Under the overall supervision of the Volkswagen Group, Audi manages the business of this group and is also responsible for its worldwide results. Each brand within this group retains its own character, and operates independently on the market.
 

The Audi Group comprises the following principal Group companies (as of December 31, 2009):

History and technical milestones

August Horch establishes A. Horch & Cie in Cologne.

The first Horch car appears on the road.

Following a disagreement with the supervisory board, August Horch leaves Zwickau-based company A. Horch & Cie Motorwagenwerke A. – G. and founds a new company, also in Zwickau. He chooses the Latin translation of his surname as the name of the new company: Horch ("hark") thus becomes Audi.

Audi becomes the first manufacturer in Germany to introduce left-hand drive and central gear change as standard.

The world's first volume-built car with front-wheel drive is introduced: the DKW Front (F1).

The Saxon companies Audi, DKW and Horch and the automotive department of Wanderer Werke merge to form Auto Union AG, with its headquarters in Chemnitz. The company chooses four interlinked rings as its logo.

Auto Union AG in Saxony is dispossessed by the Soviet occupying forces; the factories are dismantled.
A central depot for Auto Union parts is set up in Ingolstadt.
 

Auto Union AG is deleted from the Commercial Register of the city of Chemnitz.

The newly founded company Auto Union GmbH is entered in the Commercial Register of the city of Ingolstadt. Production of the DKW RT 125 W motorcycle and the DKW F 89 L rapid delivery van commences in former garrison buildings.

Auto Union GmbH is acquired by Daimler-Benz AG.

A new plant goes into operation in Ingolstadt. This forms the basis for today's Audi plant.

Auto Union GmbH's capital is doubled to DM 160 million; Volkswagenwerk AG initially takes over 50.3 percent of the shares.

Auto Union GmbH presents a new model with four-stroke engine. Its name: Audi. This marks the end of the DKW two-stroke era.

Auto Union GmbH becomes a fully owned subsidiary of Volkswagenwerk AG.
The last DKW passenger car leaves the production line.
 

Auto Union GmbH merges with NSU Motorenwerke AG (founded 1873; factory built in Neckarsulm in 1880) to form Audi NSU Auto Union AG.

"Vorsprung durch Technik" becomes Audi's striking advertising slogan.

Audi quattro: The first production car with permanent all-wheel drive is presented in Geneva.

The third generation of the Audi 100, the world's most aerodynamic production sedan, goes down in the annals of technology history as having the world's best drag coefficient of 0.30.

Audi NSU Auto Union AG is renamed AUDI AG. This means that the products and the company share the same name.

In the 1986 model year, Audi launches the Audi 100 and 200 models with fully galvanized bodies.

Audi makes the direct-injection turbocharged diesel engine socially acceptable by launching the 2.5-litre TDI

Audi presents the Audi duo, a hybrid model based on the Audi 100 Avant.

AUDI HUNGARIA MOTOR Kft. is established in Győr (Hungary) as a fully owned subsidiary of AUDI AG. The plant is officially opened on October 12, 1994.

Audi takes a quantum leap in automotive engineering with the market launch of the Audi A8 with its revolutionary aluminum Audi Space Frame (ASF).

On July 11 the contract for the takeover of Cosworth is signed, and on July 24 the contract for the takeover of Lamborghini.

The new Audi Forum Ingolstadt has its official opening ceremony on December 15. With a combination of a museum, factory tours, direct vehicle collection arrangements, restaurants and tourism services, Audi adds a new facet to the brand experience – for customers, visitors and employees alike – in architecturally attractive surroundings.

Audi establishes the fully owned subsidiary "Audi Electronics Venture GmbH." Its objective is to develop innovative key technologies in the field of electronics. The world's first four-door vehicle to consume less than three liters of fuel per 100 kilometers is unveiled to the public in February 2001 – the Audi A2 1.2 TDI.

Audi takes charge of the sporty brand group within the Volkswagen Group. The Audi brand group comprises the brands SEAT, Lamborghini and Audi.

Inauguration of "Concept Design Munich." This studio develops creative concepts for the entire Audi brand group.

Signing of the company agreement "Audi's Future – Performance, Success, Sharing." This, for example, rules out redundancies for operational reasons up to 2011. The Audi Forum Neckarsulm is officially opened.

AUDI AG increases its number of sites. The production of Audi models starts in Brussels (Belgium) and Aurangabad (India).

Audi crosses the threshold of one million vehicles sold for the first time in company history by delivering 1,003,469 units to customers. The company also sets a new production record by manufacturing 1,029,041 Audi vehicles (up 4.9 percent).

The Audi brand celebrates its 100th birthday with a spectacular gala evening at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt on July 16. Audi presents its first high-performance sports car powered purely by electricity at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA) – the e-tron. This car is scheduled to be built as a small series as early as 2012.