A subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group , Audi produces vehicles in nine production facilities worldwide. The origins of the company are complex, dating back to the early 20th century and the initial enterprises Horch and the Audiwerke founded by engineer August Horch.
The company name is based on the Latin translation of the surname of the founder, August Horch. Horch , meaning 'listen', becomes audi in Latin.
The four rings of the Audi logo each represent one of four car companies that banded together to create Audi's predecessor company, Auto Union. Audi's slogan is Vorsprung durch Technik , which is translated as 'Progress through Technology'. Automobile company Wanderer was originally established in , later becoming a branch of Audi AG. Another company, NSU, which also later merged into Audi, was founded during this time, and later supplied the chassis for Gottlieb Daimler 's four-wheeler.
On 14 November , August Horch β established the company A. In , he moved with his company to Reichenbach im Vogtland. His former partners sued him for trademark infringement.
The German Reichsgericht Supreme Court in Leipzig , [ 11 ] eventually determined that the Horch brand belonged to his former company. Since August Horch was prohibited from using horch as a trade name in his new car business, he called a meeting with close business friends, Paul and Franz Fikentscher from Zwickau. At the apartment of Franz Fikentscher, they discussed how to come up with a new name for the company. During this meeting, Franz's son was quietly studying Latin in a corner of the room.
