REPORT: Auto Union name could be revived with Porsche-VW merger
Auto Union Silver Arrow Type-D - Click above for a high-res image
According to a report by 4Car, the Auto Union name could be revived with the merger of Porsche and Volkswagen. For those unfamiliar, the Auto Union moniker was coined during the Great Depression in 1932, when four German automakers – Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer – merged to create what's now present-day Audi. The four interlocked rings of the Audi logo represented the alliance, but the Auto Union name carries some baggage.
Made famous by the Silver Arrow grand prix cars of the '30s, and made infamous when Adolf Hitler commissioned Ferdinand Porsche in 1933 to create a German competitor to dominate the series, the name still carries a stigma post-WWII. Chairman of the Volkswagen Group, Dr. Ferdinand Piech, is said to have suggested the title as an umbrella corporation that would incorporate the two automakers, but considering its history and reputation, the name's resurrection may be ill-advised.
[Source: 4Car]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Jake 2:38PM (5/15/2009)
So that's what Oompa-Loompas drive.
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PercyPricksworth 4:20PM (5/15/2009)
An Oompa Loompa drive with a top speed of 340km/h, max. torque of ~850nm and ~500bhp.
Even if it is an Oompa Loompa's drive it is a damn quick one.
As a sidenote: Audi is the latin word for Horch.
On topic: Auto Union sounds a lot better than Volkswagen any day.
Jake 6:19PM (5/15/2009)
Take it easy, don't pee on yourself Polly.
My first thought when I saw the picture was just that it looked like an Oompa-Loompa driving a car and it made me laugh so I posted that. I didn't mean anything bad about your Reichsmobile.
fizzandpop 6:51PM (5/15/2009)
It's Nick Mason from Pink Floyd and yes, he looks like an Oompa Loompa:
http://www.drummerworld.com/pics/drumpics8/Nick-Mason.jpg
Alex 2:45PM (5/15/2009)
I would think the Auto Union name is less infamous than Volkswagen. Besides there are planty of companies that have survived the Hitler stigma; BMW and Krupp come to mind.
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imirk 2:59PM (5/15/2009)
yeah BMW's emblem is the propeller blades practically flaunt their defense origins
Riaf28 3:51PM (5/15/2009)
The BMW logo is really just the colors of the Bavarian flag. The propeller idea is a very common misconception about the badge.
Tourian 2:46PM (5/15/2009)
I used to think the AU in Audi stood for Auto Union. I didn't know anything about its ties to Hitler. Maybe they should just let that name go and come up with something else.
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Vega 3:08PM (5/15/2009)
Actually, Audi is the latin translation of 'Horch' which means "hear!". In 1909 August Horch was forced out of the car company he created himself and in 1910 founded Audi as a competitor, using the Latin translation to mock his adversaries at his former firm.
DieselFan 2:49PM (5/15/2009)
I don't have any problem with the Auto Union name. Somebody is being a bit to sensitive and politically correct.
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Iwa 3:30PM (5/15/2009)
Well that's Germany for you. They overreact in anything and everything related to Hitler and WWII.
dwaltr 4:58PM (5/15/2009)
I wonder why? Could it be the 50,000,000 people killed in their attempt to rule the world have anything to do with it?
Christian 11:16PM (5/15/2009)
clueless..
Yeah,
F*ck those haters. They're just mad cause Auto Union used their parents as slave labour.
DieselFan 12:50AM (5/16/2009)
You people are really clueless. All manufacturing companies served their country during WWII. Why pick on Auto Union? The others were no better. And so many love to hate the Germans, but for some strange reason love the Japanese.
John 3:04PM (5/15/2009)
The Auto Union was an amazing car for its day and its heritage should be preserved. It's hardly the auto designer's fault that a dictator was running the country at the time.
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Vega 3:14PM (5/15/2009)
Yeah, great reasoning there Autoblog.
Maybe you guys should also tell Mercedes to change their name, you know because of the evil silver arrows. Or Volkswagen. Or Ford, for that matter, as they provided trucks for the Wehrmacht.
It must be hard trying to find a controversy in everything...
Reply
Damon Lavrinc 3:22PM (5/15/2009)
We're just stating the concerns from 4Car's report -- not trying to stoke controversy.
Neil 3:37PM (5/15/2009)
@Damon Lavrinc
I think the article goes beyond just repeating what the report said. That last sentence "but considering its history and reputation, the name's resurrection may be ill-advised" really highlights Vega's point.
FSM 3:52PM (5/15/2009)
I've said it before and I'll restate it now. This is a blog that is owned by someone other than YOU! Being a blog, it is neither necessary or expected to be completely devoid of human opinion. If you don't like it go somewhere else. I'm sure that the owners of this blog can police the content of their articles effectively without tiresome comments from the peanut gallery.
Vega 4:15PM (5/15/2009)
@FSM:
I've never said an Autoblog writer shouldn't be allowed to state an opinion. It's their Blog. However, why shouldn't commenters be allowed to say so, if he disagrees with that opinion or thinks that a comment was needlessly sensationalist?
This is the comments section after all...
Ramen, may you be touched by his noodly appendage!