Open gallery
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The Audi museum is based in Ingolstadt, Germany
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Wanderer, which launched this 'safety bicycle' in 1888, was one of the building blocks of Audi as we know it today
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The company launched its first motorcycle in 1902; this is a 1914 example. Wanderer also produced small cars
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Audi's 3.7-litre four-cylinder engine, launched in 1911, produced 40bhp and made its way into 1116 cars and 326 trucks
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The four-cylinder engine was produced from 1911 to 1925
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This is one of Audi's luxury saloons, a 'Typ M' 1925 18/70 PS
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The 18/70 was powered by a six-cylinder 4.7-litre engine producing 69bhp
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The car, which is a cutaway model for display purposes, would have originally been capable of 75mph
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The 1927 Horch 8, on the right, was an eight-cylinder touring model capable of 62mph
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Horch produced 1471 examples of its eight-cylinder convertible
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The Horch 8 bore the distinction of being one of Germany's first eight-cylinder models
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The 1928 DKW ZSW 500 featured a new water-cooled two-stroke engine that was also used in the 1928 DKW P 15 small car
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The DKW F1 was an important model for the brand. Launched in 1931, it featured a two-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive
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The F1 was reputedly the first volume-produced car with front-wheel drive. Its 494cc engine put out 15bhp
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This 8/40 was one of Wanderer's cars. It was launched in 1925 and was packed with advanced features, including four-wheel brakes
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DKW's 1934 'Schwebeklasse' had a two-stroke, four-cylinder engine that drove the rear wheels
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The Wander W 40 of 1936 featured a six-cylinder engine developed by Ferdinand Porsche in the early 1930s
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The engine was one of the valuable assets that Wanderer contributed to the new Auto Union
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This particular example, from 1936, has not been restored
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The 1933 Audi 'Front' saloon adopted front-wheel-drive technology from DKW and the six-cylinder engine from Wanderer
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The luxury Horch 853 was powered by a 4.9-litre straight-eight producing 99bhp; the car was a resounding success in its class
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Horch's 855 roadster was one of the most exclusive cars in the company's history. Only seven were made
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The Horsch's straight-eight 4.9-litre engine produced 118bhp, allowing the 855 roadster to hit 87mph
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Horch built 58 '670 Sport Cabriolets' between 1931 and 1934; it packed a 118bhp 6.0-litre V12 and could hit 87mph
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The Horch's V12 featured a seven-bearing crank, a hydraulic valve clearance adjuster system and a vibration damper
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The Wanderer W 25 K roadster took styling cues from American designs and made use of a supercharged six-cylinder engine
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The Audi four-ring emblem symbolises the 1932 merger of Horch, Audi, Wanderer and DKW
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The Audi 920, built from 1938 to 1940, adopted the chassis from the Wanderer W 23 and a Horch-derived straight-eight engine
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This 1939 Auto Union 'Typ C/D' race car is claimed capable of 155mph
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Power for the Type C/D came from a supercharged 6.0-litre V16, producing 513bhp
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Only one Type C/D was ever made
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The car, as the name suggests, was a combination of the old Type C's engine and the chassis from a Type D
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The 1939 Auto Union Type D Grand Prix racer was capable of over 205mph. It was powered by a 478bhp supercharged 3.0-litre V12
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This 'Silver Arrow' survived World War II and was restored in England between 1992 and 1994
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The Type D shared much with its predecessor, including its use of supercharging, torsion bar suspension and mid-engined layout
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This is the last remaining example of the three DKW US 250s built in 1939
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Many of the brands produced military vehicles and equipment; much of the companys' infrastructure was destroyed during WWII
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This 1953 Horch 830 BL was parked in the Texan desert for 40 years; it is the only example of its kind
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During the 1950s DKW launched a passenger car programme that offered several different body styles
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The DKW 3=6 'Sonderklasse' was offered as a two-door variant, with a three-cylinder two-stroke engine
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It was also offered in two-seat convertible form with the same three-cylinder engine
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The engine was said to have the power and refinement of a six-cylinder four-stroke engine, hence the 3=6 moniker
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The DKW 3=6, seen here in estate form, was a popular car and even won the European Rally Championship in 1954
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The DKW F 89 L 'rapid delivery van' was the first Auto Union model produced after the war
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Its 20bhp two-cylinder two-stroke engine drove the front wheels; 28,263 were made
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A new factory was built in Ingolstadt to produce the 1959 DKW Junior, laying the foundations for today's Audi plant
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The Auto Union 1000 Sp Roadster went on sale in 1961. It was styled on Ford's Thunderbird but only made in small numbers
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The car's bodyshell was made by Baur in Stuttgart; final assembly took place in Ingolstadt
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Power came from a 980cc three-cylinder two-stroke engine
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Auto Union claimed a top speed of 87mph
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The DKW F 102 was the last Auto Union model produced prior to the Volkswagen takeover
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The Audi 72, launched in 1965, was the successor to the DKW F 102 and marked the start of a new era for Auto Union
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The NSU Autonova GT, launched in 1965, was designed to offer younger buyers a more sporting, fun car than the DKW alternatives
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The NSU RO80 was a rotary-engined saloon introduced in 1967; NSU was acquired by VW and merged with Auto Union in 1969
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The Audi 100 helped secure the future of the brand in the late 1960s. It was developed in secret and went on sale in 1969
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The Audi 100's design focused on lightweight construction, allowing for decent performance with a comparitively small engine
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The Audi 50 LS went on sale in 1974. VW launched the nigh-on indentical Polo in 1975
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This 1979 Audi 80 was sectioned for display at the Frankfurt motor show
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The Audi quattro was the first passenger car with standard four-wheel drive; it went on sale in 1980 and was produced until 1991
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The indomitable 302bhp Sport Quattro was Germany's most powerful series production car at its launch in 1983
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Audi has recently been celebrating 30 years of the Audi Sport Quattro
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Only 214 Sport Quattros were built, compared to some 11,452 Quattros
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The 80 GTE was the first official Audi entry into circuit motorsport since Auto Union's racing department was closed in 1964
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The Audi Quattro stormed onto the rallying scene in 1981
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Audi's rally driver, Michèle Mouton, became the first ever female to win a World Rally Championship race
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The brutal-looking Audi 90 Quattro ISMA-GTO debuted in 1989 and proved immensely successful
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The Audi was powered by a 2.2-litre five-cylinder engine that produced a staggering 711bhp
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Distinctive cooling fins helped control brake temperatures. Audi built six race cars, including four 'emergency' vehicles
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The Audi V8 Quattro DTM defeated competitors from both Mercedes and BMW in its first season in 1990
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Some of Audi's Le Mans entries are also on display at the museum
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A paternoster presents a continually moving display of exhibits to visitors
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The Audi 200 Quattro Transam was a 1000kg, 493bhp race car that debuted in 1986
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Audi's competition heritage spans many decades and classes
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In the back, on its way up the paternoster, is the Audi Quattro Group S prototype
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This is a DKW F 11/64 touring car. Its 896cc engine makes 77bhp, allowing the 705kg car to almost hit 103mph
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The museum's paternoster can be viewed from several floors; digital display boards allow for quick model identification
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The Audi 100 had a low drag coefficient of 0.30, setting a new record for production saloon cars
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The lower level of the museum, pictured here during a previous exhibition, is used to host special displays
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The Audi museum is home to a display of some 50 cars and 30 other exhibits, including bicycles and motorcycles