Editing Auto Union (section)

==New Auto Union==
[[File:DKW Meisterklasse 1952.JPG|right|thumb|DKW F89]]

With the [[Red Army]] quickly advancing on [[Zwickau]] immediately after the war, and faced with the prospect of trying to salvage what was left of the company, Auto Union's executives had no option but to flee and re-establish the company on the Western side of a now partitioned Germany.  Thus a new Auto Union company was launched in [[Ingolstadt]], Bavaria, with loans from the Bavarian state government and [[Marshall Plan]] aid.<ref name="chronicle5">{{cite web|url=http://www.audi.com/audi/com/en2/about_audi_ag/history/chronicle/chronicle_1945_1959.html|title=Audi Worldwide> Home|publisher=Audi.com|date=15 April 2009|access-date=2009-04-27|archive-date=4 February 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090204031240/http://www.audi.com/audi/com/en2/about_audi_ag/history/chronicle/chronicle_1945_1959.html|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Nationale oldtimerdag Zandvoort 2010, 1964 AUTO UNION MUNGA, DH-63-99 , pic3.JPG|thumb|1964 Auto Union / DKW Munga.]]
[[File:DKW Commercial 3=6 (11818594073).jpg|thumb|DKW F800/3 Schnellaster in South Africa]]
The reformed company '''Auto Union GmbH''' was launched on 3 September 1949. The Ingolstadt facility had been run purely as a spare parts operation since 1945, but eventually the directors found the funding to restart production – initially in a converted granary building in the town.  With [[West Germany]] still in the early stages of rebuilding its economy after the war, the demand for cheap transport meant that only the DKW brand would survive into the postwar era.  The luxury focused Audi and Horch brands were placed into dormancy, while Wanderer had been the property of its original parent firm.  Auto Union therefore continued DKW's tradition of producing affordable [[front-wheel drive]] vehicles with [[two-stroke engine]]s.<ref name="chronicle5"/> This included production of the small but sturdy [[DKW RT 125|DKW RT&nbsp;125&nbsp;W]] motorcycle and a delivery van known as [[DKW Schnellaster]]. Many employees of the Saxony factories in Zwickau ([[Audi]] and [[Horch]] factories), [[Chemnitz]] (Siegmar plant, former [[Wanderer (car)|Wanderer]]) and [[Zschopau]] ([[MZ Motorrad- und Zweiradwerk|DKW Motorcycle factory]]) came to Ingolstadt and restarted the production.

In 1950, after a former [[Rheinmetall|Rheinmetall-Borsig]] factory in [[Düsseldorf-Derendorf]] was established as a second assembly facility, the company's first postwar car went into production: the [[DKW F89|DKW Meisterklasse F 89 P]], available as a [[Sedan (automobile)|sedan/saloon]], a [[station wagon]] and the four-seater [[convertible]] built by [[Karmann]].<ref name="chronicle4"/><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-41760662.html?name=Kleinwagen-Odyssee|title=Spiegel Wissen: Auto Union (german)|newspaper=Der Spiegel|date=11 February 1958|access-date=2008-09-21|archive-date=18 September 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110918014025/http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-41760662.html?name=Kleinwagen-Odyssee|url-status=live}}</ref> The F&nbsp;89 were based on the [[DKW F8]] (motor) and the [[DKW F9]] (coachwork) pre-war constructions.
[[File:DKW 3=6 (F93) Heck, Bj. 1955-56 (2007-06-16 Sp).jpg|thumb|1956 DKW 3=6 F93 Sonderklasse, built in Düsseldorf.]]
In March 1953, the [[DKW 3=6|DKW 3=6 'Sonderklasse]] was launched at the Frankfurt Motor Show.  This car proved exceptionally successful in motorsport and was built in Düsseldorf.  The F91 version was soon superseded by the F93 in 1955, and soon joined by the four door F94 and station wagon Universal F94U in 1956 and 1957 respectively.
[[File:2007-06-16 Auto Union 1000 (Frontpartie).jpg|thumb|[[Auto Union 1000]]]]
From 1956 to 1968, about 46,750 [[DKW Munga]] light four-wheel drive military vehicles could be produced, mostly for the German and other militaries.
[[File:Auto Union 1000 S (2012-08-19 Sp).JPG|thumb|1960 Auto Union 1000S Coupe]]
In response to pressure from [[Friedrich Flick]], then its largest single shareholder,{{sfn|Deutsche Autos, Band 2,|2001|page=263}} [[Daimler-Benz]] acquired 87% of Auto Union in April 1958, taking complete control in the following year. In 1958 it saw the return of the Auto Union brand, represented by the [[Auto Union 1000]], a small saloon which enjoyed sporting success. At the same time the [[Auto Union 1000|1000 Sp]], a coupé, was produced for Auto Union by the [[coachbuilder]] [[Karosserie Baur|Baur]] at [[Stuttgart]]. Under Daimler-Benz ownership the company invested heavily in the Ingolstadt plant. Car production at Düsseldorf was ended, and the plant became the centre of production for Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles like the [[Mercedes-Benz L 319]] – a role which it continues to the present day. The DKW and Mercedes brands were able to establish a greater presence in the North American market by an agreement with the [[Studebaker-Packard Corporation]] in 1956 which through 1964 was the only distributor in the United States. Because of SPC's large network of dealers, the Auto Union and Mercedes-Benz brands were able to expand much faster in the US markets. Many dealers today can trace their origin back to being Studebaker-Packard dealerships.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}}

