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The following content is written
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The History of the Four Rings
Posted by: Ken-Arild Kristianse on Tuesday, April 09,
2002 - 09:46 PM CET
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AUDI AG can look back on a multi-faceted history that has seen
considerable change; its tradition in the manufacturing of cars and
motorcycles stretches back to before the turn of the century. The
marques which were originally all based in Saxony - Audi and Horch in
Zwickau, Wanderer in Chemnitz-Siegmar and DKW in Zschopau - made a
significant contribution to the progress of the automotive industry in
Germany. These four marques merged in 1932 to form Auto Union AG. In
terms of the sheer number of vehicles built, this was the second-largest
motor vehicle company of its day. Four interlinked rings were adopted as
its marque emblem. After the Second World War, Auto Union AG's
production plant in Saxony was expropriated and dismantled by the
occupying Soviet forces.
 A
number of the company's senior managers departed for Bavaria, where a
new company under the name of Auto Union GmbH was founded in 1949 in
Ingolstadt, upholding the motor vehicle tradition under the sign of the
four rings.
Auto Union GmbH and NSU merged in 1969 to form Audi NSU Auto Union AG;
this the company was renamed AUDI AG in 1985 and its headquarters
transferred to Ingolstadt. The four rings remains the company's emblem
to this day.
Horch
 August
Horch, one of the pioneering figures of Germany's automotive industry,
was the figure behind this company. A graduate of the Technical College
in the town of Mittweida, Saxony, he originally worked in engine
construction at Carl Benz in Mannheim, gradually working his way up to
the position of head of motor vehicle construction. In 1899 he decided
to set up business on his own, and founded Horch & Cie. in Cologne. He
was the first in Germany to use cast aluminium for his cars' engines and
gearbox housings, a cardan shaft served as the power transmission
element, and the gearwheels were of high-strength steel. In 1902 he
moved to Reichenbach in Saxony, then on to Zwickau in 1904. Cars with
two-cylinder engines were built from 1903, with four-cylinder versions
being added after the start of the company's operations in Zwickau.
Their performance was so impressive that a Horch car triumphed in the
1906 Herkomer Run, the world's most arduous long-distance race. Two
years on, the company recorded annual sales of over 100 cars for the
first time.
 After
a disagreement with the board of directors and the supervisory board, in
1909 August Horch quit the company he had founded, without delay setting
up another motor vehicle company in Zwickau. As his name was already in
use by the original company and had been registered as a trademark, he
arrived at the name of the new company by translating his name, which
means "hark!", "listen!", into Latin: Audi.
August Horch moved to Berlin in the 1920s and was appointed a member of
the supervisory board of Auto Union AG in 1932, continuing to be
involved in the company's technical development work mainly in his
capacity as expert. In 1944 he moved from Berlin to the Saale region.
Horch spent his final years in Münchberg, Upper Franconia, where he died
in 1951 at the age of 83.
 August
Horch demonstrated hands-on involvement in the development of the motor
car from its very earliest days. His principal legacy is that his
technical innovations, coupled with his remarkable resolve, paved the
way for the transformation of the early motor vehicle into the car as we
know it.
The company which still bore the name Horch originally adhered to a
range of model types, the structure of which was still the one created
by the company's founder. After the First World War, the aircraft engine
company Argus-Werke, acquired a majority interest in Horch. Two of the
most renowned engineers, Arnold Zoller and subsequently Paul Daimler,
son of Gottlieb Daimler, were thus elevated to the rank of chief
designers for Horch-Werke's operations in Zwickau.
In autumn 1926, Horch-Werke unveiled a new model driven by an
eight-cylinder inline engine created by Paul Daimler. This engine was
notable for its reliability and refinement, and set the standard which
all competitors sought to emulate. The Horch 8 became synonymous with
elegance, luxury and superlative standards in automotive construction.
 In
autumn 1931, Horch-Werke of Zwickau launched its newest top product at
the Paris Motor Show: a sports convertible with twelve-cylinder engine,
painted brilliant yellow, with a brown soft top and upholstered in green
leather. Between 1932 and 1934, only 80 of this exclusive Horch were
sold. The market for such luxury cars slumped. Horch was the clear
market leader in the entire deluxe class and it sold one-third more cars
than its competitors; for instance, Horch sold 773 cars in Germany in
1932 and was able to export around 300. However, this was not enough.
The company encountered financial difficulties, mainly due to the
financing of its sales operations.
Audi
 Following
August Horch's departure from Horch-Werke AG in 1909, he set up another
factory which was likewise to manufacture automobiles. As Horch was not
allowed to use his own name for this second company, he took the Latin
translation of his name, which means "hark!", "listen!", and gave his
new Zwickau-based company the name Audi. In 1910, the first new cars
with the brand name Audi appeared on the market. They earned particular
acclaim for an unparalleled string of victories between 1912 and 1914 in
the International Austrian Alpine Run, generally acknowledged to be the
most difficult long-distance race in the world. After the First World
War, Audi distinguished itself by becoming the first brand to position
the steering wheel of its production cars on the left and to move the
gear lever to the centre of the car. This resulted in much easier
operation.
 1923
was the year in which Audi's first six-cylinder model made its
appearance. This car had an oil-wetted air cleaner, at that time
definitely the exception. It was years before the air cleaner became a
standard feature on all cars. This Audi also boasted one of the first
hydraulic four-wheel brake systems to be used in Germany, designed and
built by the company itself. In 1927, chief designer Heinrich Schuh
brought the first Audi eight-cylinder model, known as the "Imperator",
onto the market. Unfortunately, this imposing car made its appearance
too late: the deluxe car market was suffering a rapid decline in
fortunes. The company was purchased in 1928 by Jörgen Skafte Rasmussen,
the figure behind the mighty DKW empire.
DKW
 Jorgen
Skafte Rasmussen, a Dane by birth, established his first company in
Saxony after studying Engineering in Mittweida. In 1904 he set up an
apparatus engineering company in Chemnitz, three years later moving to
Zschopau, in the Erzgebirge region, where he began to experiment with
steam-driven motor vehicles in 1916. Although these experiments did not
lead to any specific product, they yielded the company name and
trademark DKW, derived from the German words for "steam-driven vehicle"
(Dampf Kraft Wagen). In 1919, Rasmussen obtained the design of a
two-stroke engine from Hugo Ruppe, a tiny version of which he sold as a
toy engine under the name of "Des Knaben Wunsch", meaning "The Boy's
Dream". This mini engine was subsequently upscaled and used as an
auxiliary cycle engine, evolving into a fully-fledged motorcycle engine
called "Das Kleine Wunder" (The Little Miracle" in 1922. Under the
watchful eye of J. S. Rasmussen (together with manager Carl Hahn and
chief designer Hermann Weber), DKW became the biggest motorcycle
manufacturer in the world in the 1920s. DKW also enjoyed a leading
international position as an engine manufacturer.
 In
1927, Rasmussen had acquired design and production facilities for six-
and eight-cylinder engines from a Detroit automobile company which had
been wound up. Two new Audi models powered by these engines appeared on
the market. However, Rasmussen recognized the signs of the times and
stepped up his activities in small cars. The very first DKW cars
actually had rear-wheel drive and were built in Berlin-Spandau. At the
end of 1930, Rasmussen commissioned the Zwickau plant to develop a car
having the following design features: a two-cylinder, two-stroke
motorcycle engine with a swept volume of 600 cc, a unitary wooden
chassis with leatherette upholstery, swing axles at the front and rear,
and front-wheel drive. The car which Audi designers Walter Haustein and
Oskar Arlt came up with was given the name DKW Front. It was unveiled at
the 1931 Berlin Motor Show, where it caused something of a sensation.
The DKW Front was built at the Audi factory, and went on to become the
most-produced, most popular German small car of its day.
Wanderer
 The
name "Wanderer" dates back to 1896, when its fame was associated with
the bicycles built by Winklhofer & Jaenicke, a company founded in 1885
in Chemnitz. Production of motorcycles commenced in 1902, and the first
trial production of motor cars took place in 1904. A small car under the
name of "Puppchen" went into series production in 1913, and proved very
popular. No higher-performance successor appeared until 1926, when the
Wanderer Type W 10 with 1.5 litre engine and developing 30 hp made its
début. This car incorporated all the latest developments in the world of
automotive engineering, such as left-hand drive and a central gear
lever, a multiple dry-plate clutch, a unitary engine block and gearbox,
and a four-wheel brake system. This car met with an excellent market
reception.
 To
cope with the overwhelming demand, a new production plant was built in
the Chemnitz suburb of Siegmar. Parts continued to be produced at the
existing factory, and were then transferred to the other plant by rail.
Individual parts and assemblies were unloaded directly from the rail
wagons onto the assembly line: just-in-time methods at the end of the
1920s! The buffer store in Siegmar had capacity for parts for only 25
cars – as many as could be built in a single day.
Wanderer's marque image was characterized by its extremely reliable cars
and by their outstanding manufactured quality. Such excellence had its
price, however, and at the end of the 1920s Wanderer attempted to stem
the looming crisis with more modern body designs and higher-performance
engines. Despite these innovations, production figures slumped.
Wanderer's car production operations fell into the red. The entire
motorcycles division had already been sold off to NSU and the Czech
company Janecek. This prompted Dresdner Bank, Wanderer's largest
shareholder, to promote plans to sell off the automotive division and to
expand the profitable machine tools and office machinery operations.
Auto Union AG
 In
common with the automotive industry as a whole, the 1920s were a period
of rationalization at Audi, Horch, DKW and Wanderer. Line assembly and
modern machine tools had resulted in a sharp rise in production
capacity, yet mass production could only work if there was corresponding
market demand. Promoting sales to the necessary degree was a costly
affair, and the price war triggered off by stronger competition from
abroad also devoured large amounts of money. The German car industry
found itself frequently unable to finance all this from its own profits,
and sources of credit were needed.
 In
Saxony, the State Bank of Saxony had more or less satisfied
Horch-Werke's needs for capital loans, and had also paved the way for
the expansion of the Rasmussen Group. The State Bank of Saxony
eventually resolved to consolidate its interests in the automotive
trade, and the idea of Auto Union was born. The absorbing company was
Zschopauer Motorenwerke J. S. Rasmussen AG, which already owned Audi-Werke
AG. Horch-Werke AG was also placed under its control, as was Wanderer-Werke's
car division through a purchase and leasing agreement. Its share capital
totalled 14.5 million Reichsmarks, with the State Bank of Saxony
controlling an 80 % interest.
The creation of a competitive structure The image of Auto Union AG on
the motor vehicle market was shaped by the four founder marques Audi,
DKW, Horch and Wanderer, together with their products. It took years to
develop a consistent corporate concept and apply it to this chance
constellation of highly traditional companies.
Type development
 At
the 1933 German Automobile Exhibition, in which Auto Union participated
for the first time in its new corporate form, the Audi marque caused a
stir with its front-wheel drive for midsize cars. However, the
innovative nature of this development was not reflected in higher
registration figures, with avant-garde technology evidently proving to
have only marginal market appeal. The concept was modified and in 1938
the Audi 920, a car which was externally very modern in design, with a
high-performance engine, was launched on the market. Its newly developed
OHC engine developed 75 hp, propelling the car to a top speed of 140
km/h. This Audi was aimed at customers who wanted a powerful car, but
not necessarily a large one; an Audi for dynamic, sports-minded drivers.
Front-wheel drive subsequently yielded to rear-wheel drive again, and
the conventional profile-type chassis was adopted instead of a central
box-type chassis. The car was available as a 6-window saloon and as a
two-door convertible with four windows. Demand for the Audi 920 was so
high that more than a year's production output was sold out only shortly
after its launch.
At that time, the fame of the DKW marque was based primarily on its
motorcycles. In 1933, the model range comprised eight different types
with engines ranging from 175 to 600 cc. One year later, the RT 100
appeared on the market. With its simple, straightforward body and its
combination of economy and power, it set standards that remained valid
for several decades. The RT was available for an unbeatable 345
Reichsmarks, and became one of the most-produced motorcycles of all
time.
 The
200 Class nevertheless continued to underpin the success of the
motorcycle operations in Zschopau. DKW enjoyed a clear market lead here,
a fact unchanged by the appearance of the NZ series in 1938. These
attractive models in the middle and upper displacement class, with
four-speed gearbox, foot gearshift mechanism and rear suspension, were a
fitting reflection of the advanced development status of DKW two-stroke
motorcycles.
DKW's small cars were produced both in Berlin-Spandau (rear-wheel drive
and charge-pump V4 two-stroke engine) and in Zwickau (front-wheel drive,
two-cylinder, two-stroke inline engine). All engines were built in
Zschopau, whereas the DKW wooden chassis for the front-wheel-drive DKWs
assembled in Zwickau were manufactured in Spandau. The German rail
operator, the Reichsbahn, transported daily shipments of vehicle bodies
to Zwickau for eight marks per body.
 The
DKW front-wheel-drive cars (bearing the type designations F2, 4, 5, 7
and 8) were available in two classes: the "Reichsklasse" (600 cc engine,
18 hp) and the "Meisterklasse" (700 cc engine, 20 hp). "Front Luxus" was
the name of the beautiful convertible with a sheet steel body. The DKW
Front models remained the most popular and best-selling small cars in
Germany: in the 1930s, a quarter of a million of these cars were sold.
Their front-wheel drive gave them something of a pioneering character.
The F9 was the designated successor to the models built both in Spandau
and Zwickau, with its new three-cylinder engine developing 28 hp and
sheet steel body. It was scheduled to enter production in 1940, but then
the war intervened.
 Horch's
reputation for exclusive cars built in Zwickau stretched back several
decades. The engines in particular served as a benchmark and were
considered exemplary for both their performance characteristics and
their refinement. Economy was not an issue in the deluxe class, and the
"Horch 8" came to be regarded as the zenith of quality. The V8 engine
developed by Fritz Fiedler was launched in 1933, initially as a 3.0
litre version; 3.5 litre and then 3.8 litre versions followed, and its
power output edged up from 70 to 92 hp. Compared with the eight-cylinder
inline engine developing a hefty 120 hp, it was nevertheless still the
"small" Horch. Both automobile types were initially rigid-axle models
whose driving properties became something of a problem at higher speeds.
 In
1935, Horch's cars were given independent front suspension and a De Dion
axle at the rear (double universal joints with a rigid axle and
frame-mounted differential). The Type 853 sports convertible with
eight-cylinder inline engine, considered by many to be the most
beautiful Horch ever built, made its début in the same year. The Horch
marque was easily able to assert its leading position in the deluxe
class; in 1937, it held a market share in excess of 50 percent in the 4
litre and upwards class.
Wanderer's cars were already being propelled by the new overhead
camshaft engine designed by Professor Porsche before the Auto Union era.
New, modern suspension layouts and body versions were therefore
developed on this basis. A rear swing axle in conjunction with a rigid
front axle appeared in 1933 on the Type W 21 and 22, with independent
front suspension finally being adopted for the W 40, 45 and 50 in 1935.
Models with three-figure code numbers (W 240, 250, etc.) represented the
transitional phase between the two.
 The
dependable but very expensive OHV engine was replaced by a side-valve
engine of identical power output from 1937 on. The W 24 (four-cylinder)
and W 23 (six-cylinder) models first appeared on the market with these
engines in 1937. The engines were standardized and the chassis largely
coordinated (rigid rear axle and raised transverse springs). Auto
Union's new line of body versions first appeared on the 1936 Wanderer
model W 51. From then on this line, which was inspired by American
models, was echoed by all new Auto Union vehicles to a greater or lesser
degree.
Centralization
In the same way that Auto Union was originally simply a new name for
long-established products, the management too initially adhered to
existing structures. At first, the group was managed from Zschopau (DKW's
home). In 1936 the group's new office building in Chemnitz was
completed, following conversion work. This signalled the end of separate
vehicle development activities at each location: the Central Design
Office and Central Testing Department were opened in Chemnitz. New group
vehicles were now developed and tested here, and the prototype and a set
of drawings were then handed over to the production plant.
Particular emphasis was placed on the development of two-stroke engines.
Auto Union had acquired an exclusive licence from
Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz for the utilization of the Schnürle patents (the
reverse scavenging principle in the two-stroke engine) for its small
engines. The crucial advantage of this principle was that it
significantly cut fuel consumption, while boosting power output.
Optimized production
Wanderer's engines were standardized, and the Horch V8 was destined to
be replaced by a six-cylinder inline engine (offering higher output and
greater refinement). Auto Union had made considerable progress in the
development of automatic transmissions, and Auto Union's engineers were
now seeking new methods of styling and materials selection for their
body development work.
 The
Central Body, Development and Design Office pursued the idea of
streamlining from the very outset, using the patents of the Swiss
aerodynamics expert Paul Jaray as its basis. The optimum aerodynamic
properties were first calculated by theoretical methods, then tested out
in the wind tunnel. Production-ready body versions of the DKW F9
achieved an astonishing frontal drag coefficient of cD = 0.42 (the
figure for the predecessor model, the F8, was 0.58)! Even decades later,
this was still par for the course for German production vehicles.
Prompted by the shortage of iron and rubber due to the arms race,
coupled with the fact that wooden chassis with leather upholstery were
now too costly to build (in view of the intensive manual labour
required), Auto Union began development work on a plastic body in
conjunction with Dynamit AG in Troisdorf. An empirical crash testing
programme was developed to assess the strength of wood, sheet metal and
plastic – the first in the history of the German automobile industry.
Sideswipes and lateral and offset frontal rollovers were simulated in
the Central Test Laboratory in Chemnitz. Its technical division
investigated all matters relating to the materials, developed alloys and
special production methods, and investigated the technological
suitability of all new designs. The scientific division concentrated on
future engine versions, the development of transmissions, the
investigation of vibration and noise, and preparations for complex tests
such as the positioning of the catapults used in crash tests. The road
testing division handled the practical testing programme, series testing
and monitoring, and comparative testing of competitors' products.
 Auto
Union enjoyed rapid expansion between 1933 and 1939: its consolidated
sales rose from 65 to 276 million Reichsmarks, and the workforce grew
from 8,000 to over 23,000. Annual production output of motorcycles
soared from 12,000 to 59,000, and car production climbed from over
17,000 units to more than 67,000 per year. Compared with the year of
Auto Union's founding, output of Horch cars had doubled by 1938,
production of Wanderer cars was more than five times as high, and the
total for DKW cars had actually risen to ten times the level at the time
of the merger.
