As one of Germany's preeminent early car makers, the original Audi company was to merge with several competitors - Horsch, DKW and Wanderer - to form Auto Union in 1932. Following the war, Auto Union found its industrial assets bisected by the Iron Curtain, leading to the creation of a new HQ at Ingolstadt (where the company is still based today).
The company focused on small cars until it was acquired by VW in 1964, eventually dedicating itself to larger saloons that didn't compete with VW's products. Along the way Audi acquired the quirkily innovative manufacturer NSU but it wasn't until the late 70s that the company found its technological niche and started to shake off a rather staid image.
The development of the quattro four-wheel-drive system in the early 80s both revolutionised motorsport and gave the brand a mighty shove - helped by some well-conceived marketing.
By the 90s, Audi had become synonymous with quiet, modernist innovation, characteristics that continue to shape the brand's image in the modern era, despite a notable lurch toward hard-edged styling and even more raucous performance.
A compact sports roadster, the 1936 Wanderer W25K, boasted six-cylinders and 85hp.
These three Auto Union Wanderer Streamline Specials were reconstructed in 2004, faithful replicas of the originals, had built for long-distance endurance racing in inter-war Europe.
The Auto Union Typ D is one of the most iconic racing cars ever made, a V12 powered Grand Prix car that epitomised the inter-war era of lethally glamorous racing machines.
The first car to bear the four rings of Auto Union after the war, this wooden-framed DKW Meisterklasse Universal type F 89 S dates from 1951.
Created by the designer Gustav Adolf Baumm, and developed in conjunction with engineers from NSU, the "Flying Deckchair" was a teardrop shaped record-breaking motorcycle.
The 1956 DKW Monza was typical of immediate post-war cars from the company, with a small engine and compact footprint.
The Auto Union 1000Sp Coupé also relied on two-stroke power, just as the consumer began to gravitate towards the smoother four-cylinder units. Neat styling earned it the nickname of the 'Baby Thunderbird'.
The DKW Junior had a noisy two-stroke engine and rather laboured 50s-era styling reminiscent of Eastern Bloc best-sellers.
Audi's first four-stroke car, this model heralded the squared-off bodywork that would define the company's output for the next two decades.
The 1967 NSU Ro 80 was a milestone but also a dead-end for this Audi-owned company. The rotary engine and uniquely aerodynamic form made the Ro 80 remarkably advanced for its era.
The 1968 Audi 100 was a revolutionary departure for the brand, and also directly contrary to VW's wishes for their subsidiary. Audi's engineers proceeded with the design in secret, so convinced were they of the need for a larger family car.
This crisply designed late 60s Audi shows the company on the edge of the modern era, moving away from low-tech two-stroke and towards more stylish cars.
While not exactly chic, the Audi 60 was yet another well-presented variant of the company's saloon collection.
An early design classic, the 1971 Audi 100 Coupé S was a mini masterpiece of 70s car themes, mixing Italianate style with American muscle to stunning effect.
The Audi 80 from 1977 achieved a reputation for solidity and reliability, two qualities that couldn't quite be translated into a sense of innovation or desire.
The icon, the 1982 Audi quattro featured four-wheel drive and a five-cylinder turbo-charged engine.
The road-going version of the Audi Sport quattro was available in strictly limited numbers so the race car would qualify for rallying.
The Audi Sport quattro was a strictly functional machine, shortened, pared down and devoted to performance.
The Audi 100 Avant was the company's first estate, transforming a previously staid market sector with a fastback, ultra-aerodynamic design.
The Audi Sport quattro S1-Pikes Peak was an even more extreme variant, an ultra-powerful rally car in the soon-to-be-banned Group B category. This car also won the 1985 Pikes Peak hill climb, driven by French rally superstar Michele Mouton.
The Audi Coupé was introduced in 1988 and was instantly assumed to be the quattro's replacement. More of a GT than a sports car, the Coupé was neatly drawn and quietly reliable.
The 1991 Audi quattro Spyder proved to the company that a premium sports car bearing the four rings would be warmly received. Featuring aluminium bodywork and timelessly elegant bodywork, the Spyder still looks fresh today.
Another concept from 1991, the Audi Avus quattro concept made its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show, intended as the supercar partner to the Spyder's sports car.
In 1993 the company showed the Audi ASF, a conceptual precursor to the all-aluminum A8, introduced in 1994.
The Audi AI2 was another step change, the application of aluminium construction to a compact city car. Ahead of its time, the A12 made way for the 1999 A2.
The Steppenwolf concept predicted the late noughties vogue for sports cross-overs, with a raised ride height mated to a coupe-like body. Although it was never built, several elements of the design found their way into later production cars.
The original R8 was a sports car built to win Le Mans, an ambitious undertaking that the car achieved five times in the six years of the century.
The 2000 Audi Rosemeyer Design Study was a one-off that now lives at the Autostadt in Wolfsburg. Sharing visual cues and the engine from Bugatti's Veyron, the Rosemeyer was named for one of the marque's best-known racing drivers.
The Audi Avantissimo concept was a handsome estate car previewing the language of the second generation A8. Sadly no actual estate car was forthcoming when the production car went on sale in 2003.
The Nuvolari quattro concept foreshadowed the company's end of decade design language, inside and out. It ultimately reached the showrooms in the form of the 2008 Audi A5.
Now instantly recognisable as the Audi R8, the Le Mans quattro concept debuted in 2003. The production version was faithful to the concept's dramatic looks.
The Audi Shooting Brake Concept showcased the second generation TT, but with a curious mini-estate car body (an ongoing theme with Audi concepts).
A major installation at the Audi-sponsored Design Miami fair, 'Ignition R8' was part of the global launch activity surrounding the R8 supercar.
The Audi TT clubsport quattro was a stripped down version of the iconic TT, a race-themed speedster pitched at the weekend track enthusiast. Production is still pending.
The latest concept to leave Audi's design studios was the 2009 Sportback, a sleek saloon that'll see production as an A5 variant in early 2010.
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