ROME – “Audi Vorsprung durch Technik” (At the forefront of technology), is the iconic claim that has accompanied the innovation of the four-ring house for half a century. A constant evolution started in 1969 when Auto Union based in Ingolstadt, and Nsu Motorenwerke, based in Neckarsulm, gave life to Audi Nsu Auto Union Ag. liquid-cooled cylinders of the Audi 60 and 100 up to the Wankel unit of the Nsu Ro 80.
In 1970 the marketing department coined the famous slogan “At the forefront of technology” which the following year made its appearance for the first time in a large-format advertisement. After some variations on the theme, the slogan “Vorsprung durch Technik” became an integral part of the company philosophy from October 1986, when it appeared in the brochure created for the Audi 80. From next December, with the exhibition “Living Progress – 50 years At the forefront of technology ”, the Ingolstadt house will offer visitors to the Audi Forum in Neckarsulm some pillars of technology, bearers of the values closest to the motto Vorsprung durch Technik.
“If I had to identify a technological innovation capable of expressing the essence of the brand’s propensity for progress, I could only choose the Quattro drive – said Oliver Hoffmann, member of the Audi technical development board – In addition to determining our successes in rallies, testifies to the experiential transfer from the world of racing to series production. Since then, quattro and Audi have been inseparable ”.
Among its various milestones, Audi also remembers the A2 1.2 Tdi, the compact sedan of 2001 that combined an almost entirely aluminum structure with record consumption (3 lt / 100 km), up to the e-tron, the brand’s first full electric car. launched in 2018. Today the technical evolution continues and the next challenge lies in the progressive decarbonisation of the entire production chain. “At the heart of the measures aimed at reducing Audi’s carbon footprint is the Mission: Zero program – underlined Hildegard Wortmann, member of the Audi sales and marketing board – whose focus is on the key challenges for the four-ring house: decarbonising the entire production chain, develop a closed cycle of aluminum, water and plastic, make access to resources extremely efficient and protect biodiversity. From 2026, we will launch exclusively new Bev models on the global market. We are redefining the concept of the avant-garde by focusing on sustainability, digitalization and electrification. We want to make our contribution to create a future worth living “. (mr)