War and liquidation
The outbreak of the Second World War brought to an end this development.
Auto Union AG built its last civil vehicles in 1940. From then on, it
was obliged to heed official instructions and focus its production
operations on the war effort.
 Auto
Union AG was in existence for 16 years. For its last three years it was
in effect merely awaiting liquidation, and for six years previous to
that, the war had caused its automotive operations to be paralysed. Auto
Union's wealth of innovation and meteoric growth all took place within
the space of its first seven years. The innovation and skill of its
automotive experts is reflected in over 3,000 patents granted both in
Germany and elsewhere. One in four passenger cars registered as new in
Germany in 1938 was built by Auto Union. More than one-third of all
newly registered motorcycles in Germany were DKWs. Auto Union AG was the
behind numerous technical developments, research findings and ideas that
played a pioneering role in the creation of the modern-day car.
After the end of the war, Auto Union AG's production facilities were
expropriated and dismantled by the occupying Soviet forces. In 1948 the
company was deleted from the trade register of the city of Chemnitz. By
this time, several of Auto Union AG's senior management had moved to
Bavaria, where the company had found a new home in Ingolstadt.
A new beginning in Ingolstadt
 A
new company bearing the name Auto Union GmbH came into being on
September 3, 1949 in Ingolstadt, to uphold the automotive tradition of
the four rings. It is this company that is the actual precursor of the
present-day AUDI AG. From its base in West Germany, its purpose was now
to maintain the tradition that the former Auto Union AG had established
in Saxony.
Life at the time of its re-establishment was frugal, so small,
economical vehicles were called for. In the early years, the only
vehicles built in Ingolstadt with the four-ring emblem were DKW
motorcycles and cars, with their typical two-stroke engines. The formal
re-establishment of the company in 1949 was actually already the second
step towards a new beginning after the war. The first move after "zero
hour" took place on December 19, 1945, when the "Zentraldepot für Auto
Union Ersatzteile GmbH" was founded in Ingolstadt. This central depot
had the task of supplying spare parts for all pre-war Auto Union
vehicles that had survived the ravages of the past six years; there were
all of 60,000 such vehicles in the western occupied zones.
So why Ingolstadt?
 One
argument in favour of Ingolstadt as the home of the central depot was
its good transport connections, located as it was at the heart of
Bavaria. Influential figures in the Ingolstadt city authorities
presented a good case in favour of the central depot, arguing that it
would aid the regional employment market. However, the key reason for
the re-establishment of the company in Ingolstadt was its centuries-old
military tradition as a garrison town: this legacy included expansive
outdoor areas and numerous barracks, outbuildings, casemates and the
like – invaluable assets at a time when there was precious little
capital for erecting new buildings.
From its headquarters in the former army supplies office in
Schrannenstrasse, the company was gradually able to take over a variety
of other buildings such as the Friedenskaserne barracks, the New
Arsenal, the NCOs' building, the vehicle halls, the ammunition store,
the riding hall and the large parade ground. As its facilities were
scattered all over the city, a rational production process was scarcely
possible. The workers referred to it tongue-in-cheek as the "United Hut
and Shed Company."
The "Bavarian strike"
 August
9, 1954 saw the outbreak of a strike in the Bavarian metalworking
industry which many inhabitants of Ingolstadt still vividly recall. This
was one of the first major industrial disputes in the young Federal
Republic of Germany, and companies in the metalworking sector even went
so far as to call it the "most stirring and significant event of the
post-war years."
Auto Union, one of the largest employers in the city, with a workforce
of around 5,000, likewise saw most of its workers lay down their tools.
Their demands included a shorter working week, higher pay and better
working and living conditions. The "Bavarian strike" lasted until August
31, 1954, when an agreement was finally reached through arbitration. An
average pay increase of just over four percent was the outcome.
The liaison with Daimler-Benz
 The
"Bavarian strike" cost Auto Union around DM 920,000. 1954 was
nevertheless the first year in which the company recorded a notable
profit (around DM 400,000). In the same year Friedrich Flick, the
majority shareholder in the iron and steel works Eisenwerk-Gesellschaft
Maximilianshütte mbH Sulzbach-Rosenberg, popularly known as "Maxhütte",
acquired a financial interest in Auto Union GmbH. He realised some years
previously that the Ingolstadt car manufacturer would one day need a
partner with plenty of capital.
In 1957, Flick advocated the takeover of Auto Union by Daimler-Benz. At
that time, he owned 41 percent of Auto Union's shares, as well as a 25
percent stake in Daimler-Benz. He could also rely on the backing of the
Swiss industrial magnate Ernst Göhner, who likewise held a 41 percent
interest in Auto Union. Daimler-Benz AG accepted the offer. In view of
growing pressure from foreign competition, it wanted to extend its
production range in market segments lower down the range. Flick also
dropped Daimler-Benz a large hint that he was in negotiation with Ford,
too.
 On
April 24, 1958 Daimler-Benz acquired around 88 percent of Auto Union's
shares for just over DM 41 million. One year later, in 1959, the
remaining shares were also sold to Daimler-Benz. Daimler's board of
management spokesman Fritz Könecke summed up the merger of Germany's
second-largest and fifth-largest car manufacturers as follows: "We have
married a nice girl from a good, old-established family!" On April 9.
1958 the business newspaper "Handelsblatt" wrote: "With the takeover of
Auto Union GmbH, which reports annual turnover of around DM 400 million
and employs a workforce of 10,000, the Daimler-Benz Group is now once
again the Federal Republic of Germany's largest car manufacturer in
terms of sales revenue, too."
A new plant in Ingolstadt
At the time of the Daimler-Benz takeover, the only Auto Union vehicles
in production in Ingolstadt were motorcycles and the DKW rapid delivery
van. Auto Union's car production operations were concentrated at the
Düsseldorf plant that had gone into operation in 1950.
 For
want of capital, the company had put back production of a modern,
low-priced small car that had been in development since the mid-1950s
and that was one day to be launched under the name "DKW Junior".
Although the takeover by Daimler-Benz guaranteed the necessary funding
of the long-overdue project, the company was short of the production
capacity needed.
A new plant therefore had to be erected without delay – either in
Ingolstadt, or in Zons, near Düsseldorf, where the company had already
acquired an industrial site. Fritz Böhm, at that time Chairman of the
Works Council and a member of the State Parliament, is said by former
colleagues to have "fought like a lion" to have the new factory built in
Ingolstadt. Thanks to his useful contacts with the world of politics,
the Free State of Bavaria was always "one step ahead" of North
Rhine-Westphalia. An investment loan of DM 25 million from the Bavarian
State Bank played a major part in the company's ultimate choice of
Ingolstadt.
 Another
factor which argued in Ingolstadt's favour was the impending collapse in
business for two-wheelers: in view of plummeting demand for motorcycles,
there were plans to wind down DKW motorcycle production in the short
term. In contrast to the Zons location, there were considerable numbers
of qualified workers available in Ingolstadt – in the late 1950s, a
major consideration whenever a company was deciding where to locate. In
July 1958, construction work on the new plant in Ettinger Strasse
finally began. A sum of DM 76 million was invested here in 1959, and a
further DM 51 million in 1960. The regional newspaper, Donaukurier,
wrote euphorically: "One of the largest and most modern car plants in
Europe is currently being erected near Ingolstadt".
The deal between VW and Daimler-Benz
 At
the end of 1958, Auto Union had 3,700 employees in Ingolstadt; twelve
months later, the figure had soared to 5,700. The construction of the
new plant not only meant that the workforce had grown dramatically. It
was also the principal factor behind Auto Union's decision to transfer
its production to Ingolstadt in 1961, followed by its administrative
headquarters in 1962. The desired rationalization and cost-cutting
effects materialized, but from 1962 Auto Union's production and sales
figures both took a downturn, at a time when the parent company was
experiencing a boom in both production and sales.
In 1964 in particular, Auto Union was confronted with acute financial
difficulties. Daimler-Benz AG, increasingly going at arm's length to a
subsidiary that was proving too difficult for comfort, for all its
pedigree, decided that the best solution was what turned out to be a
spectacular commercial transaction: the sale of Auto Union to
Volkswagen. Issue 45 of the news magazine "Der Spiegel" wrote:
"Daimler-Benz's prominent shareholder Friedrich Flick spent more than a
year devising, rethinking and fine-honing the latest big scheme in his
eventful career, "going on to comment that Flick had not only
masterminded "the biggest business event of 1964," but had also been
instrumental in laying down its finer details.
Ownership of Auto Union GmbH was transferred to VW AG in several stages,
from 1964 on. Its new owner spent a total of DM 297 million on the
transaction, and by 1966 had all the company's shares in its possession.
Good times, bad times...
 The
takeover by VW meant that Auto Union escaped going into receivership by
a hair's breadth. The era of the two-stroke engine, formerly so popular,
was coming to an end, and almost 30,000 unsold DKW cars were destined
for the scrap heap. It was the VW Beetle which came to the rescue:
between May 1965 and July 1969, almost 348,000 of the VW Beetle were
assembled in Ingolstadt. From August 1965, the situation was also
alleviated by the launch of the new "Audi". This car, the first one with
a four-stroke engine to be built in Ingolstadt, aroused considerable
market interest and established the basis of a successful model range.
However, the recovery was only short-lived. After more than fifteen
years of seemingly unstoppable economic recovery, in 1966/67 Germany
suddenly went into a recession which hit Auto Union badly: production
had to be cut back dramatically, and short-time was the inevitable
consequence.
On March 10, 1969 Auto Union GmbH signed a merger agreement with NSU
Motorenwerke AG (Neckarsulm). The establishment of the new company with
the name Audi NSU Auto Union AG was backdated to January 1, 1969. This
company, whose headquarters were in Neckarsulm, adopted a course of
growth and expansion from the outset. Production of Audi and NSU cars
rose steadily until 1973, when initial signs of the oil crisis emerged.
In 1974, the weakening of the international economy had such an adverse
effect on the market that the company had to scale down production to
330,000 vehicles, from almost 400,000 in the previous year. Such a
radical measure inevitably cost a considerable number of jobs: in 1974,
the total workforce fell from 33,800 to 28,600; in 1975, 1,700 jobs were
lost at the Ingolstadt plant alone.
 Entering
a new dimension
The car industry recovered at the end of 1975, a development that was
reflected in the sales volume of Audi models. The last NSU Ro 80 left
the assembly line in March 1977. This signalled the disappearance of the
NSU brand, which dated back more than 100 years. Since that year, all
cars built in Neckarsulm have borne the name "Audi".
Audi caused a sensation in 1980 with the launch of the Audi quattro, the
first volume production car with permanent four-wheel drive. Audi's
rally sport activities served to underline the revolutionary nature and
overwhelming superiority of its quattro concept: in 1982, Audi became
the first German brand to win the intensely fought-over Manufacturers
World Championship, a feat which it repeated in 1984.
 In
1982 Audi establish a record of another kind: with its drag coefficient
of cD 0.30, the third-generation Audi 100 achieved the best aerodynamic
performance of any volume-produced saloon in the world. Audi had come up
with the right response to the challenges of the moment, at a time when
there were increasing calls for environmental protection and economical
use of fuel.
On January 1, 1985 Audi NSU Auto Union AG was renamed simply AUDI AG.
The company's registered headquarters were simultaneously transferred
from Neckarsulm to Ingolstadt. In the mid-1980s, Audi – along with other
German car manufacturers – began to feel the impact of a high-profile
public debate on stiffer speed limits and reduced exhaust emissions.
Whereas domestic sales fell by 7.5 percent in 1985, exports rose by 9.4
percent.
 In
1985, AUDI AG's capital investments totalled almost DM 1 billion, the
highest figure in the history of the company. Product-related measures
and new production technology were the investment priority. In autumn
1986, the new Audi 80 with fully galvanized body was launched. It came
complete with a ten-year warranty against rust penetration, setting new
standards in this class. 1988 saw the appearance of the V8, Audi's first
deluxe-class car, with a 3.6 litre V8 engine and four-valve technology.
Audi's slogan "Vorsprung durch Technik" –meaning "Advancement through
Technology", even though the German version may actually be more
familiar in the English-speaking world – is also substantiated by the
TDI engine concept.
 Its
extremely low fuel consumption was documented impressively in several
economy test runs: in 1992, a standard Audi 80 TDI drove all round the
world, covering a distance of 40,273 km and clocking up an average
consumption figure of 3.78 litres of fuel per 100 km (74.7 mpg) and an
average speed of 85.8 km/h.
In the early 1990s, the market worldwide was generally weak, but the
fall of the Berlin Wall and German monetary union generated an immense
surge in demand on the domestic market. This sales boost on its home
market helped Audi achieve record-breaking sales revenues of DM 14.8
billion in 1991. However, by 1993 it was obvious that the special boom
in Germany had only been able to allay the general downward trend for a
couple of years.
 Audi
heralded in a new era in presenting the ASF (Audi Space Frame) aluminium
study vehicle in autumn 1993 at the Tokyo Motor Show. The aluminium Audi
celebrated its world début in March 1994, as the successor to the Audi
V8. The new model designation A8 signalled a radical shift in Audi's
model-naming policy. The Audi A6 followed in the summer, with the new A4
being launched in November 1994. This latter model rapidly brought
further success to the company: in 1995, 120,000 of the Audi A4 were
sold in Germany alone.
 In
autumn 1995, Audi produced its next trump in unveiling the sports car
studies TT Coupé and TT Roadster: these concepts successfully blended
distinctive automotive design based on nostalgic throwbacks with modern
stylistic features and mature technology. One year on, Audi launched the
A3, an attractive two-door compact model intended to draw new customer
groups to the brand. In 1997, Audi presented the new Audi A6 and also
the Al2 study vehicle, the latter an all-aluminium model based on
second-generation ASF technology. The Audi TT Coupé and Audi TT Roadster
production models were launched in 1998 and 1999.
Since 1994, the company's key business figures have benefited from an
uninterrupted upward trend. Audi has become an international developer
and manufacturer of high-quality cars. The company maintains production
sites in Germany, Hungary, Brazil, China and South Africa. Audi sold
over 650,000 vehicles in 2000. Sales totalled around DM 39 billion
(including the Italian sales subsidiary Autogerma). The Audi Group has
around 50,000 employees.
The last two pictures is a newly restored DKW Meisterklasse Universal
type F 89 S from 1951. This exceptional vehicle represents a valuable
addition to the collection of historic vehicles of Audi Tradition,
representing as it does the resumption of passenger-car production under
the sign of the Four Rings after the Second World War.
If you want to see more Audi-pictures, visit
kak.net! |
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Development with a preserving jar: The Audi nose team sets strict odour
standards
Posted by: kak on Wednesday, July 31, 2002 - 12:47 PM
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They stick their noses into everything that concerns them - that's just
part of the job. The Audi odour team, generally referred to as the "nose
team", is on the trail of disagreeable odours in vehicles and ensures a
consistently pleasant odour level in Audi vehicles. Plastic parts that
give off unpleasant odours, leather that smells like fish oil or floor
mats from which the aroma of onions emanates, have no chance at Audi.
The same applies to materials that could discharge emissions in the
vehicle that are detrimental to health. Around 500 various components
from the vehicle interior are analysed per model by the measuring device
of the human nose. Audi applies the strictest standards in the fight
against odours and is the benchmark in the branch. The aim is in fact
not the "odourless" but rather the "neutral odour" car in which the
customer feels at ease.
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Pioneer and benchmark in odour analysis
· On the trail of disagreeable vehicle odours
· Evaluation from "odourless" to "unbearable"
"There cannot and will not be an odour-free car. That isn't even
desirable. You wouldn't want to sit in a noiseless vehicle either,"
explains Heiko Lüßmann-Geiger, graduate chemist and Head of the Audi
nose team. The car has come to symbolise an emotional event. "You spend
so much time there that sensual perceptions become more important,"
states Lüßmann-Geiger. A new vehicle should always therefore have a
typical but never unpleasant odour. It is up to the olfactory experts to
ensure this. Olfaction relates to the sense of smell.
What in comparison to other vehicle properties plays at first glance a
rather subordinate role, has for the customer an unconscious fundamental
significance. The Head of the nose team explains this with the example
of the scientifically based comfort hierarchy: "You have to imagine this
as a pyramid. At the tip of this hierarchy pyramid is the well-being of
the customer, right at the base is the smell. If the customer is now
irritated by this odour from below, he will no longer correctly perceive
all the other positive comfort properties of the vehicle. He is too
irritated by the stress brought about by the odour."
 The
nose team was already an indispensable part of vehicle development and
quality assurance at Audi back in 1985. Since then the Ingolstadt car
manufacturer has played a pioneering role in the field of vehicle odours.
Lüßmann-Geiger recalls that on the initiative of Audi, the automotive
manufacturers in the German automotive industry association (VDA) sat
down in 1991 in order to set up a uniform procedure for odour
assessment.
Until this point in time, almost every vehicle producer had its own
system for eradicating unpleasant odours. The Ingolstadt chemists had
compared the test parameters and worked out a standard test
specification for the odour test. With success: since 1992 this process
has been adopted by all German manufacturers. The benefit: The car
builders can compare their results in this way and the suppliers only
have to have their components further tested by one process.
The five-person core team (three other members are always on call) is
made up of three "female" noses and "two" male noses. The team is
located within Audi's quality assurance before the start of production.
The odour-sensitive troop has the final say on the suitability of a
material for its use in the car. Materials that fall through the Audi
noses' assessment criteria are immediately removed from the procurement
list.
 An
important note: the nose team is not only integrated at an early stage
in the development of new Audi models, it also monitors the consistently
high odour quality of production vehicles. As a result, individual cars
are taken at random out of the production runs almost on a daily basis
and intensively sniffed in the chemical analysis laboratory. "It can be
the case that a supplier after a certain time employs a slightly
different material composition or uses another manufacturing process,
and suddenly we have odours in the vehicle that are undesirable,"
comments Lüßmann-Geiger.
The assessment scale corresponds to the school grades system in Germany,
i.e. from 1 to 6. Grade one means "odourless" and a six "unbearable".
