Audi

Audi is one of the world's most recognized manufacturers of luxury cars and SUVs. Audi's history can be traced back over a hundred years, when its founder August Horch engineered the assembly of an automobile and auto parts for his own company. However, Horch would be forced out of the enterprise come 1909, but it wasn't long before he was up and running again. Due to legal constraints, Horch was unable to use his own name "Horch" for his new outfit, so his son suggested "Audi", which is a Latin derivative for the term "hear". 1910 was when Audi Automobile Works was officially formed. Throughout World War I and entering the era of the Great Depression, Audi built multiple prototypes, but its Type K is what set the tone early as it was the first German left-handed drive car to be produced. In 1932, Audi joined forces with Horch, DKW, and Wanderer to form Auto Union. Soon after, the company released the Audi Front, a sedan equipped with a 6-cylinder engine and front-wheel drive. World War II severely set back Auto Union however, and it wouldn't be until 1949 when the auto-conglomerate would pick back up on its levels of pre-war production.