AUDI /GERMANY ( 1910 - 1939 ZWICKAU and 1965 to date INGOLSTADT )
AUDI was founded by August HORCH in 1910 as he had to leave the HORCH factory. AUDI is the latinisation of his name). 6 and 8 cylinder were the mainstay. AUDI became part of the AUTO UNION in 1932. A small AUDI / DKW / PEUGEOT hybrid appeared in 1931.
After the WWII in 1965 AUDI became the up-market badge for VW.
Here is the first enameled emblem in the history of AUDI.
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| Until recently, it was not known that this emblem was also used with enamel. Only the pure brass version was known. |
| Size | 8.3 cm x 6.0cm |
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| Year | 1913 - 1914 |
| Estimate |  |
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| backside with makers mark from CHR. LAUER |
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| the emblem lay in a shed in Montenegro for around 90 years |
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| in this advertisement from 1914, the emblem was already painted blue |
Before there was an oval brass emblem on the radiator with a small "a", so it says: audi.
The AUDI production stopped in 1939. The next Audi was the type 60 from 1965. It was a revised DKW F 102.
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| early version with brass letters and brass frame |
| Size | 8 cm x 6 cm |
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| Year | 1920 |
| Estimate | |
There is no makers mark, but the backside of an original has to look like this.
By chance, during my research I found this advertisement for Josef Preissler's factory.
At the top left you can see the AUDI emblem. So it was manufactured by J. Preissler.
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| 1914 advertisement showing an oval AUDI badge |
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| original document for the trade mark (logo) registration |
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| ancient AUDI factory still showing the contemporary script in 2019 |
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| First AUDI radiator emblem; made of brass only. Seen in a German museum |
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| brass emblem: audi with small first letter |
Before Audi also used an identification plate that was mounted under the hood:
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| AUDI plate made in the " Art nouveau " style |
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| AUDI in WWI (1917) |
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| 1917 advertisment: no need to show the car when you are so proud about your emblem |
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| enameled AUDI emblem in the style of the ad shown above (backside with makers mark from LAUER) |
| Size | 3.6 cm x 5.0 cm |
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| Year | c. 1914 - 1917 |
| Estimate | |
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| another AUDI advertisment showing an emblem in the style above (collection Michael Schlenger) |
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| 1921 advertisement and a recent emblem: still the same letter - style |
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| more than 100 years later: all emblems still in the same style |
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| oval AUDI emblem in shape as found |
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| after polishing: you can see that it is chromed. So it is a later version used after WWI |
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| early hubcap version |
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| new AUDI script with large letter A (the brass hubcap was used before WWI, the chromed are later versions ) |
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| 1924 advertisement with the new AUDI 1 emblem |
In 1929 there was a new emblem with the town´s coat of arms of Zwickau / Saxony
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| wanted: don´ t hesitate to offer me this emblem |
| Size | c. 8 cm x 6 cm |
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| Year | 1929 - 1930 |
| Estimate | |
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| 1929 / 30 AUDI Typ SS, seen in a German museum |
After WWII there was a very similar emblem made of chromed sheet metal. But I don´t know where and when it was used. Do you have an idea ?
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| 1927 AUDI advertisment showing the old oval emblem on the radiator and the new AUDI 1 emblem printed in a circle |
In 1930 the new AUDI front emblem was mounted on the radiator shell showing a big 1 on a hemisphere, but it was already registered as a trademark in 1924.
| Size | 6.3 cm x 3.9 cm |
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| Year | 1930 |
| Estimate | |
Pay attention, there are reproductions so look at the backside:
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| left: original right: repro |
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| this is a very special AUDI 1 emblem, because the outline is 100% the same as a DKW emblem because the AUDI Type P used the DKW radiator shell |
| Size | 3.7 cm x 6.4 cm |
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| Year | 1931 |
| Estimate | |
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| The DKW-style AUDI emblem was used on the AUDI Typ P in 1931 |
The AUDI P from 1931 was a cheap AUDI to boost the production numbers. It was no more than a DKW 4=8 with an engine from the PEUGEOT 201. Therefore I guess the letter "P" stands for PEUGEOT. Only 327 AUDI type P were made, so it is a very, very rare emblem (thank you Martijn for the information and the following photo !) .
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| 1931 AUDI typ P (photo Martijn van Zwieten) |
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| 1926 advertisement showing on the radiator the blue oval emblem and top left the a new AUDI 1 emblem |
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| AUDI 1 emblem (size: 6.1 cm x 9.0 cm ) never seen on a car ?! |
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| 1924 advertisment showing the AUDI 1 emblem |
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| 1913 AUDI advertisment with old fashioned letter A |
In the nineteen - thirties there was also a ( rare ) dashboard emblem:
| Size | 6.5 cm |
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| Year | c. 1934 |
| Estimate |  |
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| enameled horn button of the nineteenthirties |
| Size | 6.2 cm (with brass ring ) |
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| Year | c. 1932 |
| Estimate | |
Finally I found a spare wheel emblem that was used in the nineteen - thirties also:
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| size: 11.5 cm x 8.2 cm |
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| AUDI sparewheel emblem, but the wheelcover and the emblem doesn´t match |
For more emblems from see older posts or top right of this page ( list of car makers ).
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