Lüßmann-Geiger: "Only materials such as metal, glass, ceramics or stone
are evaluated as "odourless". And from these things alone you cannot
build a car." Everything in the grade range from 1 to 3 passes the
strict Audi test, materials given the grades 4 to 6 fail. "The
difference between grade three ('strong intrinsic smell, not yet
unpleasant') and four ('irritating') is particularly decisive in the
acceptance or rejection of a part," explains the nose team leader. Most
of the evaluations range between grades two to four. Incidentally:
certain exhalations can also be seen. Motorists are familiar with the
thin lubrication film that condenses after a certain time on the inside
of the windscreen. This film is brought about by substances emanating
from components in the vehicle's interior when heated up. Experts call
this "fogging" (see separate box).
In the normal daily routine, all the team members go their separate ways
to work in the materials laboratory of Quality Assurance. Most of them
work in chemical analysis. "They have been chosen for the nose team
because they have a sensitive nose, they are confronted time and again
in their daily routine with the problem of 'odour' and have shown a
willingness to quantify a problem to which a figure cannot so easily be
attached by the measuring device of the nose," explains Lüßmann-Geiger.
 To
be a member of this team also requires certain deprivation as the
testers' sensitivity to odours must be guaranteed at all time. Smokers,
for example, would not be considered for the work in the nose team as
their olfactory nerves are too numb. State of health also plays a
decisive role, especially in the area of the respiratory tracts. A
simple cold can make the team member "unfit for work" as even nose
sprays or drops cannot help.
And then other personal circumstances can decide whether a team member
can or cannot take part in a test. Lüßmann-Geiger names a few examples:
"The smell of garlic, for example, disturbs not only the other team
members, it changes the perception of the person himself. The same is
true of perfumes and after shaves, albeit with a more pleasing scent.
Their use before taking part in a test is forbidden." Even discreet
scents, such as in aromatic herbal baths or creams, must be avoided by
the Audi noses.
Prepared in this way, members of the nose team meet each day in the
Quality Centre of the Audi plant in Ingolstadt to stay hot on the trail
of unpleasant odours. The test procedure is carried out as follows: a
section is cut out from a component. From the cockpit or from the rubber
sealing above the wood trims or door trims right up to the leather
upholstery of the seats - really every component, every material that is
to be applied to an Audi "comes under the nose".
These "component specimens" are then placed in a jar with an odourless
seal. Lüßmann-Geiger points out: "Normal preserving jars are used for
this at Audi, the sort that can be obtained from a hardware store - and
that's where we buy them from." It sounds simple and it is too: these
containers, as well as being good value, are ideal for the odour test as
they are absolutely scent-free, "Since when preserving cherries, for
example, no other scent may get into the jar." (Lüßmann-Geiger) The
sealed jar is then heated in an oven at 80 degrees Celsius for two
hours. And then the assessment begins. Each tester in turn lifts up the
lid slightly, smells briefly in the gap between jar and lid, closes the
jar again and passes it quickly to the next nose so that there is no
major temperature difference.
 Each
tester then makes their assessment covertly on a piece of paper. The
result is represented by the mean value of all the marks together. "Odour
tests cannot be carried out on a piece-work basis though," states
Lüßmann-Geiger. After five or six tests the noses then need a rest for
one to two hours before they are again in the position to make an
objective evaluation.
Of course, odour analysis at Audi doesn't just stop at the small
specimens. In order to test the interplay of various materials, complete
components such as dashboards are inspected in a special cubic-metre
large stainless steel heat chamber. The odour test is carried out
through a hose connected to the chamber. At the end of the hose there is
a glass mask which fits perfectly over the tester's nose. In this way,
no odours from the ambient air can affect the assessment.
The final stage is the assessment of the complete vehicle. The interior
of the vehicle is heated with large radiators for this. By way of
information: a car standing in the blazing sun can develop interior
temperatures of up to 80 degrees Celsius. It is exactly this status that
the test tries to recreate. The nose team members then jump quickly into
the car, assess the overall impression and try as well to identify parts
with a particularly strong odour. "This overall test is necessary to
ensure that various inconspicuous odours from components do not create
an unpleasant smell in the mix," says the team leader.
 At
the end of this intensive series of tests a discreet odour impression is
reached. Every part in an Audi has a good, neutral odour. A mix that the
well-known "new car smell" gives off with which the customer is
familiar. The possibility of consciously giving the vehicles a certain
fragrance such as "fresh" or "flowery" - in other words a sort of
fragrance design - is not offered by Audi. The head of the nose team
also states the reason why: "There is no fragrance that is universally
pleasing to all customers. What is very pleasant to one person is
perceived as unpleasant by another. Audi therefore refuses in principle
to add scents to the cars."
"Fogging": the veil on the screen
What is fogging?
Certain odours are not only detected with the nose, you can also see
them. Every motorist is familiar with it: the thin, milky, lubricant
film which forms after a certain amount of time on the inside of the
windscreen. Experts call this "fogging". This film can lead to impaired
vision particularly when the low-lying sun shines through the
windscreen. The first related complaints came from Sweden, as there the
sun is often at a low angle over the horizon and as a result the murky
effect is especially noticeable.
What causes fogging?
Fogging is caused through the exhalation of substances from components
in the vehicle interior. Substances escape in minute quantities from
these materials when warmed up through the sun. This involves, for
example, softeners, stabilisers, flame-resistant substances or oils that
are added to the plastics and other non-metallic materials to improve
their properties. These substances hardly evaporate under normal
circumstances but small quantities are released if the component reaches
a high temperature. The substances then condense immediately on a cold
area of the vehicle - in most cases the windscreen - and there form the
above-mentioned film. When you pass your finger over the screen, you see
greasy traces as the single-layer film is destroyed. If you wipe the
film away, the cloth that has been used will be black in most cases.
This has nothing to do with the substances, which are colourless, but
dust and dirt that cling to the sticky film. This adhered dirt also
impairs vision through the screen.
What is Audi doing against this?
For over 20 years now Audi has extensively examined just how many of
these non-volatile substances are emitted from all materials used for
the vehicle interior. Maximum values were determined, which the parts
have to adhere to. In this way, Audi has reduced what was at the
beginning a clearly visual problem to a minimum. The problem of
exhalation cannot be completely prevented, however, as such substances
are always present in plastics. Technical improvements to materials are
being realised through the use of substances that evaporate less easily
and therefore exhale still less.
What can the motorist do?
The greasy film can be removed with a commercial windscreen cleaner.
Even wiping with a dry cloth removes the greater part of the film.
Odour design on the Audi TT
The olfactory design of the Audi TT was something special: in contrast
to the saloons or Avant models, the cabin of the TT is much more
compact. That means that more components are employed in relation to the
passenger cell's volume. As a result, the odour influence of every
individual component is considerably higher than otherwise. A second
point is the standard use of leather for the interior. A combination
therefore had to be found that gives the TT the typical new car smell
but which at the same time also enhances the scent of leather. The
plastic parts were not to have an all-embracing odour therefore and
their odour had to harmonise with the intense smell of leather. The
leather for its part had to have a typical smell, not too intense and
not too weak. All in all a job for the olfactory nerves.
Technology is no match for the nose
To the question whether it is now time to replace the human nose by an
electronic counterpart for the odour test, the Head of the nose team
Heiko Lüßmann-Geiger replies with a smile: "The devices that are
available under the name 'electronic nose' only actually have one thing
in common with the human nose and that is the name. No electronic nose
is capable of allocating an odour grade or a quality from the signal
that it has detected. And that is, in the last analysis, the decisive
work of the odour tester. And then the sensitivity of an electronic nose
is much poorer. It is hard to tell whether a machine will ever even
approximately reach the quality of the human nose. We can thus say with
some confidence that the work of the nose team, even in the coming
decades, will remain indispensable for maintaining the pleasant odour in
an Audi." |
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Over five million cars produced at Audi's pioneering Neckarsulm plant
Posted by: kak on Thursday, January 02, 2003 - 10:47
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The world’s leading specialist all aluminium car plant, the advanced
Audi factory in Neckarsulm, Germany, has now exceeded the milestone of
building more than 200,000 aluminium-bodied Audi cars, a significant
proportion of its recent production milestone of 5 million vehicles
overall achieved since 1905. Coinciding with this production milestone,
Audi has introduced a revolutionary new manufacturing process in
Neckarsulm, which enables customers to make last minute specification
changes to their chosen, highly ‘bespoke’ vehicle as late as two days
before it is due for completion. Four years in the making, this
revolutionary new production system is unique to Audi.
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Audi exceeds 200,000 vehicles built with all aluminium body shells
· Revolutionary new process introduced to ensure future production is
more streamlined than ever before
· Two days notice from customers of final specification now possible for
all new A8 due in the UK next Spring
This major advance is of particular benefit to customers ordering the
all-new A8 saloon - a car that will be one of the most ‘bespoke’ in the
world. The pioneering new process will also reduce production delays,
allowing Audi Centres to quote more precise delivery lead times to
customers.
Commenting on the implications of the new system for British customers,
Director of Audi UK Kevin Rose, said: "We know a very high proportion of
our A8 customers will want to equip their cars to their own individual,
and almost certainly, unique specification. This advanced production
planning system now makes meeting their requirements simpler, faster and
more flexible."
The new production regime makes it is possible to maintain tighter
control over vehicles on the production line than ever before.
 The
sequence of numbers allocated to cars during order scheduling is
maintained systematically when directing cars through the plant, right
up to the assembly stage. The completed vehicles leave the assembly
lines in the same sequence that was scheduled at the beginning of the
process chain - in other words, they are lined up and controlled like
pearls on a string.
‘Body Buffers’ maintain order
If the sequence is changed, for instance if a vehicle is removed from
the production line for auditing, blanks known as ‘body buffers’ are
inserted to maintain the original sequence. In order to compensate for
these sequence changes, innovative planning and control computer
software has been specially developed.
Another important benefit of the new system, particularly for
maintenance of the vehicle sequence, is the ability to predict parts
requirements more accurately. The consistent availability of parts makes
the entire production process more stable.
Last year, prior to the introduction of the new manufacturing process,
the daily production figures exceeded 1,000 vehicles per day for the
first time. In addition to the A2, A6, allroad quattro and A8 models,
the Audi RS 6 quattro (saloon and Avant) are built. Annual production at
the Neckarsulm plant of all types, amounts to around 250,000 vehicles.
The all new aluminium-bodied Audi A8 luxury saloon, the latest Audi
range flagship, is due in the UK next Spring. The A8 3.7 quattro will
cost £51,050 OTR, and the 4.2 quattro £54,980 OTR.
Neckarsulm; home to aluminium production for 90 years
The Neckarsulm plant has gained world-wide recognition for its
contribution to technical innovation. It produced the first NSU model
with bodywork made completely of aluminium (1913), and it was also
responsible for the streamlined, record-breaking vehicles of 1956, the
NSU Wankel engine (1957), Audi’s TDI engines (1989) and its latest World
beating Le Mans 24 Hour race winning engines.
Since the establishment of the aluminium centre and the start of
production of lightweight, Audi Space Frame (ASF) aluminium bodies in
1995, the Audi plant has achieved an impressive volume of productivity.
Over 200,000 aluminium-bodied vehicles have now been produced using the
unique Audi space-frame technology.
Producer of milestone cars
In 1905 the first cars manufactured in Neckarsulm, left the plant. At
the same time, NSU engineers were working on building a three-wheeler.
The following year a new epoch in the history of the plant began with
the construction of the "Original Neckarsulm Motorcar".
Famous cars such as the first prototype for the VW Beetle, NSU Prinz,
NSU/Wankel Spider, NSU TT, NSU Ro 80, Audi 100, Audi 200 and the Audi
Cabriolet have since left the lines at this production plant.
The annual production of vehicles has increased continuously since 1906.
From 1957, a total of 1.2 million NSU vehicles were produced, while the
last NSU Ro 80 left the production lines in Neckarsulm in March 1977,
bringing to an end the line of models bearing the famous name of NSU.
After the merger to form Audi NSU Auto Union AG (1969), the first Audi
100 rolled off the line in 1970. This model and its current successor,
the Audi A6, have developed to become the most important "breadwinner"
of the plant to date.
In 1966, with the Audi A6, the original all aluminium Audi A8 (launched
in 1994) and the assembly of the Audi Cabriolet, three independent model
series were produced at the plant for the first time. |
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Progress through advertising: for the new A8, Audi realised one of the most
elaborate campaigns in company history
Posted by: kak on Monday, November 11, 2002 - 03:49 PM
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It took almost a year to produce. Weeks and weeks of preparatory
research in the Audi Tradition company archives were necessary. Around
600 people - Audi employees, creative experts from advertising agencies
and production companies, photographers, a symphony orchestra,
composers, directors and actors - were involved. The final edited
version - put together from 30,000 metres of film material, digital
computer animations of the kind that are usually only made for Hollywood
blockbusters, elaborate photo shootings and retouching for advertising
motifs - can now be seen in national print media and on television: the
worldwide advertising campaign for the new Audi A8.
 ·
Two-stage print and TV campaign for the new Audi flagship underway
worldwide
· To start with the brand is presented through its 103-year history,
then the focus will be on the product
· Hollywood standards for the historical TV commercial: digital
Bluescreen technology combined with hand-crank cameras
"It is one of the most elaborate projects of this kind in the history of
AUDI AG and it fits in perfectly with the company tradition of
innovative advertising campaigns," explains Hans-Christian Schwingen,
Head of Marketing Communication at Audi.
For the first time the car manufacturer has opted for a two-stage launch
campaign for presenting its flagship to the general public. To start
with, in the "pre-launch phase", the brand is presented emotionally
through its history - the focus is on the progressive and sporty
character of Audi. "The new Audi A8 is the latest evolutionary stage in
the company's 103-year history. We want to present this past, which is
rich in innovations and emotions, and show that our slogan "Vorsprung
durch Technik" has always applied," continues Schwingen.
 The
advertising focus in the pre-launch phase is therefore 80 percent on the
brand's history and innovative prowess and 20 percent on the new
product. Schwingen: "The car is too important for the company for it to
simply just present in on the day it is launched. When the new A8 is
launched in the middle of November (launch phase) we will then turn the
focus around 80:20 in favour of the product." The Spanish advertising
agency Tandem DDB S.A. in Barcelona is responsible for both the concept
and realisation.
A highlight in the pre-launch campaign is the TV commercial "Today".
This was also made in Spain and was produced by Alamo Films in Madrid.
This film packs the company's history, which dates back over 100 years,
into 45 seconds. This has been achieved using the kind of
state-of-the-art film technology otherwise reserved for Hollywood
blockbusters. The film combines historical archive footage with newly
filmed scenes. One and the same presenter slips into a total of nine
different roles and, starting in 1899, travels through five different
epochs of the Audi brand until the new Audi A8 rolls into the picture at
the end of the commercial, as the latest stage in the company's
development so to speak. A total of 20,000 metres of old and 10,000
metres of new film material were selected and edited for the commercial.
 One
of the main challenges faced was to integrate the presenter making the
journey through history into the original material in such a way that
this is not obvious to the viewer - and to film new scenes so that they
look like historical footage. As Gerhard Kiefer, responsible within
Marketing Communication for film and photo productions at Audi,
explains: "We did this using digital Bluescreen technology. This
technique was first perfected in the film "Forrest Gump" staring Tom
Hanks in the leading role." Bluescreen digitisation makes such scenes
look deceptively authentic. In the case of the Audi commercial, the main
actor was filmed in his various roles in front of a blue wall and edited
into the original material subsequently.
Audi also had to reach deep into the box of tricks for one of the
different final scenes (not shown in Germany) and for the photo motifs
for the printed advertising campaign in which the new A8 drives around
the banked corner of the Avus Ring racing circuit in Berlin. The problem
is that this time-honoured motor racing venue no longer exists. Yet the
pictures look unbelievably realistic. Special computer software makes it
possible to reconstruct three-dimensional shots. This technique was used
in breathtaking fashion in the cinema epic "Titanic", for example.
 To
make it look like the Audi A8 is racing around the banked corner of the
Avus circuit, the complete CAD vehicle data for the A8 from Technical
Development in Ingolstadt were first entered into the 3D program. In
this way a computer animation of the vehicle was produced. The crew then
reconstructed a 500 m2 section of the banked curve from bricks on a
horse farm in the Eifel region of Germany and photographed the new A8 on
it. These pictures were also digitised and entered into the 3D program.
With the aid of the old design data for the racing circuit, the computer
then calculated the exact course of the banked curve and projected the
A8 onto it as if races still took place there today.
All in all it took 340 hours of work at the computer to stage the 45
seconds so perfectly. An interesting contrast to computer technology:
parts of the commercial were filmed using two 80 year-old hand-crank
cameras to make the subsequently filmed historical scenes appear as
authentic as possible.
Kiefer gives another example of the tremendous work that went into
making the commercial: "For the subsequently filmed sequence of a
historical Grand Prix race, for example, we reconstructed a complete pit
setting. The actors' costumes were also based on originals."
 The
film was shot at six different locations: in Ingolstadt and Munich, at
the studio in Madrid and at other locations in Spain. The film-makers
covered a total of around 5000 kilometres between the various locations
until everything was "in the can". Up to 100 women and men worked on the
set, a total of around 600 people were involved in realising the
campaign and 500 different minor roles had to be acted out. The
principal actor was chosen from 500 applicants. The American actor
Donald Kimmel was chosen to play the part of the Audi expert who travels
through time. His German voice is provided by Frank Glaubrecht who also
dubs the voices of Pierce Brosnan, Al Pacino and Kevin Costner among
others.
The highest standards were also applied for the music in the commercial
film. As Katrin Schöneberg, Project Manager for the A8 campaign,
explains: "The Bratislava Symphony Orchestra provided the background
music to the film, a piece by the composer Zivot. The 50 musicians
watched the film during recording so that they were able to play every
note in time with the pictures."
 In
the area of print media, the A8 advertising campaign was launched at the
end of September with a 20-page image supplement in the weekend editions
of national daily newspapers with a total circulation of around 1.7
million - this too was a unique measure for the launch of a new model.