[[File:Auto Union 1000 Sp Garmisch-Partenkirchen regnerisch.jpg|right|thumb|[[Auto Union 1000]] Sp 1958 – 1965]]

However, as prosperity began to return to West Germany, and as West German products gained valuable currency through export to the rest of Europe and North America, Daimler became increasingly worried that Auto Union's only market for its two-stroke products, without massive investment, would be impoverished East Germany. Two-stroke engines became less popular towards the middle of the 1960s as customers were more attracted to the more refined [[four-stroke engine]]s. They began selling shares, which with the agreed help of the West German Government, were acquired by [[Volkswagen Group|Volkswagenwerk AG]].

In 1964, Volkswagen acquired the factory in Ingolstadt and the trademark rights of Auto Union, with the exception of the dormant Horch brand which Daimler-Benz retained. A programme that Daimler had initiated at Auto Union created a range of cars that would subsequently provide the basis for [[Volkswagen]]'s line of front-wheel-drive models, such as the [[Audi 80]] and [[Volkswagen Passat]]. At the time a new model, internally designated [[Audi F103|F103]], was under development. This was based on the last DKW model, the [[DKW F102]], with a four-stroke engine implanted and some front and rear styling changes. Volkswagen abandoned the DKW brand because of association with two-stroke engines, effectively leaving Volkswagen with the Audi brand. The new model was launched in September 1965 as simply the "Audi." The name was a model designation rather than the manufacturer, which was still officially Auto Union. As more models were later added to the Audi range, this model was renamed Audi 72.
[[File:MHV DKW F102 01.jpg|left|thumb|Auto Union [[DKW F102]]]]

In 1969, Auto Union merged with [[NSU Motorenwerke AG]], based in [[Neckarsulm]], near [[Stuttgart]]. In the 1950s, NSU had been the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles, but had moved on to produce small cars like the [[NSU Prinz]], the TT and TTS versions of which are still popular as vintage race cars. NSU then focused on new rotary engines based on the ideas of [[Felix Wankel]]. In 1967, the new [[NSU Ro 80]] was a space-age car, well ahead of its time in technical details such as aerodynamics, light weight, and safety but teething problems with the rotary engines put an end to the independence of NSU. The mid-sized car NSU had been working on, the [[VW K70|K70]], was intended to slot between the rear-engined Prinz models and the futuristic [[NSU Ro 80]]. However, Volkswagen took the K70 for its own range, spelling the end of NSU as a separate brand.

After being merged with Neckarsulm car maker [[NSU Motorenwerke AG|NSU]], the official name became '''Audi NSU Auto Union AG''', which was simply shortened to '''Audi AG''' in 1985, ending both the Auto Union and NSU brands.  The company's headquarters returned to Ingolstadt; at the same time Audi formed the new companies '''Auto Union GmbH''', and '''NSU GmbH''' as wholly owned subsidiaries whose function was to own and protect the historical trademarks and intellectual property of both Auto Union and NSU.

In May 2009, Porsche gained majority control of Volkswagen Group and proposed a merger of the two companies.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}} In August 2009, Volkswagen AG's supervisory board signed the agreement to create an integrated Auto group with Porsche led by Volkswagen.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}} Volkswagen will initially take a 42% stake in Porsche AG by the end of 2009, and see the family{{clarify|date=August 2013}}<!--what family? Porsche?--> shareholders selling the automotive trading business of Porsche Holding Salsburg to Volkswagen. Rumors began to appear in the press the name Auto Union would be revived for the new group holding company.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/autocarconfidential/archive/2009/05/15/the-return-of-auto-union.aspx|title=The return of Auto Union|author=Chris Hallett|publisher=[[AutoCar]]|date= 15 May 2009|access-date=2009-06-21| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20090518152028/http://www.autocar.co.uk/blogs/autocarconfidential/archive/2009/05/15/the-return-of-auto-union.aspx| archive-date= 18 May 2009 | url-status= live}}</ref>

===Logo===
The trademark symbol of Auto Union (and present-day [[Audi]]), the four overlapping rings, symbolized the four [[marque]]s forming Auto Union: [[Audi]], [[DKW]], [[Horch]], and [[Wanderer (car)|Wanderer]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.carlogo.info/audi-audi-logo_blog-bid-29.htm|title=Audi Logo|author=Car Logo|access-date=2007-09-10|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930100058/http://www.carlogo.info/audi-audi-logo_blog-bid-29.htm|archive-date=30 September 2007|url-status=usurped}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.seriouswheels.com/art-four-rings-1.htm|title=History of the Four Rings-Part 1-Audi Auto Union|publisher=Seriouswheels.com|access-date=2009-04-27|archive-date=10 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161210010605/http://www.seriouswheels.com/art-four-rings-1.htm|url-status=live}}</ref>

There is also a version of the logo that uses both overlapping and interlocking rings.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/audis_typographic_stylings.php |title=Audi's Typographic Stylings |access-date=31 August 2009 |archive-date=20 December 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171220213657/https://www.underconsideration.com/brandnew/archives/audis_typographic_stylings.php |url-status=live }}</ref>