Audi AG Werk Neckarsulm '1880–pr.

History of the site (March 2020)

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. Company renamed AUDI AG and headquarters moved to Ingolstadt.

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. First victory in the 24 Hours of Le Mans with a diesel engine developed in Neckarsulm.

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 - The Audi Forum Neckarsulm celebrates its tenth anniversary.

2016 - New Audi A8 production buildings

2017 - Opening of the Fuel Cell Competence Center.

2018 - Inauguration of the Technical Center for the Testing of Aluminum Materials.

2019 - Establishment of an MEA Technical Center for fuel cell development.

Models (as of December 31, 2019)

Audi A4 Sedan, Audi A5 Cabriolet, Audi S5 Cabriolet, Audi A6 Sedan and Audi A6 Avant, Audi A6 allroad quattro, Audi S6 Sedan and Audi S6 Avant, Audi RS 6 Avant, Audi A7 Sportback, Audi S7 Sportback, Audi RS 7 Sportback, Audi A8, Audi A8 L, Audi S8, Audi R8 Coupé, Audi R8 Spyder

https://www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/neckarsulm-199