The supplement contained all advertising motifs used for the print
campaign which is currently appearing worldwide. These include photos of
the luxurious interior of a Horch 8, Type 375, Pullman Saloon from 1929,
the Auto Union Type C Grand Prix racing car from 1936, the Auto Union
Streamliner from 1937, the Audi Ur-quattro from 1980 and the Audi R8
which won the Le Mans 24 Hours three years in succession.
The second part of the campaign for the launch of the new Audi A8, in
which the focus is on the product, is due to start in the middle of
November. This will comprise new advertising motifs and a new TV
commercial. The advertising film "Father and Son" emphasises the
sporting character of the new flagship and shows that a luxury saloon is
tremendous fun not only for the father, but also obviously for his young
son.
Another special feature of the A8 campaign is that it will be appearing
in this form worldwide. Katrin Schöneberg: "We assume that commercials
and advertising motifs will appear in up to 70 countries." This is also
a step towards more global branding and image building. Nonetheless,
importers will be able to have the historical TV commercial modified to
suit their individual needs.
The sequences can be edited in a different order and there are various
film lengths and final sequences. And for the Chinese market, one scene
was even re-filmed with a Chinese actor.
This principle of modular advertising is cost-effective and the
production of several campaigns for different markets was unnecessary.
This helps to save additional costs.
Award-winning Audi advertisements
Audi is well-known for its innovative advertising. In the past numerous
Audi commercials have caused a sensation both among customers and in the
creative industry. Here are some examples from the recent past:
An ad and its somewhat unconventional star made headlines in 2001. The
commercial film "The Fan" communicated the advantages of the
continuously variable automatic transmission Audi multitronic through an
intelligently humorous story. The pelvis-gyrating rock'n' roll doll on
the dashboard, an elementary part of the commercial, achieved cult
status in Germany and went into mass production due to the huge
interested it generated. Over 500,000 Elvis dolls were sold. "The Fan"
also picked up a number of awards including the "Silver Lion" at the
advertising festival in Cannes, "The Clapperboard 2001", the "Ottocar in
Silver" from the Association of the German Automotive Industry (VDA),
the "German Comedy Prize" from the TV channel RTL and the "Clients Award
2001" for the cinema and TV ad of the year.
The film "Wakeboarder" for Audi quattro four-wheel drive also received a
"Silver Lion" at Cannes in the year 2000. Here a man is seen riding the
waves on his board - he is not towed by a motorboat however, but by an
Audi A6 with quattro drive. In the same year the advertising trailer
"Vertical", which was shown by the television channel RTL during its
broadcasts of the Ski Jumping World Cup, won the "Bronze Lion" in
Cannes. This also advertises quattro drive.
The film "Eskimo" also proved extremely popular: a wise old Eskimo
explains animal tracks in the snow to his grandson. Finally he
identifies a tyre print in the snow as "...Audi...quattro!"
Incidentally, an adapted version of this commercial was produced for
Arab markets where snow is rather rare: here a Tuareg recognises the
quattro tracks in the desert sand.
"The Chase" was based on the Spielberg film "Duel". In this commercial
an Audi allroad quattro is apparently being chased by an enormous black
truck, the two vehicles are just centimetres apart. In the end it
emerges that the monster truck is being towed by the Audi. Various media
reconstructed the scene to find out whether the allroad can really tow a
truck. And it can!
Creative and efficient: "GOLD EFFIE" for Audi
Audi has won the "GOLD EFFIE 2002", the measure of all things in terms
of advertising efficiency in Germany. The General Association of
Communication Agencies GWA presented the award to Audi and the
advertising agency Saatchi&Saatchi of Frankfurt and Bartle, Bogle,
Hegarty BBH of London for the outstanding and successful creative
strategy behind the multitronic campaign with the commercial "The Fan"
and the quattro campaign with the commercial "Wakeboarder". Audi won the
coveted award in the category "Consumer Goods" against a total of nine
car campaigns. The Gold Effie was only awarded twice this year. |
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quattro excels for Audi on Road and Track
Posted by: kak on Monday, November 04, 2002 - 11:11 PM
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Two new road-going Audi quattro models wait in the wings as
'Competition' S4 quattro dominates the track in America. Over 20 years
since it first revolutionised motor sport, Audi's pioneering quattro
four-wheel-drive transmission system continues to underpin pace-setting
road and race-bred Audi models. Its all-weather control and composure
has just helped racing legend Derek Bell and team mate Mike Galati add
another successful chapter to the Audi record books in an S4 quattro
'Competition' racer. In 2003, it will safely contain a potent new,
road-going S4 quattro with 344bhp and a new 190bhp version of the A4 1.8
T quattro.
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Derek Bell and Mike Galati pilot S4 quattro to series success
- New road-going V8 S4 quattro with 344bhp due next spring
- New 190bhp version of A4 1.8 T quattro here early next year
Engineered by quattro GmbH, the Audi high performance subsidiary
responsible for the renowned RS quattro models, the new A4 1.8 T quattro
is due in the UK early on in 2003. It will be powered by a new version
of the accomplished 1.8-litre turbocharged engine offering 190bhp and
240Nm (177lb ft) of torque, and will be the first of the current A4 1.8
T models to be equipped with a six-speed manual gearbox.
 These
six closely spaced ratios will help the A4 1.8 T quattro reach 62mph
from rest in 8.2 seconds and continue to a 147mph maximum speed. Despite
this impressive performance, it has also achieved a relatively modest
combined fuel consumption figure of 29.7mpg. CO2 output is 228g/km (Avant
230g/km).
The new A4 1.8 T quattro will be distinguishable externally from the
continuing, 163bhp A4 1.8 T models by way of its boot-mounted red 'T'
emblem. The car pictured in the accompanying photograph also features
fully body-coloured bumpers, which are being considered for introduction
across the A4 saloon and Avant ranges in 2003.
Lightweight aluminium suspension
 The
A4 1.8 T quattro's lightweight aluminium set-up has been tuned for
maximum agility, precision and composure, and is of course backed up by
the steadying influence of the quick-reacting quattro permanent
four-wheel-drive system. Ride comfort also benefits from the low
unsprung weight made possible by the aluminium components.
This same combination of lightweight suspension and quattro control also
ensures that drivers of the new Audi S4 quattro can fully exploit the
344bhp offered by its 4.2-litre V8 petrol engine. Spurred on by an
impressive 410Nm of torque, and notable as the first V8-powered Audi
model in Britain to feature a manual gearbox, the S4 quattro can power
to 62mph in 5.6 seconds, to 124mph in 20.6 seconds and then on to an
electronically limited 155mph.
 The
new V8 Audi S4 quattro is due in the UK in the spring of 2003, and will
cost £36,150 OTR in saloon form or £37,280 OTR as an Avant. The new
190bhp, 1.8 T engine will be allied to both quattro and
front-wheel-drive, and British prices for saloon and Avant versions will
be announced shortly.
S4 quattro is racing success story
On the race circuit, the quattro system has yet again proved that it has
the measure of more basic drive layouts. Racing legend Derek Bell and
his Sicilian team-mate Mike Galati have successfully defended the SCCA
Speed World Challenge GT Series title in the S4 quattro "Competition".
Galati and five-time Le Mans 24 Hour race winner Bell, who celebrated
his 61st birthday last month (31 Oct), have driven the unique UK-built
S4 that has been progressively developed by Florida-based Champion
Racing for the past three years. Scotsman Marino Franchitti also
contributed to the S4's success in 2002.
 This victory
is all the more impressive because the 430bhp, 2.7-litre Audis were
competing against considerably more powerful cars, and were weighed down
by huge amounts of ballast to artificially compensate for the undeniable
advantages of Audi's four-wheel-drive system.
Bell, from Pagham in Sussex, commented: "Audi has won the World
Challenge title for the past two years after finishing second in our
first season with the S4 in 2000. I personally finished seventh in the
championship this year, while the Audi has chalked up eight wins in 26
top-five placings in three seasons. I started my career almost 40 years
ago and I still savour every moment thanks to Audi."
 Audi
changed the face of world rallying forever in the early 80s when it
introduced permanent four-wheel-drive technology and subsequently
switched its all-wheel-drive concept to dominate touring car racing
worldwide in the 1990s. Audi then switched to long-distance sportscar
racing and in June won the prestigious Le Mans 24 Hour motor race for a
third consecutive year.
But in addition to Galati's quattro success, Italian Roberto Colciago
successfully defended the Swedish Touring Car Championship title this
year driving an Audi A4 quattro "Super Tourer" - an incredible seven
years after this model began racing. These triumphs take Audi's quattro
title successes to over 31 worldwide (1986-02). |
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A car should set trends but not be a slave to fashion
Posted by: kak on Monday, July 15, 2002 - 10:53 PM CET
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Audi is an emotional and sporty brand. These characteristics have to be
transferred to the product. This is the guideline for Peter Zieten, who
heads the Audi design department "Colours/Equipment", and his team.
Zieten is clear about his task: "Our ideas give the car and its ambience
an identity." Years before a new model reaches the market, the eleven
men and women start work on its body colours and interior equipment -
hand in hand with the creative minds behind the car's interior and
exterior design. The challenge the Audi designers face is a tough one:
they already have to know which colours, fabrics, patterns and materials
are going to be popular with customers in four to six years' time - and
throughout a vehicle's entire life cycle.
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A 1:1 transferral of short-lived trends is not possible
· Colours, fabrics and materials for a new model are selected and
developed years in advance
· "Silver" is the number one favourite Audi colour
"We have to consider the longevity of our products. Cars should remain
modern for many years. It's not like with fashion where you buy yourself
a new shirt, dress or jacket, and then hang them up at the back of the
wardrobe after a year because they're no longer fashionable. A car is
too expensive for that," explains Barbara Krömeke, the team member
responsible for Audi A8 and Audi TT equipment and the material leather.
Claudia Zacherl, responsible for the body and interior colours of all
Audi model series, explains "that not everything that happens to be
fashionable can be transferred 1:1 to the car. Such trends are usually
short-lived. It is important for the customer to still feel at home in
their Audi in years to come." Gerald Rütters, responsible among other
things for vehicle customisation, sums up: "A car cannot and must not be
a slave to fashion, it has to be timelessly modern."
 The
stylists nevertheless have to have their fingers on the pulse of time:
they follow and evaluate social trends, visit furniture and textile
fairs, study the fashion, design and advertising industries, are
influenced by nature, architecture, art or film and assess colour
statistics and market research on specific topics.
"We have to take in everything that happens around us like a sponge,"
says Ute Grönheim, responsible in the design team for the Audi A2 and A3
and for cloth. "We think," she continues, "four to six years ahead.
Although we don't see ourselves as futurologists, I suppose in a way
that is what we are."
Someone who has a feel for future trends at Audi is Helyn Latham,
responsible for "Trends/Colours": "It is important not to chase after
existing trends, but to set your own as much as possible." The Audi TT
is a particularly good example of how this has been achieved. A new
vehicle concept which gave Peter Zieten's creative team considerably
more scope to come up with something new. "Especially with the TT's
equipment we were able to try a new departure and come up with things
that were totally different," says Barbara Krömeke. The team also played
a major role in designing the interior concept of the Audi Avantissimo
study. The equipment designers set the tone in the lavish interior of
this luxury Avant with warm leather surfaces, grained ash veneer and
polished aluminium.
 However,
if colours and equipment are developed for the successor of what has
been a very successful model, then the designers' motto is "don't
replace too much, but not too little either". Ute Grönheim: "The mind
wants something new, the heart wants something familiar."
This is also reflected in the choice of colours for a new car. Audi
customers can choose from over 50 different paint finishes - from
"Absolute Red" to "Cedar Green". Yet the majority still opt for the "colour
classics". A glance at the statistics reveals that "Silver" is the Audi
colour chosen most often by customers. In 2001 this was the colour of 28
percent of cars across all Audi model ranges. It was followed some way
behind by "Ebony Black", "Ming Blue", "Dolphin Grey", "Brilliant Black",
"Denim Blue", "Crystal Blue", "Atlas Grey", "Brilliant Blue" and "Canvas
Beige" in the top ten most popular Audi colours. The colour Canvas Beige
is especially popular with Audi customers in the USA.
This is expected to stay much the same in future. Tasteful and muted
paint finishes will remain fashionable in coming years. Understatement
is the order of the day. Silver will remain one of the most popular
colours for cars in Germany. Incidentally, it was Audi who started the
long-lasting "silver boom" in the automotive industry with its aluminium
silver.
 Finding
the right colour also depends to a large extent on the image and
philosophy of the brand and on the form and positioning of the model in
question. The following rule of thumb applies: the more expensive the
car, the more muted the colour. But, as Peter Zieten points out, "colour
is emotion". An Audi A8 in "Imola Yellow" is hardly likely to appeal to
tastes in general. But a very sporty car, like the Audi S3 for instance,
would look good in this colour. As Zieten explains: "A business saloon
calls for a different colour scheme from a lifestyle car, for example."
Not every colour is technically feasible for vehicle paintwork. The wide
variety of possible colours is greatly restricted by a vast catalogue of
requirements for production vehicles. Even if a particular colour is
exactly what the customer is looking for, if it does not pass the
numerous spray tests and tests performed in climatic chambers, or does
not conform to standards for scratch resistance and reparability, then
it will not ever reach the showroom. It can take up to a year before the
colour concept for a new model generation has been worked out. 30 to 50
percent of these colours are new developments, the rest are
continuations.
 Marketing
specifies the positioning, target groups and sales expectations for a
new model and Claudia Zacherl and Helyn Latham develop the appropriate
colours in cooperation with the suppliers. These then have to get past
the "colour commission" at Audi. The assessment of paint samples still
takes place on metal panels the size of postcards. But when it comes to
final approval by the Board of Management, the colours are presented on
complete vehicles. As a rule, the colours for a new model are decided a
year before its production start-up.
The interior of an Audi model must be as dynamic as it looks on the
outside. This is also the task of Peter Zieten's team. The designers not
only select the materials for the interior, they also develop them:
metallic surfaces, inlays, wood trims, carpeting, materials for the
luggage compartment, headlining, rear shelf, side trims and luggage
cover, upholstery materials and leather, but also the texture of plastic
surfaces, grain finishes and the choice of colours for threads, windows
and seals. "We are now even involved in the design of the engine
compartment," explains studio engineer Stefan Janda, responsible for the
Audi A6.
 But
that is by no means the end of the team's tasks. Janda: "We accompany
the products nearly all the way to the production line and are also
consulted closely on technical matters if need be." A situation that has
also led to the stylists in production being referred to as "design
sheriffs". In addition to Production and Marketing, the team also works
closely with the development engineers, Quality Assurance and Financial
Controlling. "The fact that we are able to manage these interfaces is
also one of our department's strengths," says Gerald Rütters.
Incidentally, in addition to vehicle customisation, Rütters is also in
charge of another area - textile accessories. "Design - Colours/Equipment"
has helped to create everything in the shape of jackets, caps,
pullovers, T-shirts and scarves that quattro GmbH markets as the "Audi
collection". "We apply the same high standards that we have for our cars
to our textiles too," says Rütters. These include attributes such as
high quality, functionality, sports character and clear lines.
 The
work of the colour and equipment stylists always follows the Audi design
principles - in accordance with the motto "what you see is what you
get", for instance. Peter Zieten explains: "This reflects our honesty as
far as materials are concerned. If something on an Audi looks like
aluminium, for example, then it really has to be made of aluminium."
Another important point concerns "attention to detail". Zieten: "Only
the perfect interaction of all elements to produce a whole creates the
desired Audi atmosphere. We can't simply leave off an element or treat
it with less care." After all, the work of "Design - Colours/Equipment"
is always governed by the concept of customer orientation. Its objective
is to offer the Audi customer atmospheric surroundings with regard to
haptics and visual appearance. Peter Zieten: "I think our products speak
for themselves."
Top ten colours for all Audi models in 2001
 1.
Silver, metallic: 28%
2. Ebony Black, pearl effect: 12%
3. Ming Blue, pearl effect: 11%
4. Dolphin Grey, metallic: 10%
5. Brilliant Black: 8%
6. Denim Blue, pearl effect: 6%
7. Crystal Blue, metallic: 5%
8. Atlas Grey, metallic: 5%
9. Brilliant Blue: 3%
10. Canvas Beige, metallic: 2%
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Audi ’s motorsport successes: Victories for the customer
Posted by: Ken-Arild Kristianse on Saturday, April 20,
2002 - 09:29 AM CET
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At the beginning of the eighties it was the revolutionary quattro drive,
today it is the FSI technology - the outstanding motorsport successes of
Audi have time and again been based on avantegarde developments, which
later proved their worth in everyday motoring. The technology transfer
between motorsport and standard development is very intensive at Audi,
because both fields are conducted by the technical development
department of AUDI AG.
 Since
the introduction of the "original quattro" at the Geneva Motorshow in
1980 more than a million customers have chosen the permanent
all-wheel-drive quattro, with which Audi turned the rally world upside
down in the ´80s and later drove from victory to victory and title to
title on the race track. Customers now also profit from the latest FSI
technology, which proved its worth last year by securing a double
victory in Le Mans and embarking on a winning streak in the American Le
Mans Series (ALMS): This year Audi introduces the first FSI standard
engines to the market.
Whether in rally sport, at Pikes Peak, at road races in the USA, in
touring car sport or currently in the sportscar sector, Audi has been
accelerating ahead in motorsport for over 20 years. In every series in
which the outfit from Ingolstadt has competed, it has been amongst the
winners, not least thanks to "Vorsprung durch Technik" (advantage
through technology). The winning streak of the Infineon Audi R8 is the
latest chapter in the success story of Audi in motorsport.
1981
Audi revolutionizes the World Rally Championship with the
four-wheel-drive car. The "original" quattro immediately brings Audi
victory in three World Championship events. Michèle Mouton causes a
sensation in the San Remo Rally, becoming the first - and so far only -
woman ever to win a World Rally Championship event.
1982
Michèle Mouton wins three World Rally Championship events, only narrowly
missing out on the Drivers´ World Championship title. Audi wins the
Manufacturers´ World Championship title.
1983
With four wins, Hannu Mikkola becomes the World Rally Champion.
1984
Audi's most successful year in rally competition begins with victory for
Walter Röhrl in the Monte Carlo Rally. Stig Blomqvist takes the Drivers´
World Championship title with five wins. Audi wins the Manufacturers´
Trophy for the second time.
