The History of the Four Rings
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.
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.
Text and photos courtesy of Audi AG
