The name Audi originated as a direct Latin translation of the German verb horchen, which means to listen. August Horch, a trained blacksmith turned engineer, chose this classical adaptation in 1910 after a legal ruling prevented him from using his own surname for the manufacturing company he established following his departure from his previous venture.
Early Career and Technical Education
Born in 1868 in Winningen, Rhenish Prussia, Horch began his working life as a blacksmith. He pursued formal education at the Hochschule Mittweida, graduating with an engineering degree. His professional career initially focused on the shipbuilding sector before he transitioned into the automotive industry in 1896, when he took a position working for Karl Benz.
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In November 1899, Horch established A. Horch & Co. in Ehrenfeld, Cologne. The firm produced its inaugural automobile in 1901. To support expansion, the enterprise relocated to Reichenbach in 1902 and subsequently to Zwickau in 1904. During this period, Horch also gained experience as a racing automobile driver, testing his own machines in competitive environments.
Legal Disputes and the Audi Brand
Internal disagreements led Horch to exit his first company in 1909. He launched a competing venture in Zwickau, initially titled Horch Automobil-Werke GmbH. Following a court decision that granted his former partners exclusive rights to the Horch trademark, he renamed his new business Audi Automobilwerke GmbH in 1910. He remained with this company until 1920.
Later Years and Professional Legacy
After departing Audi in 1920, Horch moved to Berlin to accept various professional roles. He served on the board of Auto Union, the successor organization to his original company. In 1937, he published his autobiography, I Baute Autos. He lived as an honorary executive at Auto Union throughout the late 1940s, residing in Münchberg until his death in 1951.
Fast facts
- Born: 1868, Winningen
- Died: 1951, Münchberg
- Profession: Engineer, entrepreneur, racing automobile driver
- Education: Hochschule Mittweida
- Founder of Audi: 1910
- First company founded: 1899
- Autobiography: I Baute Autos (1937)
- Membership: VDI – The Association of German Engineers
Questions readers ask
Why did August Horch change his company name to Audi?
He lost a legal dispute over the use of his surname, Horch, as a trademark. Audi is the Latin translation of his name.
Did Horch witness the modern growth of the Audi brand?
No, he died in 1951, a decade before the brand was resurrected under Volkswagen ownership.
Achievements
- Affiliated with Audi AG
- Worked as entrepreneur, engineer and racing automobile driver