1985
Walter Röhrl triumphs in the San Remo Rally in the spectacular Audi
Sport quattro S1. Michèle Mouton wins the famous Pikes Peak hillclimb
race in the USA.
1986
With the S1 on Pikes Peak the American Bobby Unser secures another
victory for Audi.
1987
Hannu Mikkola wins the Safari Rally in the near-standard Audi 200
quattro. Walter Röhrl storms up Pikes Peak in record time, bringing Audi
its third win in a row there.
1988
Audi switches to the racing circuit. Hurley Haywood wins the fiercely
competitive TransAm Championship in the USA with the Audi 200 quattro.
Audi wins a total of eight races.
1989
Hans-Joachim Stuck celebrates seven IMSA-GTO wins in an Audi 90 quattro.
1990
Audi returns to Europe with the Audi V8 quattro. The quattro drive
principle now excels in the German Touring Car Championship (DTM), with
Hans-Joachim Stuck being crowned champion at the very first attempt.
1991
Audi becomes the first manufacturer in the history of the DTM to
successfully defend its title. This time Frank Biela is the champion.
1993
Frank Biela captures the French Touring Car Championship in the Audi 80
quattro.
1994
In the Audi 80 competition with quattro drive Emanuele Pirro takes
victory in the Italian Touring Car Championship.
1995
Emanuele Pirro retains his title in Italy with the Audi A4 quattro.
Frank Biela secures the Touring Car World Cup in Le Castellet.
1996
In its second racing season, the Audi A4 quattro sets the standard
world-wide: notching up seven titles, from Australia to South Africa,
including a stunning victory by Emanuele Pirro in the German Super
Touring Car Cup and Frank Biela's triumph in the intensely competitive
British Touring Car Championship.
1997
Despite the weight penalty for quattro drive, the Audi A4 quattro
continues to blaze the trail of worldwide success. Frank Biela is
runner-up in Great Britain. Josef Venc wins the Central European Touring
Car Championship.
1998
Audi Sport concentrates completely on developing a new racing sportscar
for the Le Mans 24 Hour race.
1999
Audi immediately secures a podium place at Sebring at its very first
sportscar race. At Audi´s debut Le Mans 24 Hour race, the two open R8R
roadsters pocket places three and four.
2000
At only its second Le Mans race ever Audi secures the total triumph:
Three works cars occupy places 1-2-3. Both Audi R8s take first and
second at the Sebring 12 Hour race, the "Petit Le Mans" as well as the
Drivers´, Manufac-turers´, and Team Championships of the American Le
Mans Series after nine victories.
2001
Audi celebrates its second Le Mans victory in succession and
successfully defends its Drivers´, Manufacturers´, and Team titles in
the ALMS. A new Audi technology proves its capabilities with the double
victory in Le Mans and the ALMS. The engines of the works vehicles
feature direct fuel injection (FSI). At the 12 Hours in Sebring Audi
writes another chapter in motorsport history. For the first time in the
ALMS a manufacturer secures a qua-druple victory. Audi´s customer team
Johansson Motorsport wins the European Le Mans Series (ELMS) with an R8
from the previous year.
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Two millionth Audi A4 built in Ingolstadt
Posted by: Ken-Arild Kristianse on Tuesday, March 26,
2002 - 12:31 PM CET
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The two millionth Audi A4 left the assembly line in Ingolstadt today: a
silver Audi A4 3.0 multitronic. "We have therefore set another milestone
in Audi's production history," remarked Dr. Jochem Heizmann, Member of
the Board of Management for Production at AUDI AG. The landmark car
belongs to the sixth generation of the biggest-selling Audi model series
which was launched in Germany in November 2000. The first Audi A4 had
its debut six years before as the successor to the Audi 80. More than
4.5 million units of the Audi 80 were built in four generations from
1972 to 1995.
 "The
current generation of the Audi A4 has set trends in the premium segment
of midsize cars," says Heizmann."It combines the decades of experience
of Audi, the pioneer of quattro and TDI, with technology designed for
the future. We are particularly proud of the outstanding demand in
Germany and abroad. With more than 1,320 Audi A4 cars being built each
day in Ingolstadt, we are currently producing at the limits of our
capacity." The success of the A4 is not only due to an extensive range
of petrol and diesel engines, but also to unique technical highlights in
this segment such as "quattro" permanent four-wheel drive and the
continuously variable automatic transmission "multitronic".
In the past year alone Audi produced 305,081 A4 cars including 80,869
Avant models. Around 22 percent or 66,750 of these were quattro models.
The percentage fitted with a diesel engine totalled 49.4 percent
(150,729 vehicles).
 "Beautiful
estate cars are called Avant": for around 40 percent of A4 Avant
customers, design is the main reason behind their choice of car. Since
the start of production, the Avant has accounted for almost 29 percent
of all A4 models (around 578,400). The Audi A4 Avant was first launched
in February 1996. The A4 Cabriolet will extend this successful model
series from April.
"As the biggest selling Audi model, the Audi A4 makes a substantial
contribution to the success of the Audi company and therefore to
safeguarding jobs, especially at the Ingolstadt plant", explains Xaver
Meier, Chairman of the General Works Council of AUDI AG.
In February the A4 came out on top in the poll held by the German
magazine "auto motor und sport" to find the "Best Cars of 2002". More
than 162,000 readers chose the A4 as the most popular car in the
category "Midsize Class". It consequently beat 28 German and
international competitors to the top spot. Also in February, the readers
of the motoring magazine "Autoflotte" voted the A4 best midsize fleet
saloon of 2001. |
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Audi A4 most popular mid-size car
Posted by: Ken-Arild Kristianse on Thursday, February
07, 2002 - 02:07 AM CET
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Major success for the Audi A4: in the readers' poll to find the "Best
Cars of 2002", the best-selling Audi model series has clinched first
place in the category "Mid-size Class". Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen,
Chairman of AUDI AG, received the award at the traditional ceremony at
Stuttgart's Liederhalle on Wednesday, 6 February 2002.
 The
A4 was the winner in what is one of the most fiercely contested
categories - both on the market and among the 162,000 participants in
the readers' poll. 26.5 percent voted for the Audi A4 model series,
which consequently beat the other 28 German and international
competitors in the poll to the top spot.
The current generation of the Audi A4 was launched in November 2000 with
the saloon version, followed by the Avant in September 2001. The A4
Cabriolet will complete the successful model series in April 2002.
With an engine range between 75 and 162 kW (100 - 220 bhp) and unique
technical gems in this category such as quattro four-wheel drive or the
multitronic continuously variable transmission, the A4 has all the
qualities necessary to enjoy continued success with the automotive press
and the public. |
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Audi Limousine Service for
Politicians, Royalty and Business Leaders
There was a distinct hint of revolution when a car sporting the four-ring
badge was used to transport the British heir to the throne during his official
visit to Munich on November 7, 1987: the vehicle in which the Prince of Wales
travelled during his official state visit to the Bavarian capital was an armour-plated
Audi 200 quattro. In such a prestigious context in which other brands were
accustomed to holding court, this signalled a particularly auspicious new
departure. Audi has since become a regular feature of top international
political and society events. Heads of government, monarchs, business leaders
and other VIPs are chauffeured in safety and comfort in the silver Audi A8 cars
at state visits, EU and World Economic Summits, NATO Summits, ministerial
meetings and at sporting and cultural events such as the Kiel Regatta, the
Salzburg Festival and the Cannes Film Festival.
There are further such major events looming large on the horizon: for
example, Audi cars will be in operation at the NATO Summit in Prague on November
21 and 22, and at the event marking the end of Denmark's presidency of the EU on
December 12 and 13 in Copenhagen. In 2003, the Ingolstadt-based manufacturer
will be deployed throughout Greece's presidency of the EU in the first half of
the year, and at the 58th Annual Meetings of the World Bank and International
Monetary Fund in Dubai, from September 16 to 26.
Hans-Peter Hagemeister, who is in charge of the Limousine Service at AUDI AG,
recalls the idea that prompted the whole venture: "Our prime motive was that we
wanted to publicise quattro drive and boost the image of the Audi brand." This
engendered the technique of enlisting VIPs as "ambassadors of the Audi brand".
All this was back in 1986, with the underlying principle being to "convey not
just people, but an image too." This principle remains equally valid today.
Under the guidance of Dr. Ferdinand Piëch, Audi was first entrusted with the
task of providing a joint chauffeur service with BMW and Mercedes-Benz at the
1984 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. From 1986 on, Audi then
provided this service in Davos on an exclusive basis. Hagemeister recalls a
revealing anecdote from those early days: the Bavarian Prime Minister of the
day, Franz-Josef Strauß, was travelling in Davos in another make of car. His car
eventually became stranded because of the wintry conditions, so he was picked up
in an Audi with quattro drive." The leader of the CSU party was very impressed,
and Audi had gained a foothold in the world of politics.
Likewise in 1986, Audi assembled its first armour-plated, or high-security,
vehicle and submitted it to the Bavarian State Office of Criminal Investigations
for official acceptance. Hagemeister explains: "We were not allowed to become
involved in state visits until we had obtained this accreditation." The brand
with the four-ring badge underwent its baptism of fire later on that year, when
Audi provided transport for King Carl Gustav of Sweden during an informal visit
to Germany. The pennant which protocol requires at an official state visit first
adorned an Audi 200 during the visit by Prince Charles in November 1987.
"Over the years we have built up a very high reputation among government
departments," adds Hagemeister. "We have achieved this with high-grade products,
a broad range of services, supreme flexibility and quality and ultra-efficient
organisation. The overall concept is what counts." This is clearly appreciated
by state chancelleries, the Department of Foreign Affairs, the EU, ministries,
foreign governments and many other bodies.
Audi provides the vehicles and assures servicing for an event such as an EU
summit, and takes charge of transporting the cars to and from the event venue.
The organisers are responsible for the cost of the drivers, the fuel and any
parking or garage costs. "We insist on an exclusive agreement," explains
Hagemeister. This means for example that the French President Jacques Chirac and
the British Prime Minister Tony Blair will both arrive in an Audi.
Audi was first deployed at EU level during Germany's tenure of the presidency
in 1994. The list of events at which Audi has provided a chauffeur service is
now as lengthy as it is illustrious. Here are just a few examples: as well as
numerous state visits, Audi has been in action at all events during the EU
presidencies of Germany, Portugal, Spain and currently Denmark, at various
ministers' and OSCE conferences, NATO summits, G7/G8 World Economic Summits
(Cologne and Genoa) and bilateral Franco-German consultations.
The Ingolstadt-based vehicle manufacturer has in addition acted as mobility
provider during the Pope's visit to Hungary, at the World Economic Forums in
Davos, and at political party conferences, royal weddings in Spain and Belgium,
high-ranking doctors' congresses, the Salzburg Festival, the film festivals in
Cannes, London and Paris, the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival, concerts
starring the "Three Tenors" and Herbert Grönemeyer, the World Architecture
Congress in Berlin, the Kiel Regatta and countless major corporate events.
An immense amount of effort goes into preparing the chauffeur service for
such events. According to Hagemeister, more than two years may elapse between
initial contacts, e.g. with the government departments in question, and the
actual event. The intervening period is peppered with negotiations and
consultative, coordinating and planning meetings. Because when it comes to the
actual event, the organisation has to be perfect, security correspondingly tight
and the entire proceedings scrupulously calculated. Nothing is left to chance:
this supporting service has to be as impressive as the products themselves. This
is why Audi has a policy of taking on no more than ten events of this size each
year, on top of its involvement at meetings hosted by the EU President.
Hagemeister elucidates: "We actually receive around 100 enquiries each year."
The "fleet" of the Audi vehicles which make up the Limousine Service
comprises 100 conventional long-wheelbase Audi A8 cars and 20 armour-plated
versions of the A8. The fleet is currently being updated, and the new Audi A8 is
due to be in operation at the NATO Summit in Prague. The entire fleet is in
action at major events. And if need be, Audi can supply additional luxury
limousines.
The central fleet depot is a large, high-security hall near Ingolstadt. The
vehicles are transferred from there to the event venue by truck or, if need be,
by ship or aircraft if they are destined for overseas. At foreign venues, Audi's
local importer takes charge of organisational matters, always hand in hand with
the head office in Ingolstadt. By way of a supporting service, an entire fleet
of VW Caravelle minibuses is also available. Audi cooperates closely with
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles to provide these. "This ensures that the group in
the wider sense establishes its presence at such events," adds Hagemeister.
In the run-up to the event, the drivers selected by the organiser are put
through an intensive driving and safety training course by professional Audi
instructors and familiarised with the Audi models. Hagemeister explains: "This
aspect is of fundamental importance. After all, the drivers need to be in
perfect control of their vehicle in order to respond correctly in hazardous
situations and keep their VIP passengers safe."
| August 2002
Historical Background on Use
of Aluminum at Audi
Lightweight construction has been given all the weight such an important
topic deserves at Audi: for 17 years now, Audi has been undertaking
intensive research and development work into aluminium as a material, and
has built up unrivalled know-how in using this lightweight metal. Dr. Werner
Mischke, AUDI AG's Director of Technical Development, comments: "Our lead
over competitors in this area is at least five years." Among the products
that provide evidence of this are the Audi A8 and the Audi A2, two cars that
sell successfully and have all-aluminium bodywork. But Audi's use of
weight-saving materials grows all the time in other ways as well, tailored
blanks, plastics or magnesium for add-on components and applications in the
engine, transmission or running-gear areas. The policy can be summed up as
"intelligent use of mixed construction principles to reduce vehicle weight".
Background
The notion of building lightweight cars with the aid of innovative
materials goes back many years. As early as 1913, NSU produced its 8/24 car
with a body entirely made of aluminium. In 1923, Audi announced a
six-cylinder all-alloy engine. In the same year, it experimented with a
streamlined aluminium car body for its Type K model. Later, in 1954, the
Auto Union looked into the possibility of saving weight by using plastic for
the car's body.
In the years that followed, weight-saving construction remained one of
the key competence areas of the Ingolstadt-based automobile manufacturer. In
1980, for instance, Audi developed an upper midsize research vehicle using
plastic elements as body reinforcements. This was followed in 1984 by the
legendary Audi Sport quattro, which had a high-tech outer skin made from a
composite fibre material. 1984 was also the year in which Audi began to
study aluminium intensively again; in due course, an aluminium body based on
the Audi 100 was developed.
At the 1991 German Motor Show (the 'IAA') in Frankfurt, the four-ring
badge was seen on the Audi quattro Spyder, a sports coupé that was received
most enthusiastically, much of the sensation it caused being due to its
aluminium body. Only a short time later, at the Tokyo Motor Show, another
futuristic sports-car design study was unveiled, the Audi Avus quattro, with
an eye-catching body in aluminium polished to a high gloss.
Close observers of the automobile scene judged these exciting new moves
to be clear evidence that Audi was planning to make greater use of aluminium
in its production models. As it transpired, a partnership had been in
existence for some years already with the Aluminium Company of America
(Alcoa), aimed at developing an aluminium-bodied car to production
readiness. The policy was formulated as follows: a systematic weight-saving
construction concept, particularly as far as the car's body was concerned,
would lower fuel consumption significantly without calling for any
sacrifices in comfort, performance or safety.
Audi Space Frame and A8
In the autumn of 1993 the German Motor Show was once again chosen to
reveal the results, in the form of the Audi ASF aluminium design study. This
vehicle made use of entirely new construction principles that amounted to
far more than mere substitution of aluminium for steel as the structural
material. The Audi Space Frame principle created a high-strength aluminium
framework into which the larger sheet aluminium elements were integrated and
performed a load-bearing function. The extruded aluminium sections o the
frame were linked by pressure die-cast nodal elements.
New manufacturing technologies had to be developed for the new
construction principle, and also improved light alloys and process
techniques. In addition to welding and adhesive bonding, self-piercing
rivets were used as a joining technique for the first time in the automobile
manufacturing industry. More than 40 patents and patent applications were
ample evidence of the sheer novelty of the ASF concept. In 1994, at the
Geneva Motor Show, the ASF concept car was translated into series-production
form: the Audi A8 with its all-aluminium body celebrated its world première
- a milestone in automobile construction.
The Aluminium Centre
The A8 is built at the company's plant in Neckarsulm. This location in
the German State of Baden-Württemberg soon established itself as the centre
of Audi's aluminium know-how. At the end of 1994, the Group grouped together
its competences in weight-saving construction and invested the equivalent of
some eight million Euro in the construction of an Aluminium Centre. This now
employs more than a hundred people, who are solely concerned with the
development of production vehicle built in aluminium. Dr. Wolfgang Ruch, the
Director of the Aluminium Centre, explains: "We are particularly
concerned with optimising the material properties, components and processes
used in high-volume production according to the ASF technological principle.
Suppliers, colleges of advanced technology and other institutes are all
involved in this activity."
The Audi A2 and the second ASF generation
This development work has clearly been crowned with success: in 1997 Audi
exhibited its Al2 design study, a vision of an aluminium car suitable for
high-volume production. It took only two years more for this vision to
become reality: in 1999 production of the Audi A2 began in Neckarsulm and
with it the second generation of ASF technology - the first car to be
produced in volume with an all-aluminium body. Its success was due in no
small way to the invaluable experience already gained by Audi from series
production of the all-aluminium A8 model. The new second-generation ASF
vehicle consists of 60 percent sheet aluminium, 22 percent aluminium
castings and 18 percent extruded aluminium sections. Audi's development
partner for the A2 in the aluminium area was Algroup Alusuisse (now Alcan).
The A8's Audi Space Frame, weighing only 249 kilograms (some 200 fewer
than a steel bodyshell of the same type), set new standards in its market
segment, but is surpassed in this respect by the A2's aluminium body, which
weighs only 156 kilograms including add-on parts - 43 percent less than a
comparable conventional steel body. Furthermore, the number of elements
making up the A2's body is only 238, compared with 334 in the case of the
A8. This has been achieved by combining various components into larger items
- in most cases sections or multifunctional castings. For example, the A2
has a single-piece side wall frame, the first time such an item has been
produced from aluminium.
