AUDI / GERMANY

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. The AUDI production stopped in 1939. The next Audi was the type 60 from 1965. It was a revised DKW F 102.

After the WWII in 1965 AUDI became the up-market badge for VW.

Here is the first enameled emblem in the history of AUDI. The rivets on the left and right of the emblem are purely decorative elements !

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
Year	1913 - 1914
Estimate

 

 

backside with makers mark from CHR. LAUER

 

the emblem lay in a shed in Montenegro for around 90 years

in this advertisement from 1914, the emblem was already painted blue

 

 

AUDI with polished brass emblem, seen in a German museum (Zwickau)

 

 

There was also a reproduction of this particular emblem:

perfectly flat repro backside

another AUDI advertisement showing an emblem in the style above (collection Michael Schlenger)

 Audi also used an identification plate that was mounted under the hood:

AUDI plate made in the   " Art nouveau "  style

1914 advertisement

AUDI in WWI ( 1917 )

1917 advertisement: no need to show the car when you are so proud about your emblem

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
Year	c. 1914 - 1917
Estimate

In 1920 appeared the emblem which shows the signature AUDI is still using today:

Size	8.3 cm x 6.5cm
Year	1920 - 1934
Estimate

backside of an original emblem, no makers mark

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.

original document for the trade mark  (logo) registration

ancient AUDI factory still showing the contemporary script in 2019

1921 advertisement and a recent emblem:   still the same letter - style

 

oval AUDI emblem in shape as found ( someone drilled two holes in it.....)

after polishing you can see that it was chromed, so it is a later version

more than hundred years later: all emblems still in the same style

brass hubcaps with old fashioned AUDI script, used before WWI

new AUDI script with large letter A

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

wanted: don´ t hesitate to offer me this emblem

Size	c.  8 cm x 6 cm
Year	1929  - 1930
Estimate

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 ?

1927 AUDI advertisement 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	4.0 cm x 6.3 cm
Year	1930 - 1938
Estimate

Pay attention, there are reproductions so look at the backside:

left: original                              right: repro

1931 / 1932 advertisement

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
Year	1931
Estimate

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 !) .

1931 AUDI typ P  (photo Martijn van Zwieten)

1926 advertisement showing on the radiator the blue oval emblem and top left the a new AUDI 1 emblem

AUDI 1 emblem  (size: 6.1 cm x  9.0 cm ) never seen on a car ?!

1924 advertisement showing the AUDI 1  emblem

In the nineteen - thirties there was also a ( rare ) dashboard emblem:

Size	6.5 cm
Year	c. 1934
Estimate

enameled horn button of the nineteenthirties

Size	6.2 cm  (with brass ring )
Year	c. 1932
Estimate

Finally I found a spare wheel emblem that was used in the nineteen - thirties also:

size:  11.5 cm  x  8.2 cm

AUDI sparewheel emblem, but the wheelcover and the emblem doesn´t match

 

As you may recall, in addition to the HORCH brand, the AUDI brand was established in 1910 because the founder, August Horch, was dismissed from the company he had founded.  Find out more about the diverse AUDI emblems here!

For more  emblems from see older posts or top right of this page ( list of car makers ).
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