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History of the site
1873 | Christian Schmidt establishes a workshop for the production of knitting machines in Riedlingen on the Danube. |
1880 | The company moves to Neckarsulm. |
1886 | Bicycle production begins. |
1900 | Motorcycle production begins in Germany’s first motorcycle factory. |
1906 | Production of automobiles begins (“Original Neckarsulmer Motorwagen”). |
1929 | World economic crisis puts an end to automobile production. |
1945 | The plant is completely destroyed in World War II; production gradually resumes beginning in mid-1945. |
1955 | NSU Werke AG is the world’s largest motorcycle plant. |
1958 | Automobile production resumes with the NSU Prinz I to III. |
1964 | Production of the NSU/Wankel Spider, the world’s first production car with a rotary piston engine, begins. |
1967 | Series production of the NSU Ro 80 begins; on account of the futuristic design and rotary piston engine, it is voted “1967 Car of the Year.” |
1969 | Merger with Auto Union GmbH Ingolstadt to become Audi NSU Auto Union AG; the majority shareholder is Volkswagen AG. |
1974/75 | The site is threatened with closure during the oil crisis. In the legendary “March on Heilbronn,” workers fight successfully to save the plant. |
1975 | To better utilize production capacity, contract manufacturing of the Porsche 924 begins; the Porsche 944 follows shortly thereafter. |
1982 | The Audi 100 achieves a coefficient of drag (Cd) value of 0.30. That is a world record! |
1985 | Introduction of the fully galvanized car body in the Audi 100 and Audi 200. |
1988 | AUDI AG enters the full-size car class with the Audi V8. |
1989 | Introduction of turbocharged diesel engine with direct fuel injection in a passenger vehicle. |
1990 | First DTM victory for Audi with an Audi V8. |
1994 | Start of production of the Audi A8, the first series-produced vehicle in the world with a completely aluminum body (ASF). |
2000 | Production of the Audi A2, the first aluminum, large-volume production car, begins. |
2001 | Victory in Le Mans with the newly developed FSI direct fuel injection. |
2005 | Audi Forum Neckarsulm opens. |
2006 | German premiere of the Audi R8 sports car. |
2007 | Establishment of the production turntable between the Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm plants with the start of production of the Audi A4 Sedan. |
2008 | Inauguration of the new toolmaking shop. |
2011 | Audi acquires a 23-hectare plot in the Böllinger Höfe industrial park, Heilbronn. |
2012 | Inauguration of the Technical Center for Fiber-Reinforced Polymers and the new Engine Test Center. |
2013 | Audi Neckarsulm receives the J. D. Power award as “Best Production Plant in Europe.” |
2014 | Inauguration of Audi Böllinger Höfe (Logistics Center and R8 production). |
2015 2016 | The Audi Forum Neckarsulm celebrates its tenth anniversary. New Audi A8 production buildings |
2017 2018 | Opening of the Fuel Cell Competence Center. Inauguration of the Technical Center for the Testing of Aluminum Materials. |
2019 | Establishment of an MEA Technical Center for fuel cell development. |
2020 | Start of production of the Audi e-tron GT, the first fully electric Audi model built at a German location. |