At the same time, the degree of automation has gone up from 25 percent on
the A8 to 85 percent on the A2, a value comparable with conventional
pressed-steel body construction. The methods adopted allow up to 300 cars a
day to be built. This must be compared with a maximum daily capacity of 80
in the case of the Audi A8.
An innovation not matched anywhere in the world is the laser-beam welding
process used for the aluminium body elements. About 30 metres of laser weld
seams are to be found in the A2. Joining techniques that had already been
proved successful on the A8 are the use of self-piercing rivets and MIG
welding. These methods succeed in keeping the dimensional tolerances of
structural elements down to only ± 0.15 millimetre on the A2 - a benchmark
value within the Volkswagen Group.
Weight-saving construction methods for the 'three-litre' car
Like the A8 in 1994, the Audi A2 received the European Aluminium Award in
2000 for its innovative concept. In the same year, this model was awarded
the German Industry Innovation Prize for its developed version of the ASF
technological principle. Furthermore, Audi went a step further and added the
first four-door hatchback in the world with a fuel consumption of only three
litres per 100 kilometres to its A2 programme. The A2 1.2 TDI actually
weighs 135 kilograms less than the already low figure recorded by the A2 1.4
TDI: just 855 kilograms. Its fuel consumption (total according to 93/116/EG)
is precisely 2.99 litres of diesel oil per 100 kilometres. One of the
methods adopted to achieve this weight reduction is the use of innovative
lightweight materials for even more of the car's components.
In this way the running gear, for instance, has been reduced in weight by
more than 80 kilograms. The frame to which the axle is attached, the lateral
suspension control arms and the suspension struts are made of aluminium, as
are the front disc brake calipers and the rear brake drums. The A2 1.2 TDI
also has lightweight forged alloy wheels and special tyres which weigh only
4.9 kilograms each thanks to the use of aramid fibres to provide the
necessary strength in the tyre carcass. Lightweight forged alloy wheels,
incidentally, are now standard equipment on most Audi models. Further
weight-saving measures applied to the A2 1.2 TDI included aluminium shock
absorbers, front seats in lightweight foam and a rigid rear seat back of
sandwich construction, which alone cuts the weight by 19 kilograms.
150,000 aluminium cars
In July this year, Audi reached a new milestone in its successful history
of weight-saving car construction by producing its 150,000th aluminium car.
The total is made up of more than 93,000 Audi A8s and almost 57,000 A2s. Nor
will we have to wait much longer to see Audi's next aluminium car: in 2002
the successor to the current Audi A8 will be launched, and will once again
be of aluminium construction, using a developed version of the ASF
|
Innovative materials in Audi's car production
But that is not all: in all Audi models the proportion of aluminium and other
weight-saving materials continues to increase, particularly in the engine,
gearbox and running-gear areas. Here are a few examples: the A8 (like the A4 and
A6) has aluminium suspension components. On Audi's flagship model, weight-saving
aluminium is also used for the wheel hubs, the front and rear wheel suspension
control arms, all brake calipers, the shock absorber pivot mounts and the
wheels. In Audi's new top-of-the-range engine, the W12, which is used to power
the A8 L 6.0, aluminium is used extensively. The intake pipe, incidentally, is
made from magnesium and secured with aluminium screws - another absolute
innovation in the car industry.
Engines
Weight-saving construction methods are in any case applied systematically to
Audi's engines. Such varied components as variable-length intake pipes, cylinder
head covers and thermostat housings are made from glass fibre-reinforced
plastic, and light alloys are also used extensively.
The three-cylinder 1.2 TDI engine used in the 'three-litre' A2 has an
aluminium engine block and cylinder head. This engine weighs only 100 kilograms
and is therefore one of the lightest passenger-car diesel engines available
anywhere. The 3.0 V6 engine, the 2.0-litre inline four and the A2's 1.4-litre
four-cylinder spark-ignition engine also have aluminium engine blocks.
The same applies to the 1.6-litre and 1.8-litre four-cylinder spark-ignition
engines, which also have cast aluminium cylinder heads. Aluminium plays an
important part in the V8 spark-ignition engines too. In the V8 3.3 TDI, Audi's
most powerful diesel, the engine block is made of vermicular-graphite cast iron
(GGV), a high-strength material that reduces the weight of this component by ten
percent. Aluminium is used for the engine's cylinder heads.
Add-on body parts
The trend towards using weight-saving materials to a greater extent is also
noticeable in the cars' add-on body parts. The A6, for instance, has an
aluminium engine hood. Most Audi models have high-strength aluminium side
intrusion protection beams in the doors, and TT Roadster owners who order a
hardtop for their sports car will find that it is of sandwich construction, with
a load-bearing aluminium frame surrounded by polyurethane foam and fibre glass
mats.
Magnesium
Audi has also made successful use of magnesium. In addition to the air intake
module on the W12 engine, which we have already mentioned, the intake pipe,
sealing flanges and cylinder head covers on the V8 engine are also made from
magnesium. Other applications for this light metal on production cars are the
housings of Audi's multitronic continuously variable transmission and the
five-speed manual-shift gearbox, parts of the adjustable steering column, the
frame for the airbag steering wheel in all models, the ignition lock housing or
the upper seat belt mounting loops in the A2.
Natural fibres
Audi's multifunctional, weight-saving construction methods include the
systematic use of thermoplastics and thermosets reinforced with natural fibres.
This applies in particular to the polyamide and polypropylene thermoplastics,
but Audi also makes use of thermoplastics and polyurethane matrix components
reinforced with natural fibres for concealed areas of the interior trim. The
rear side panel trims in the A3, for instance, consist of 75 percent flax fibre
with an epoxy matrix. In the A4 Avant and A6 Avant, flax fibre with a
polypropylene matrix is used for the load-area side trim, and in the A2 the door
trims are made of flax fibre with a polyurethane matrix.
Intelligent use of mixed construction methods
All this indicates that Audi's engineers are certainly placing the emphasis
on aluminium, but that they are also exploring quite different methods of
systematic weight-saving. Professor Hans-Günther Haldenwanger, the Head of
Materials/Processes/Recycling Development at AUDI AG, explains this as follows:
"In addition to careful design of the vehicle package as a whole, the greatest
potential for weight-saving is in the construction of concepts and modules using
an intelligent mix of materials and methods." The new A4 is an example of how
this maxim has been implemented by Audi in practice.
Priority for weight-saving on the A4
Audi's top-selling model is evidence that even a car with a load-bearing
pressed-steel bodyshell can save weight most effectively if aluminium components
are incorporated. The proportion of weight-saving materials, that is to say
aluminium, magnesium and plastics, has risen steeply. Compared with the previous
A4 model, the proportion of iron and steel has dropped by about 7.5 percent. Of
the unladen weight of 1,310 kilograms, 716 kg of the principal construction
materials are accounted for by these iron and steel, 237 kg by polymers and 191
kg by light alloys.
Steel none the less has a decisive role to play in the new A4. Large areas of
the body structure - some 45 percent by weight - are made from extra-strong or
ultra-high strength grades of sheet. So-called 'tailored blanks' are used for
the front-end structure and the occupant zone in particular. This technique has
the advantage that the tailored blanks, which are normally of large area, are
made from metal rolled to varying gauges and can thus be of higher wall
thickness in zones subject to particularly high loads. Weight saving and a
stable structure can thus be combined in an effective manner. Ten large tailored
blanks are used in the construction of the new A4.
Design strategies
Such a lead in the weight-saving area can only be achieved with a complex
combination of different processes in the development and production areas.
These processes must take effect long before the first prototypes are built: the
optimum structure must be arrived at in the very earliest design phase. In the
words of materials technology expert Professor Haldenwanger: "In the vehicle's
definition phase, weight-saving conceptual and modular principles can save many
kilograms of weight, whereas after this stage in the process only weight
reductions of a few grams are possible." He has identified six different
weight-saving design strategies:
Weight-saving by shaping: the aim is to improve the distribution of forces
in the structure by optimising its shape and thus obtain greater load capacity
and at the same time use less material.
Weight-saving by choice of materials: those with a higher specific weight
are replaced by lighter, stronger materials, provided that these are suitable
for the shaping and joining processes used in high-volume series production.
Weight-saving by the use of composite materials: this refers to the
combination of different materials in specific cases if the combined structure
possesses high rigidity and load capacity at minimum weight.
Weight-saving as part of the overall concept: this design principle calls
for the systematic choice of individual components that match the complete
system as effectively as possible, including component layout (the 'package')
and design.
Weight-saving by the use of modular elements: this principle links and
combines individual component and assembly functions by means of hybrid or mixed
construction methods.
Weight-saving associated with environmental or ambient conditions: excessive
safety or load requirements are scrutinised and more favourable geometrical
environments for the weight-saving components that have to be integrated are
called for.
High-strength steels, magnesium, aluminium (as alloy castings, extrusions or
sheet), plastics, fibre-reinforced thermoplasts/thermosets or composite fibre
and plastic materials are already a firm element in Audi's vehicle design
practice. Professor Haldenwanger, with a team of some 20 highly qualified
engineers at the Technical Materials Centre in Ingolstadt, is also conducting
research into the use of materials such as titanium, ceramics or carbon for
components and assemblies. All materials with weight-saving potential are
undergoing tests at Audi.
Dr. Wolfgang Ruch, the Director of the Aluminium Centre, adds: "Whenever we
consider using other materials for our models, we have to take their
availability, cost, use in high volume and not least their suitability for
recycling into account."
| July 2002
Pioneering work in
Production: Manufacturing the New Audi A8
The Audi A8 which came on to the market in 1994 was the first vehicle
with a fully aluminium body. In June 2000 the pioneer in aluminium proved
with the Audi A2 that the alloy is also suitable for volume production. And
Audi is again setting standards with the new Audi A8 which will appear on
the market later this year. "In the production these are innovative
processes for processing aluminium and the latest machinery in body
construction and assembly," explains Dr. Jochem Heizmann, Board member for
Production at AUDI AG. More than EUR 300 million has been invested at the
production site and in the Aluminium Competence Centre in Neckarsulm. Around
1,300 employees will be engaged in the production of the new Audi flagship
in the body shop, in the paint shop and in assembly.
The investment sum includes the completely new body shop (EUR 180
million). Building work began on this in January 2000. In the meantime the
175-metre long, 60-metre wide and 35-metre high building complex has been
completed in which the aluminium body with the Audi Space Frame (ASF) will
be manufactured for what is the third generation of the A8. A floor space of
24,000 square metres is available on two storeys. In addition, a logistics
annex has been built covering 3,900 square metres. Around 350 people are
employed in the new A8 body construction plant.
156 robots ensure an automation level of 80 percent. Klaus-Dieter Zachow,
Head of the A8 Parts Production, explains: "That's a level we also achieve
in volume production on the A2 or the A6 in Neckarsulm." As a comparison: in
the body shop of the previous A8 there were 25 robots in operation which was
an automation level of 20 percent.
"The higher level of automation on the new A8 means a shorter cycle time.
Compared with the predecessor, we save over 50 percent in production time in
body construction alone. We also improve process reliability and thus raise
the reproducible quality considerably," explains Roland Schad, Project
Leader for Production on the A8.
This is brought about among other things by innovative manufacturing
processes. There is thus a combination, for example, of the conventional
laser and arc welding process in the laser beam-MIG-hybrid welding
process (MIG stands for Metal Inert Gas) which is completely new in
vehicle construction with aluminium.
"We achieve diverse synergy effects by combining both joining processes.
We are thus extending the limits of current thermal joining processes with
regard to productivity, efficiency, seam quality and process reliability,"
points out Stephan Helten, responsible for laser beam technology in the
Aluminium Centre in Neckarsulm and very much involved in the development of
the hybrid welding process for Audi's new top model. A welding seam length
of 4.5 metres is thus achieved per vehicle. The laser-MIG-hybrid welding is
used in the area of the lateral roof frame which is fitted with various
functional panels.
As well as the amount of hybrid welding seam, there are also 2,600 punch
rivets (1,100 on the predecessor), 64 metres of MIG welding seams and 20
metres of laser welding seams on every A8 body. The greater use of punch
riveting on the successor model means that 500 spot welds and 178 clinch
connections that joined the body of the previous A8 together are no longer
required.
Another innovative joining technique is roller-type hemming. Here
rollers secured to a robot arm bend the outer panel over the inner panel and
create a powerful connection by the application of a hem-bonding adhesive.
The add-on components on the new A8 (doors, bonnet and tailgate) and the
connection of the wheel arch with the side-panel frame are processed in this
way.
Inductive gelling is also a production first. In this process, the
hem-bonding zones on the add-on components are heated through targeted
induction (electric field) that hardens the hem-bonding adhesive. The
component is thus stabilised and any slipping of the outer panel to the
inner panel is avoided.
The dimensional accuracy is monitored at 14 stations during the
production process by the inline measuring concept using laser measuring
sensors. A laser beam from a pre-defined position is projected on to a
point on the component. The distance to the laser head and thus the
dimension of the component is defined through the reflection of the beam.
Any deviations can thus be recognised and resolved immediately.
A single-piece side-panel frame in aluminium is installed on the
new A8 for the first time in the large vehicle class. The over 3.45-metre
long frame weighs less than seven kilograms. The side panel still consisted
of eight parts on the previous model. This single-piece aluminium frame has
been in volume production at Audi since the year 2000 on the A2. This is
also pioneering work in vehicle construction with the alloy.
Compared to the predecessor, the number of components on the further
developed Audi Space Frame (ASF) has been reduced from 334 (including add-on
parts on the previous model) to 267. This is achieved through the use of
large-format panels such as the single-piece side-panel frame, of extruded
sections such as the three-metre long hydroformed roof frame and
multifunctional large castings such as for the radiator tank or B-post.
The reduction in parts and weight on the new ASF is well represented by
the last two mentioned components: whereas the radiator tank on the "old" A8
still consists of seven different parts and weighs over five kilograms, it
will be cast in one piece as a multifunctional part on the successor model.
The weight: around three kilograms. The same is true of the B-post: whereas
it was composed of eight parts till now (4,254 grams), it is produced as a
single component in the successor model with a reduction in weight at the
same time of around 600 grams.
There are a whole range of other lightweight construction measures that
have been adopted on the new A8: the aluminium rear auxiliary frame alone
enables a weight reduction of around nine kilograms. Components such as the
instrument panel support made of aluminium and magnesium, cast-rolled wheels
or the sprayed-on acoustic insulation in the underbody area signify a weight
saving of one kilogram in each case. Compared to a conventional steel body
of this size, around 40 percent of the weight can be trimmed off in the new
A8. "The Audi flagship is, as its predecessor already, a benchmark in terms
of lightweight construction combined with exceptional stability," according
to Production Director Heizmann.
At the end of the body production line, a computer-controlled CNC
milling machine mechanically processes the connecting zones for
suspension and front-end module. At the same time, the position of the
vehicle is determined via mechanical sensors and the machining
correspondingly controlled through a computer programme. It is possible to
achieve a perfectly adjusted assembly of the front-end module and the
suspension through the high precision of the milling process. The precision
with which the running gear is connected to the body is a basic prerequisite
for the new top model's excellent handling properties.
The finished body shell of a new A8 is then transported to a height of 26
metres by a conveyor belt over a 315-metre long, completely covered over
bridge into the paint shop. The paint shop, one of the most
up-to-date in the world, was already prepared for the launch of the
luxury-class vehicle following completion of the third building phase in
October 2000. The third building phase enabled the introduction of
segmenting or painting in various part sections separated according to the
model series. Audi also took into account the increasing demands on the
paint shop brought about by the growing number of aluminium vehicles. The
total amount of investment for the paint shop was over EUR 300 million.
Every A8 body can be applied with 15 different series colours and
numerous special paint finishes. In total, 1,250 people work in the paint
shop in Neckarsulm of which around 150 are exclusively concerned with the
paint finish for the A8.
The process then moves from the paint shop to the assembly area
which was converted, extended and restructured at a cost of around EUR 60
million. Some 800 people are employed there in an area covering some 36,000
square metres. Final assembly of the new A8 takes place in 74 cycles (each
cycle being six metres) on a single line that is over 440 metres long in
total.
A new development on the A8 is the outsourcing of the doors and the
front-end module. The doors are thus dismantled immediately after the start
of the assembly process and transported via an electric telpher line to the
second floor of the new south annex for pre-assembly. There the door modules
are completely put together and tested, subsequently brought via the
conveyance technology to almost the halfway point of the assembly line and
attached to the body once again.
The benefits of this outsourcing are among other things shorter
production times as the doors need not be opened and closed again at every
working stage, and considerably improved ergonomics for the employees on the
assembly line. In addition, the required material can be positioned a good
one metre nearer on the assembly line as there is no interference from the
opened doors. As well as the door modules, the front end is also
pre-assembled as a separate module in the second upper floor of the south
annex and then brought to the vehicle at a later point in the assembly line.
The joining of the drive components with the body - the so-called
"marriage" - is also new. Whereas "only" the engine, transmission and the
front and rear axle were located separately using two installation vehicles
on the previous A8, Audi has changed over to a driverless transport system (FTS)
enabling complete installation. In other words, not only the complete
suspension and drive units are placed on and located by a single
installation vehicle but also the exhaust system, fuel tank and propeller
shaft.
The screws are tightened with electronically controlled screwdrivers
throughout the assembly area. In this EC screwdriving technology, the
employee on the production line scans in the vehicle's identification number
and thus "primes" the screwdriving operation. This now "knows" how many
screw points must be tightened and at what torque and stores the data in
relation to the identification numbers. A protocol is finally created to
ascertain whether the screw operation has been carried out successfully. The
data record is then archived in a databank. In this way, every screw
operation on the new A8 is comprehensively documented.
Following the assembly, the vehicle passes to the restructured finish
area which comprises the car wash, seal inspection, surface control, the
audits of the quality assurance, battery recharging, scanning of the car
inspection card and the headlight test rig.
In addition, a new second test centre has been built. Head of the
Parts Production Zachow explains: "We focused our attention on the
electronics very early on with regard to the production. The testing
requirements for the electrics/electronics on the new A8 have become so
complex that a second test centre was necessary." This is hardly surprising
as the new Audi top model is equipped with a range of electronic features.
In the full spec, up to 65 control devices, which form a highly complex
electronics network, can communicate with each other in the saloon.
