw s tradition of producing affordable front-wheel drive vehicles two-stroke engines. included production of small sturdy dkw rt 125 w motorcycle , delivery van known dkw schnellaster. many employees of saxony factories in zwickau (audi , horch factories), chemnitz (siegmar plant, former wanderer) , zschopau (dkw motorcycle factory) came ingolstadt , restarted production.

in 1950, after former rheinmetall-borsig factory in düsseldorf-derendorf established second assembly facility, company s first postwar car went production: dkw meisterklasse f 89 p, available sedan/saloon, station wagon , four-seater convertible built karmann. f 89 based on dkw f8 (motor) , dkw f9 (coachwork) pre-war constructions.

auto union 1000

in response pressure friedrich flick, largest single shareholder, daimler-benz acquired 87% of auto union in april 1958, taking complete control in following year. in 1958 saw return of auto union brand, represented auto union 1000, small saloon. @ same time 1000 sp, coupé, produced auto union coachbuilder baur @ stuttgart. under daimler-benz ownership company invested heavily in ingolstadt plant. car production @ düsseldorf ended, , plant became centre of production mercedes-benz commercial vehicles mercedes-benz l 319 – role continues present day. dkw , mercedes brands able establish greater presence in north american market agreement studebaker-packard corporation in 1956 through 1964 distributor in united states. because of spc s large network of dealers, auto union , mercedes-benz brands able expand faster in markets. many dealers today can trace origin being studebaker-packard dealerships.

auto union 1000 sp 1958 – 1965

however, prosperity began return west germany, , west german products gained valuable currency through export rest of europe , north america, daimler became increasingly worried auto union s market two-stroke products, without massive investment, impoverished east germany. two-stroke engines became less popular towards middle of 1960s customers more attracted more refined four-stroke engines. began selling shares, agreed of west german government, acquired volkswagenwerk ag.

in 1964, volkswagen acquired factory in ingolstadt , trademark rights of auto union, exception of dormant horch brand daimler-benz retained. programme daimler had initiated @ auto union created range of cars subsequently provide basis volkswagen s line of front-wheel-drive models, such audi 80 , volkswagen passat. @ time new model, internally designated f103, under development. based on last dkw model, dkw f102, four-stroke engine implanted , front , rear styling changes. volkswagen abandoned dkw brand because of association two-stroke engines, leaving volkswagen audi brand. new model launched in september 1965 audi. name model designation rather manufacturer, still officially auto union. more models later added audi range, model renamed audi 72.

auto union dkw f102

in 1969, auto union merged nsu motorenwerke ag, based in neckarsulm, near stuttgart. in 1950s, nsu had been world s largest manufacturer of motorcycles, had moved on produce small cars nsu prinz, tt , tts versions of still popular vintage race cars. nsu focused on new rotary engines based on ideas of felix wankel. in 1967, new nsu ro 80 space-age car, ahead of time in technical details such aerodynamics, light weight, , safety teething problems rotary engines put end independence of nsu. mid-sized car nsu had been working on, k70, intended slot between rear-engined prinz models , futuristic nsu ro 80. however, volkswagen took k70 own range, spelling end of nsu separate brand.

after being merged neckarsulm car maker nsu, official name became audi nsu auto union ag, shortened audi ag in 1985, ending both auto union , nsu brands. company s headquarters returned ingolstadt; @ same time audi formed new companies auto union gmbh, , nsu gmbh wholly owned subsidiaries function own , protect historical trademarks , intellectual property of both auto union , nsu.

in may 2009, porsche gained majority control of volkswagen group , proposed merger of 2 companies. in august 2009, volkswagen ag s supervisory board signed agreement create integrated auto group porsche led volkswagen. volkswagen take 42% stake in porsche ag end of 2009, , see family shareholders selling automotive trading business of porsche holding salsburg volkswagen. rumors began appear in press name auto union revived new group holding company.

logo

the trademark symbol of auto union (and present-day audi), 4 overlapping rings, symbolized 4 marques forming auto union: audi, dkw, horch, , wanderer.

although auto union used 4 ring logo, used on auto union racing cars in period, while member companies used own names , emblems.

there version of logo uses both overlapping , interlocking rings.