Each of these functions is checked in the test area. In order to carry
this out there is a Mobile Programming Station (MPS), a combined test rig
that carries out headlight and wheel alignment and an infotainment test rig.
The latter is used, for example, for ensuring the quality of the Audio
Sound System. The speaker system is tested, on the one hand, for correct
installation whereby the speakers are subjected to a high, medium and
low-pitched tone. The characteristic sound in the vehicle is measured and
compared with a target curve in order to check the correct function. On the
other hand, any background noises are recorded and analysed. In addition, a
fully automatic telephone call is carried out to test the telephone system
and the TV and radio are checked along with the GPS aerial (number of
recognised satellites).
Such innovations also mean new demands on the employees in production.
"We have intensively trained all the employees in the testing area and
brought electronics specialists into the production organisation," explains
Zachow. The employees in the new body shop also received comprehensive
training.
Another challenge was that the conversion of production to the new A8
took place parallel to the production of the current model, especially in
the assembly area. "The particular challenge lay in not impairing the
ongoing production and at the same time quickly realising the future
production. But that is the way of doing things in the future: to transfer
to the new production in the current one," explains Hartmut Welz, Head of
Production Planning in Neckarsulm.
Production of the new A8 in Neckarsulm will take place in a two-shift
operation with a capacity of 100 vehicles per day. From the start of body
construction to the point at which the new A8 rolls off the line as a
finished vehicle takes seven days, one day less than the predecessor's cycle
time. |
| July 7, 2002
Keep Listening Till
There's Nothing to Hear! Audi's Creaking and Cracking Team Tracks Down
Noises
Text and photos courtesy of Audi AG
If you do a job well, tell the world - loudly and clearly! This old
business principle applies to Eckhard Peithmann in a rather different way.
As head of the "creaking and cracking team" at AUDI AG, he and his
"audience" track down all conceivable sources of noise - not just those in
the team's ironic title - in the company's new vehicle families. During the
development of a new Audi model, innumerable tests on the road and on test
rigs are carried out until the last "creaking and cracking" problems are
literally "driven out".
At Audi they call him simply "The Ear". Peithmann himself accepts this
nickname with an amused smile: "This job not only calls for a sensitive ear
but also a great deal of patience. Some noises can only be heard after the
umpteenth test!" Others are not only heard but also felt. Peithmann selects
his team members according to these criteria. The team consists of
development engineers, and staff from the Quality Assurance, production and
after-sales departments. "This work can't be taught at school or during a
training course," says Peithmann. "In particular as a test of the
individual's patience, it's not to everyone's taste."
But the task still appeals to him, even after more than 20 years.
Peithmann (48) loves listening to the Blues; what he hates, on the other
hand, are rattling glove compartments, squeaking seats or creaking plastic
trim elements. The task is not merely to eliminate noises that really can't
be ignored, but to get rid of those that only appear when certain road
surface conditions, temperatures, speeds or distance are encountered or
driven - and then begin to set the customer's teeth on edge.
Detecting all those sources of noise is a costly and time-consuming job.
Noise analysis for any particular Audi model takes a whole year. Every four
to six weeks members of the creaking and cracking team start out on another
test drive - either in the bitter cold on test routes in Scandinavia or on
desert tracks in North Africa. Depending on the complexity of the task, each
of these outings may last between six and twelve days.
In between, noise is analysed on roller and shaker test rigs, in climatic
chambers, with dummy-head microphones and on a hydropulse facility at Audi's
technical development centre in Ingolstadt. "Over the years the number of
test drives and noise analyses has increased; Audi has continuously expanded
its model range and therefore new product launches occur at shorter
intervals," Peithmann explains.
Why Audi's acoustic engineers choose for example the Arctic Circle to
hunt for noises is explained by Carsten Vortanz, head of Design Check and
Test Drive Procedures, and a member of the creaking and cracking steering
committee: "During winter the temperatures there drop as low as minus 40
degrees Centigrade. At that level, plastics lose some of their elasticity,
their friction coefficients alter and they are therefore more prone to
produce noise." However, their properties also change when exposed to severe
heat. Creaking and cracking noises in a car occur particularly often in
plastics.
Moving parts in particular are liable to generate noise, for example
seats, doors, seals or glove compartments. Squeaky leather too gives the
testers the kind of earache they would sooner avoid. A fault evaluation key
has been drawn up for all materials and components, with all noise defects
recorded in the most objective possible way - but it's equally true that in
the end, noise analysis will always remain a subjective evaluation.
Despite all the high-tech applications in use by Audi's acoustic analysis
teams, the way the team members go about their work is not without a certain
exotic aspect. One may see an acoustics expert lying in the boot "just
keeping my ears open" - over bumpy tracks and surfaces suffering from severe
frost and in widely varying road conditions. Alternatively, the tester on
the front seat may suddenly lower his head into the footwell and listen for
sounds inside the car - even if this means that his legs have to dangle
precariously over the seat back. Vortanz: "We creep into every nook and
cranny of the car's body." To avoid the risk of accidents, such test drives
are not carried out on public roads but on closed test tracks. |
Whereas some acoustic roughness can be located quite easily, in other cases
the exclusion principle has to be applied. Parts are removed until the noise
disappears and the evil-doer is found. A lot depends on a sharp ear,
sensitivity, patience and last but not least the creaking and cracking expert's
experience. Peithmann: "The loud noises disappear first, then new sources of
noise emerge that we were not able to detect beforehand."
There are so many ways and so many areas in the car in which unwanted noise
can develop. The roof post lining may rub against the roof rail lining, the seat
height adjuster may scrape past the seat trim fastenings when actuated, a
terminal strip may knock against the frame or the glass in the instrument
cluster may start to rattle. For the members of the creaking and cracking team
there is probably no noise they haven't yet heard.
Over the years the team has compiled a "creaking and cracking catalogue"
which is accessible via the Audi Intranet as part of the knowledge management
programme. It serves Audi engineers as a basis when developing a new model, in
order to avoid designs with unwanted creaking and cracking potential from the
very start. The experts can even identify certain sources of noise when looking
at the design of the digital model on the computer screen - well before any
actual hardware which might crack, rattle, clatter or squeak is produced.
"Certain design features and component or material combinations can be excluded
immediately, just by looking at the CAD data," says Peithmann.
Nevertheless, at this point of time and given the current state of the art it
is not possible to compile a complete "creaking and cracking analysis" for a car
with the aid of computer simulation. "This degree of simulation is not
practicable, for example noise-specific material behaviour when exposed to
different climatic influences," explains Carsten Vortanz. Even in the future,
the numerous test drives and trials with ultra-modern test technology and last
but not least the sensitive ears of the creaking and cracking team will remain
an essential basis for the high acoustical quality of all Audi models.
Noise Database for Audi Dealers
Customer Service at AUDI AG registers customer-relevant noise on the road
from the driver's position by means of dummy-head stereophony and makes the
details available to dealers and workshops as a database via the Audi Servicenet.
In this way, noise complained of in customers' cars can be compared with noise
sources and directions already stored in the database.
The purpose of this is to simplify the often hour-long search for and
analysis of noises in customers' cars. Noise analysis was often a difficult task
for the dealer. If it proved impossible, the car had to be returned to the
manufacturer. The Servicenet also describes the relevant measures that enable
Audi dealers to eliminate the various noises on the spot at their premises.
This procedure is already in use for functional noises generated by the
engine or brakes, but with regard to detecting, analysing and eliminating
creaking and cracking noises it is still in the test phase.
Audi’s Drive to Service Excellence
How the luxury carmaker’s customer engagement strategy has dramatically
improved the customer experience in the UK
by Susan Suffes
When luxury car manufacturer Audi launched its new A-series in the United
Kingdom in 1995, sales were spectacular. By 1999, Audi sold 40,000 cars in the
United Kingdom; by 2002, more than 65,000 were sold, and 40% were to repeat
customers -- a growth rate of almost 60%.
How did Audi manage such growth? The story starts in 1996, when Audi’s
research uncovered that it ranked dead last among luxury makes in the United
Kingdom on traditional measures of owner satisfaction and loyalty.
To sustain the successful launch of the A-class sedan, senior management
understood that this dismal ranking would have to be reversed -- so it developed
an ambitious plan to reinvent Audi UK from the ground up. The results have been
nothing short of stunning. In fact, Audi’s success offers a model of how to
drive growth and engineer a dramatic turnaround by creating a superior customer
experience for companies in any industry.
Satisfying the customer is not enough
Audi’s research revealed this important finding: Although Audi customers were
pleased with their vehicles overall, they were far from happy with their
customer experience at Audi dealers, particularly when their vehicles needed
service. It seemed as if each of the 130 “Audi Centre” dealerships operated
independently. If the proud owner of a new Audi, motoring from London to the
Lake District for a holiday, found his or her car in need of service, the next
Audi Centre would likely not have the same hours as his or her local one. Nor
would it necessarily offer the same services or even uphold the commitments that
were promised with the purchase of the car. Consistency was practically
nonexistent. David Ovenden, Audi’s head of customer service, saw that for
customers, “service by chance” was the norm.
For Audi UK, it was time to stop, back up, and change directions.
Audi realized that creating consistent service across its network of
franchised dealerships was key to establishing a dependable brand experience for
its customers. So Audi UK launched its “Service by Design” program in January
2000.
The program wasn’t complicated, and it didn’t take intensive study or
preparation. But it did require consistency and a focus on crucial areas that
would build a customer’s emotional engagement.
In Phase One, Audi Centres worked to deliver the “basics” -- the minimum
services that customers expect from their dealers -- consistently. Audi
crystallized these into a published brand promise, Service by Design, that gave
dealerships a clear set of procedures or guidelines that employees could
understand and implement.
When The Gallup Organization began working with Audi in 2000, the aim was to
track how well franchisees (the Audi Centres) met the brand promise on these
basics:
- A customer could call and set up an appointment within five days.
- All customers would be offered alternate transportation, and courtesy cars
would be fueled and insured by the Audi Centre.
- When an owner picked up his or her car, it would be washed, vacuumed, and
in pristine condition.
- Customers would not be charged for work that was not preauthorized.
- All customers would receive an itemized invoice.
The company reinforced the importance of keeping the brand promise by tying
substantial bonuses to each Audi Centre’s customer service ratings. Gallup
interviewed 60 customers per dealership per quarter, reporting rolling results
monthly. This allowed each Audi Centre to compare its performance to that
achieved by other centres across the network.
The bonuses were fundamental to ensure accountability at the dealership level
-- where crucial inconsistency problems had been identified.
The process worked.
- In 2000, 71% of customers across the Audi network reported that their
dealerships had met all the published brand promises -- the “Service by Design
Basics.”
- Just two years later, 87% of UK customers reported perfect delivery of the
Basics.
Perception is everything
Once its dealers had the Basics down, Audi shifted its focus to building
customer engagement. In Phase Two, the strategy moved to humanizing the customer
relationship -- from taking care of cars to taking care of the people who drove
them.
A second measure was developed to reflect the new emphasis: the Service by
Design (“SbD”) Loyalty metric.
While original Basics metrics were process measures, the new SbD Loyalty
metric measured how dealerships influenced the customer experience. Customers’
perceptions were increasingly important. Across the network, each customer
interaction -- the “customer experience” -- began to be viewed in terms of that
perception. The Basics, for instance, included a “yes/no” measure of whether a
car was washed and vacuumed before it was returned to its owner -- a process
measure. The SbD Loyalty metric, in contrast, provided a more comprehensive
assessment of the entire customer experience and the customers’ reactions to it.
Audi had long tracked a measure of “Quality of Work.” This rating was
originally intended to gauge the technical abilities in each dealership’s
workshop. Gallup consultants noted that this was in fact a higher level outcome
measure. “It is an overall measure,” says James Court-Smith, Gallup’s consultant
on the account, “and it reflects whether customers feel that the dealership
takes pride in its work, and whether it appears to care about its customers.”
When Gallup consultants delved into the elements that drove an Audi
customer’s perception of the Quality of Work, they discovered that communication
and managing customer expectations were key to delighting Audi customers. First,
customers must feel that the dealership’s service personnel had taken the time
to properly understand their requirements -- communication that happens when a
car is checked in. Customers must also feel that they knew what work had been
done to their cars and whether further work was recommended -- communication
that occurs when the car is returned to the customer.
A second important discovery was that if a service problem wasn’t fixed the
first time, all other efforts to engage customers would likely be wasted. Even
here, though, perception is everything -- and setting the right expectations can
make all the difference. If a customer has to return for a second visit to
correct a problem -- for example, if a part must be ordered -- it doesn’t matter
as much that the customer has to return, it matters more whether the
customer had expected a second visit.
Managing expectations doesn’t require a huge monetary investment or an
expensive customer relationship management (CRM) system, but it does demand
attentive staff members at every customer touchpoint. For Audi, the upshot is
this: When a customer checks in a car for service and asks for a problem to be
corrected while it is in the workshop, the staff members know they must manage
that expectation by telling the customer that the problem will be investigated
and diagnosed that day. But a part may need to be ordered, and a second visit
may be required to correct the problem.
In Phase Two, Audi highlighted the human dimension of the customer
experience. Managing expectations and communicating, and staff friendliness and
courtesy were core components, along with the dealership’s ability to keep the
service schedule they had promised the customer -- a crucial element of the
brand promise.
Communication counts
Audi’s focus on managing expectations and good communication at every
customer touchpoint ensured that the Service by Design program aligned customer
service efforts in each dealership. It gave these businesses a common language
and a common goal -- improving the customer experience -- that centered on how
each interaction influenced customer perceptions.
For dealers, this meant “owning” their customers’ perceptions and making them
a priority. Dealers had to shift their emphasis from merely washing and
vacuuming cars to delighting customers with the result of a clean car.
The new emphasis on communication had some practical implications for
dealership staff members as they struggled with customers’ apparent impatience
and desire to get in and out of the dealership as quickly as possible. Many
dealerships, in fact, misguidedly prioritized speed over communication.
Research showed that it was vitally important for customers to feel that
their needs were properly understood and to know what repairs had been made to
their cars. But employees needed to be empowered to request any necessary time
up front -- this was the challenge. By forewarning customers at check-in that
they would need time at check-out to discuss their cars’ service, Audi Centre
employees didn’t have to struggle to keep their customers’ attention during
these crucial communications.
Staff members also had to lead the communication at check-in, as most
customers don’t have extensive technical knowledge and don’t necessarily
describe car problems accurately or clearly. The Audi Centre staff members were
the experts, and they had to take control of the conversation, ask the right
questions, and get the information they needed.
“When you are ill and go to the doctor, it’s her job to ask you the right
questions to diagnose your illness correctly,” says Gallup’s Court-Smith. “As
the patient, it’s not your responsibility to go to her with only the relevant
symptoms written down in the right order. In the same way, Audi drivers do not
necessarily know what ‘symptoms’ are relevant to their car’s problem, nor do
they know how to describe these accurately. The Audi Centre staff must ensure
that the right questions are asked.”
“The secret to better service within a franchised network is keeping the
rules simple to follow,” says Ovenden. “When a program is easy to explain and
understand, and when you can prove that it is in the business interests of
franchisees -- that it will contribute directly to their profit margins -- the
program will be used.”
Quantifying performance
The remarkable success of Audi’s new A-series challenged the capacity of its
UK dealership network. But the Service by Design program ensured that the
network’s focus remained firmly on customers -- and the importance of managing
customer expectations.
Although the program initially used financial bonuses to reinforce needed
changes, Gallup knew that establishing the business case was key to the
program’s long-term success. Unless Audi UK could demonstrate to its dealership
network that providing a superior customer service experience was a legitimate
business interest, no one could realistically expect dealerships to do more than
pay lip service to the program.
In 2002, Gallup conducted Business Impact Analysis to establish the linkages
between the Service by Design metrics and business performance. And Gallup was
able to quantify the return on investment for franchisees. For example, during a
12-month period, higher performing Audi Centres (as measured by the SbD Loyalty
metric) returned an aftersales profit margin that was, on average, seven
percentage points higher than centres that delivered a lesser customer
experience.
Gallup was also able to quantify the powerful linkage between the program and
return on investment. From 2000 to 2001, centres that had improved the customer
experience increased their profit margins (29%) at more than twice the rate of
centres that had not improved (12%). Once again, the SbD Loyalty measure -- the
measure of perception, communication, and human interaction -- linked to higher
profits. No such return could be established for centres that focused only on
the Basics measures -- on the process rather than the customer experience that
this creates.
Driving perceptions
The Service by Design program is being expanded to include another crucial
element of the customer interaction: the sales experience. Again, effective
communication and excellent staff interactions are emerging as key drivers of
customer engagement.
Audi knows that this straightforward formula works. Customers are pleased
because they are better cared for. Audi Centres are focusing on the customer
experience rather than on processes, and they see this program as an important
business tool. Customer relationships -- not just cars -- are running well, and
that means a smooth ride for customers and employees alike.
A
number of the company's senior managers departed for Bavaria, where a
new company under the name of Auto Union GmbH was founded in 1949 in
Ingolstadt, upholding the motor vehicle tradition under the sign of the
four rings. 
August
Horch, one of the pioneering figures of Germany's automotive industry,
was the figure behind this company. A graduate of the Technical College
in the town of Mittweida, Saxony, he originally worked in engine
construction at Carl Benz in Mannheim, gradually working his way up to
the position of head of motor vehicle construction. In 1899 he decided
to set up business on his own, and founded Horch & Cie. in Cologne. He
was the first in Germany to use cast aluminium for his cars' engines and
gearbox housings, a cardan shaft served as the power transmission
element, and the gearwheels were of high-strength steel. In 1902 he
moved to Reichenbach in Saxony, then on to Zwickau in 1904. Cars with
two-cylinder engines were built from 1903, with four-cylinder versions
being added after the start of the company's operations in Zwickau.
Their performance was so impressive that a Horch car triumphed in the
1906 Herkomer Run, the world's most arduous long-distance race. Two
years on, the company recorded annual sales of over 100 cars for the
first time. 
After
a disagreement with the board of directors and the supervisory board, in
1909 August Horch quit the company he had founded, without delay setting
up another motor vehicle company in Zwickau. As his name was already in
use by the original company and had been registered as a trademark, he
arrived at the name of the new company by translating his name, which
means "hark!", "listen!", into Latin: Audi. 
August
Horch demonstrated hands-on involvement in the development of the motor
car from its very earliest days. His principal legacy is that his
technical innovations, coupled with his remarkable resolve, paved the
way for the transformation of the early motor vehicle into the car as we
know it. 
In
autumn 1931, Horch-Werke of Zwickau launched its newest top product at
the Paris Motor Show: a sports convertible with twelve-cylinder engine,
painted brilliant yellow, with a brown soft top and upholstered in green
leather. Between 1932 and 1934, only 80 of this exclusive Horch were
sold. The market for such luxury cars slumped. Horch was the clear
market leader in the entire deluxe class and it sold one-third more cars
than its competitors; for instance, Horch sold 773 cars in Germany in
1932 and was able to export around 300. However, this was not enough.
The company encountered financial difficulties, mainly due to the
financing of its sales operations. 
Following
August Horch's departure from Horch-Werke AG in 1909, he set up another
factory which was likewise to manufacture automobiles. As Horch was not
allowed to use his own name for this second company, he took the Latin
translation of his name, which means "hark!", "listen!", and gave his
new Zwickau-based company the name Audi. In 1910, the first new cars
with the brand name Audi appeared on the market. They earned particular
acclaim for an unparalleled string of victories between 1912 and 1914 in
the International Austrian Alpine Run, generally acknowledged to be the
most difficult long-distance race in the world. After the First World
War, Audi distinguished itself by becoming the first brand to position
the steering wheel of its production cars on the left and to move the
gear lever to the centre of the car. This resulted in much easier
operation. 
1923
was the year in which Audi's first six-cylinder model made its
appearance. This car had an oil-wetted air cleaner, at that time
definitely the exception. It was years before the air cleaner became a
standard feature on all cars. This Audi also boasted one of the first
hydraulic four-wheel brake systems to be used in Germany, designed and
built by the company itself. In 1927, chief designer Heinrich Schuh
brought the first Audi eight-cylinder model, known as the "Imperator",
onto the market. Unfortunately, this imposing car made its appearance
too late: the deluxe car market was suffering a rapid decline in
fortunes. The company was purchased in 1928 by Jörgen Skafte Rasmussen,
the figure behind the mighty DKW empire. 
Jorgen
Skafte Rasmussen, a Dane by birth, established his first company in
Saxony after studying Engineering in Mittweida. In 1904 he set up an
apparatus engineering company in Chemnitz, three years later moving to
Zschopau, in the Erzgebirge region, where he began to experiment with
steam-driven motor vehicles in 1916. Although these experiments did not
lead to any specific product, they yielded the company name and
trademark DKW, derived from the German words for "steam-driven vehicle"
(Dampf Kraft Wagen). In 1919, Rasmussen obtained the design of a
two-stroke engine from Hugo Ruppe, a tiny version of which he sold as a
toy engine under the name of "Des Knaben Wunsch", meaning "The Boy's
Dream". This mini engine was subsequently upscaled and used as an
auxiliary cycle engine, evolving into a fully-fledged motorcycle engine
called "Das Kleine Wunder" (The Little Miracle" in 1922. Under the
watchful eye of J. S. Rasmussen (together with manager Carl Hahn and
chief designer Hermann Weber), DKW became the biggest motorcycle
manufacturer in the world in the 1920s. DKW also enjoyed a leading
international position as an engine manufacturer. 
In
1927, Rasmussen had acquired design and production facilities for six-
and eight-cylinder engines from a Detroit automobile company which had
been wound up. Two new Audi models powered by these engines appeared on
the market. However, Rasmussen recognized the signs of the times and
stepped up his activities in small cars. The very first DKW cars
actually had rear-wheel drive and were built in Berlin-Spandau. At the
end of 1930, Rasmussen commissioned the Zwickau plant to develop a car
having the following design features: a two-cylinder, two-stroke
motorcycle engine with a swept volume of 600 cc, a unitary wooden
chassis with leatherette upholstery, swing axles at the front and rear,
and front-wheel drive. The car which Audi designers Walter Haustein and
Oskar Arlt came up with was given the name DKW Front. It was unveiled at
the 1931 Berlin Motor Show, where it caused something of a sensation.
The DKW Front was built at the Audi factory, and went on to become the
most-produced, most popular German small car of its day. 
The
name "Wanderer" dates back to 1896, when its fame was associated with
the bicycles built by Winklhofer & Jaenicke, a company founded in 1885
in Chemnitz. Production of motorcycles commenced in 1902, and the first
trial production of motor cars took place in 1904. A small car under the
name of "Puppchen" went into series production in 1913, and proved very
popular. No higher-performance successor appeared until 1926, when the
Wanderer Type W 10 with 1.5 litre engine and developing 30 hp made its
début. This car incorporated all the latest developments in the world of
automotive engineering, such as left-hand drive and a central gear
lever, a multiple dry-plate clutch, a unitary engine block and gearbox,
and a four-wheel brake system. This car met with an excellent market
reception. 
To
cope with the overwhelming demand, a new production plant was built in
the Chemnitz suburb of Siegmar. Parts continued to be produced at the
existing factory, and were then transferred to the other plant by rail.
Individual parts and assemblies were unloaded directly from the rail
wagons onto the assembly line: just-in-time methods at the end of the
1920s! The buffer store in Siegmar had capacity for parts for only 25
cars – as many as could be built in a single day. 
In
common with the automotive industry as a whole, the 1920s were a period
of rationalization at Audi, Horch, DKW and Wanderer. Line assembly and
modern machine tools had resulted in a sharp rise in production
capacity, yet mass production could only work if there was corresponding
market demand. Promoting sales to the necessary degree was a costly
affair, and the price war triggered off by stronger competition from
abroad also devoured large amounts of money. The German car industry
found itself frequently unable to finance all this from its own profits,
and sources of credit were needed. 
In
Saxony, the State Bank of Saxony had more or less satisfied
Horch-Werke's needs for capital loans, and had also paved the way for
the expansion of the Rasmussen Group. The State Bank of Saxony
eventually resolved to consolidate its interests in the automotive
trade, and the idea of Auto Union was born. The absorbing company was
Zschopauer Motorenwerke J. S. Rasmussen AG, which already owned Audi-Werke
AG. Horch-Werke AG was also placed under its control, as was Wanderer-Werke's
car division through a purchase and leasing agreement. Its share capital
totalled 14.5 million Reichsmarks, with the State Bank of Saxony
controlling an 80 % interest. 
At
the 1933 German Automobile Exhibition, in which Auto Union participated
for the first time in its new corporate form, the Audi marque caused a
stir with its front-wheel drive for midsize cars. However, the
innovative nature of this development was not reflected in higher
registration figures, with avant-garde technology evidently proving to
have only marginal market appeal. The concept was modified and in 1938
the Audi 920, a car which was externally very modern in design, with a
high-performance engine, was launched on the market. Its newly developed
OHC engine developed 75 hp, propelling the car to a top speed of 140
km/h. This Audi was aimed at customers who wanted a powerful car, but
not necessarily a large one; an Audi for dynamic, sports-minded drivers.
Front-wheel drive subsequently yielded to rear-wheel drive again, and
the conventional profile-type chassis was adopted instead of a central
box-type chassis. The car was available as a 6-window saloon and as a
two-door convertible with four windows. Demand for the Audi 920 was so
high that more than a year's production output was sold out only shortly
after its launch. 
The
200 Class nevertheless continued to underpin the success of the
motorcycle operations in Zschopau. DKW enjoyed a clear market lead here,
a fact unchanged by the appearance of the NZ series in 1938. These
attractive models in the middle and upper displacement class, with
four-speed gearbox, foot gearshift mechanism and rear suspension, were a
fitting reflection of the advanced development status of DKW two-stroke
motorcycles. 
The
DKW front-wheel-drive cars (bearing the type designations F2, 4, 5, 7
and 8) were available in two classes: the "Reichsklasse" (600 cc engine,
18 hp) and the "Meisterklasse" (700 cc engine, 20 hp). "Front Luxus" was
the name of the beautiful convertible with a sheet steel body. The DKW
Front models remained the most popular and best-selling small cars in
Germany: in the 1930s, a quarter of a million of these cars were sold.
Their front-wheel drive gave them something of a pioneering character.
The F9 was the designated successor to the models built both in Spandau
and Zwickau, with its new three-cylinder engine developing 28 hp and
sheet steel body. It was scheduled to enter production in 1940, but then
the war intervened. 
Horch's
reputation for exclusive cars built in Zwickau stretched back several
decades. The engines in particular served as a benchmark and were
considered exemplary for both their performance characteristics and
their refinement. Economy was not an issue in the deluxe class, and the
"Horch 8" came to be regarded as the zenith of quality. The V8 engine
developed by Fritz Fiedler was launched in 1933, initially as a 3.0
litre version; 3.5 litre and then 3.8 litre versions followed, and its
power output edged up from 70 to 92 hp. Compared with the eight-cylinder
inline engine developing a hefty 120 hp, it was nevertheless still the
"small" Horch. Both automobile types were initially rigid-axle models
whose driving properties became something of a problem at higher speeds.
In
1935, Horch's cars were given independent front suspension and a De Dion
axle at the rear (double universal joints with a rigid axle and
frame-mounted differential). The Type 853 sports convertible with
eight-cylinder inline engine, considered by many to be the most
beautiful Horch ever built, made its début in the same year. The Horch
marque was easily able to assert its leading position in the deluxe
class; in 1937, it held a market share in excess of 50 percent in the 4
litre and upwards class. 
The
dependable but very expensive OHV engine was replaced by a side-valve
engine of identical power output from 1937 on. The W 24 (four-cylinder)
and W 23 (six-cylinder) models first appeared on the market with these
engines in 1937. The engines were standardized and the chassis largely
coordinated (rigid rear axle and raised transverse springs). Auto
Union's new line of body versions first appeared on the 1936 Wanderer
model W 51. From then on this line, which was inspired by American
models, was echoed by all new Auto Union vehicles to a greater or lesser
degree. 
The
Central Body, Development and Design Office pursued the idea of
streamlining from the very outset, using the patents of the Swiss
aerodynamics expert Paul Jaray as its basis. The optimum aerodynamic
properties were first calculated by theoretical methods, then tested out
in the wind tunnel. Production-ready body versions of the DKW F9
achieved an astonishing frontal drag coefficient of cD = 0.42 (the
figure for the predecessor model, the F8, was 0.58)! Even decades later,
this was still par for the course for German production vehicles. 
Auto
Union enjoyed rapid expansion between 1933 and 1939: its consolidated
sales rose from 65 to 276 million Reichsmarks, and the workforce grew
from 8,000 to over 23,000. Annual production output of motorcycles
soared from 12,000 to 59,000, and car production climbed from over
17,000 units to more than 67,000 per year. Compared with the year of
Auto Union's founding, output of Horch cars had doubled by 1938,
production of Wanderer cars was more than five times as high, and the
total for DKW cars had actually risen to ten times the level at the time
of the merger. 
Auto
Union AG was in existence for 16 years. For its last three years it was
in effect merely awaiting liquidation, and for six years previous to
that, the war had caused its automotive operations to be paralysed. Auto
Union's wealth of innovation and meteoric growth all took place within
the space of its first seven years. The innovation and skill of its
automotive experts is reflected in over 3,000 patents granted both in
Germany and elsewhere. One in four passenger cars registered as new in
Germany in 1938 was built by Auto Union. More than one-third of all
newly registered motorcycles in Germany were DKWs. Auto Union AG was the
behind numerous technical developments, research findings and ideas that
played a pioneering role in the creation of the modern-day car. 
A
new company bearing the name Auto Union GmbH came into being on
September 3, 1949 in Ingolstadt, to uphold the automotive tradition of
the four rings. It is this company that is the actual precursor of the
present-day AUDI AG. From its base in West Germany, its purpose was now
to maintain the tradition that the former Auto Union AG had established
in Saxony. 
One
argument in favour of Ingolstadt as the home of the central depot was
its good transport connections, located as it was at the heart of
Bavaria. Influential figures in the Ingolstadt city authorities
presented a good case in favour of the central depot, arguing that it
would aid the regional employment market. However, the key reason for
the re-establishment of the company in Ingolstadt was its centuries-old
military tradition as a garrison town: this legacy included expansive
outdoor areas and numerous barracks, outbuildings, casemates and the
like – invaluable assets at a time when there was precious little
capital for erecting new buildings. 
August
9, 1954 saw the outbreak of a strike in the Bavarian metalworking
industry which many inhabitants of Ingolstadt still vividly recall. This
was one of the first major industrial disputes in the young Federal
Republic of Germany, and companies in the metalworking sector even went
so far as to call it the "most stirring and significant event of the
post-war years." 
The
"Bavarian strike" cost Auto Union around DM 920,000. 1954 was
nevertheless the first year in which the company recorded a notable
profit (around DM 400,000). In the same year Friedrich Flick, the
majority shareholder in the iron and steel works Eisenwerk-Gesellschaft
Maximilianshütte mbH Sulzbach-Rosenberg, popularly known as "Maxhütte",
acquired a financial interest in Auto Union GmbH. He realised some years
previously that the Ingolstadt car manufacturer would one day need a
partner with plenty of capital. 
On
April 24, 1958 Daimler-Benz acquired around 88 percent of Auto Union's
shares for just over DM 41 million. One year later, in 1959, the
remaining shares were also sold to Daimler-Benz. Daimler's board of
management spokesman Fritz Könecke summed up the merger of Germany's
second-largest and fifth-largest car manufacturers as follows: "We have
married a nice girl from a good, old-established family!" On April 9.
1958 the business newspaper "Handelsblatt" wrote: "With the takeover of
Auto Union GmbH, which reports annual turnover of around DM 400 million
and employs a workforce of 10,000, the Daimler-Benz Group is now once
again the Federal Republic of Germany's largest car manufacturer in
terms of sales revenue, too." 
For
want of capital, the company had put back production of a modern,
low-priced small car that had been in development since the mid-1950s
and that was one day to be launched under the name "DKW Junior".
Although the takeover by Daimler-Benz guaranteed the necessary funding
of the long-overdue project, the company was short of the production
capacity needed. 
Another
factor which argued in Ingolstadt's favour was the impending collapse in
business for two-wheelers: in view of plummeting demand for motorcycles,
there were plans to wind down DKW motorcycle production in the short
term. In contrast to the Zons location, there were considerable numbers
of qualified workers available in Ingolstadt – in the late 1950s, a
major consideration whenever a company was deciding where to locate. In
July 1958, construction work on the new plant in Ettinger Strasse
finally began. A sum of DM 76 million was invested here in 1959, and a
further DM 51 million in 1960. The regional newspaper, Donaukurier,
wrote euphorically: "One of the largest and most modern car plants in
Europe is currently being erected near Ingolstadt". 
At
the end of 1958, Auto Union had 3,700 employees in Ingolstadt; twelve
months later, the figure had soared to 5,700. The construction of the
new plant not only meant that the workforce had grown dramatically. It
was also the principal factor behind Auto Union's decision to transfer
its production to Ingolstadt in 1961, followed by its administrative
headquarters in 1962. The desired rationalization and cost-cutting
effects materialized, but from 1962 Auto Union's production and sales
figures both took a downturn, at a time when the parent company was
experiencing a boom in both production and sales. 
The
takeover by VW meant that Auto Union escaped going into receivership by
a hair's breadth. The era of the two-stroke engine, formerly so popular,
was coming to an end, and almost 30,000 unsold DKW cars were destined
for the scrap heap. It was the VW Beetle which came to the rescue:
between May 1965 and July 1969, almost 348,000 of the VW Beetle were
assembled in Ingolstadt. From August 1965, the situation was also
alleviated by the launch of the new "Audi". This car, the first one with
a four-stroke engine to be built in Ingolstadt, aroused considerable
market interest and established the basis of a successful model range.
However, the recovery was only short-lived. After more than fifteen
years of seemingly unstoppable economic recovery, in 1966/67 Germany
suddenly went into a recession which hit Auto Union badly: production
had to be cut back dramatically, and short-time was the inevitable
consequence. 
Entering
a new dimension 
In
1982 Audi establish a record of another kind: with its drag coefficient
of cD 0.30, the third-generation Audi 100 achieved the best aerodynamic
performance of any volume-produced saloon in the world. Audi had come up
with the right response to the challenges of the moment, at a time when
there were increasing calls for environmental protection and economical
use of fuel. 
In
1985, AUDI AG's capital investments totalled almost DM 1 billion, the
highest figure in the history of the company. Product-related measures
and new production technology were the investment priority. In autumn
1986, the new Audi 80 with fully galvanized body was launched. It came
complete with a ten-year warranty against rust penetration, setting new
standards in this class. 1988 saw the appearance of the V8, Audi's first
deluxe-class car, with a 3.6 litre V8 engine and four-valve technology.
Its
extremely low fuel consumption was documented impressively in several
economy test runs: in 1992, a standard Audi 80 TDI drove all round the
world, covering a distance of 40,273 km and clocking up an average
consumption figure of 3.78 litres of fuel per 100 km (74.7 mpg) and an
average speed of 85.8 km/h. 
Audi
heralded in a new era in presenting the ASF (Audi Space Frame) aluminium
study vehicle in autumn 1993 at the Tokyo Motor Show. The aluminium Audi
celebrated its world début in March 1994, as the successor to the Audi
V8. The new model designation A8 signalled a radical shift in Audi's
model-naming policy. The Audi A6 followed in the summer, with the new A4
being launched in November 1994. This latter model rapidly brought
further success to the company: in 1995, 120,000 of the Audi A4 were
sold in Germany alone. 
In
autumn 1995, Audi produced its next trump in unveiling the sports car
studies TT Coupé and TT Roadster: these concepts successfully blended
distinctive automotive design based on nostalgic throwbacks with modern
stylistic features and mature technology. One year on, Audi launched the
A3, an attractive two-door compact model intended to draw new customer
groups to the brand. In 1997, Audi presented the new Audi A6 and also
the Al2 study vehicle, the latter an all-aluminium model based on
second-generation ASF technology. The Audi TT Coupé and Audi TT Roadster
production models were launched in 1998 and 1999. 
