Horch
Horch was a German luxury-car manufacturer founded by August Horch and one of the four marques that formed Auto Union in 1932.
Last updated October 14, 2026
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Overview
Horch was a German automobile manufacturer whose history runs through the formative period of the country's motor industry and ultimately into the ancestry of Audi. August Horch, a former production manager who had worked for Karl Benz, established his first automotive business with Salli Herz in Cologne on 14 November 1899. The operation moved to Reichenbach in Vogtland in 1902 and was incorporated as Horch & Cie. Motorwagenwerke AG in Zwickau on 10 May 1904. Zwickau subsequently became the company's principal industrial base and the place most strongly associated with the Horch name. The early company built technically ambitious cars for their time. Its first products included small twin-cylinder automobiles, while later models adopted four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines, shaft drive, friction clutches and increasingly sophisticated construction. A 1906 Horch driven by Dr. Rudolf Stöss won the Herkomer Competition, helping establish the marque's sporting and engineering credentials. The company also developed a reputation for advanced, powerful cars, although financial and managerial difficulties periodically constrained its progress. A dispute between August Horch and the company's supervisory board led to his departure in 1909. Because the Horch name was already registered and he no longer controlled the rights to it, he established a new company in Zwickau. That business adopted the name Audiwerke in 1910. Audi is the Latin imperative corresponding to the German word “horch,” meaning “listen.” The two names therefore became historically linked even though they represented separate companies at the time. Horch later developed into a prestige manufacturer. During the 1920s, Moritz Stauss promoted the brand through carefully designed advertising and emphasized luxury, style and social distinction. Paul Daimler joined as chief engineer in 1923 and helped introduce an eight-cylinder program, beginning with the 3.4-litre Type 300 in 1927. In 1928, the company came under the control of Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen, the owner of DKW. On 29 June 1932, Horch, Audi, DKW and Wanderer merged to form Auto Union AG. The four-ring emblem represented the four constituent marques. Within Auto Union, Horch occupied the luxury end of the passenger-car range. The marque produced V8 and straight-eight automobiles, including the 830 series and the 850 series, and competed with high-end Mercedes-Benz models. Its Zwickau works also housed the specialist department responsible for Auto Union's Grand Prix cars. Between 1935 and 1937, those racing cars achieved 25 race victories with drivers including Bernd Rosemeyer, Tazio Nuvolari and Hans Stuck. During the Second World War, Auto Union supplied military vehicles, including the Horch 108 heavy standard passenger car and Horch 901 medium standard passenger car. Civilian production stopped after March 1940. Bomb damage and the post-war division of Germany then fundamentally altered the company's future. The Zwickau facilities fell into the Soviet occupation zone and later East Germany. From 1955 to 1958, the former works produced the six-cylinder Horch P240, which was renamed the Sachsenring P240 after the Horch and Audi operations were reorganized within the East German industrial system. In West Germany, a new Auto Union company continued after the war, initially concentrating on small DKW vehicles. Volkswagen acquired Auto Union in 1964 and revived Audi as the group's principal four-stroke passenger-car marque. Daimler-Benz retained the Horch trademark for a period before transferring the rights to Audi in the mid-1980s. The Horch name then remained largely dormant as a standalone marque, although historic cars became important collectors' vehicles. Audi revived the name in a modern commercial context in 2021, using Horch as a flagship trim designation for the Audi A8 in China. The move positioned the historic name against Mercedes-Maybach, rather than restoring Horch as an independent manuf…
History
August Horch and Salli Herz founded Horch's first automotive enterprise in Cologne on 14 November 1899. Horch had previously worked in the automobile industry under Karl Benz. The business moved to Reichenbach in 1902 and then to Zwickau, where Horch & Cie. Motorwagenwerke AG was established on 10 May 1904. The company began with small twin-cylinder cars and soon expanded into more technically ambitious models. Early engineering features included alloy crankcases, friction clutches and shaft drive. A four-cylinder, 20 PS model appeared in 1902, and the firm developed its first six-cylinder engine in the following years. In 1906, a Horch won the Herkomer Competition, strengthening the marque's reputation for engineering and performance. August Horch left after a dispute with the company's supervisory board in 1909. He established a second Zwickau company, but could not continue using his surname because the original company held the trademark rights. The replacement name, Audiwerke, was registered in 1910. “Audi” translated the imperative meaning of the German “horch,” creating the historical connection between the two marques. Horch became increasingly associated with luxury during the 1920s. Moritz Stauss, a major shareholder, supported image-focused advertising that presented the cars as refined, distinctive and socially aspirational. Paul Daimler joined as chief engineer in 1923 and initiated an eight-cylinder range. The Type 300, introduced in 1927, used a 3.4-litre eight-cylinder engine. In 1928, DKW owner Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen acquired the company. The decisive corporate change occurred on 29 June 1932, when Horch, Audi, DKW and Wanderer combined to create Auto Union AG. Horch became Auto Union's prestige marque, while the other brands served different market and product roles. The company produced large V8 and straight-eight models, including the 830 and 850 families. By 1936, the Zwickau works had completed 25,000 eight-cylinder Horch cars. The 850 series competed in the German luxury market with cars such as the Mercedes-Benz 540K. Horch's Zwickau facilities also supported Auto Union's Grand Prix program. Racing cars from Types A through D were developed and built by a specialist department between 1933 and 1939. Auto Union cars recorded 25 victories between 1935 and 1937, with notable drivers including Ernst von Delius, Tazio Nuvolari, Bernd Rosemeyer, Hans Stuck and Achille Varzi. The company was also involved in wartime production. Auto Union supplied the German armed forces with vehicles including the Horch 108, Horch 901 and related half-track equipment. Civilian automobile production ended after March 1940. Allied bombing damaged the factories, and the post-war Soviet occupation placed the Zwickau works in the eastern part of divided Germany. The former Zwickau operations produced the six-cylinder Horch P240 from 1955 to 1958. After the Horch and Audi activities were reorganized within the East German IFA system, the car was renamed the Sachsenring P240. Production ended after East German authorities restricted foreign exports of the vehicle. The same industrial region also became associated with the Trabant. In West Germany, Auto Union was re-established in Ingolstadt after the war. Volkswagen acquired Auto Union in 1964 and later restored Audi as the group's four-stroke passenger-car brand. Daimler-Benz retained Horch trademark rights until the mid-1980s, when the rights were transferred to Audi. Horch then remained dormant as an independent automobile brand. The historic cars continued to attract collectors, including a 1937 853A Sport Cabriolet that sold for US$299,000 in 2006. Audi brought the name back in 2021 as an ultra-luxury A8 designation for China. This was a controlled use of heritage branding rather than a return to independent Horch production. The modern role of Horch is therefore principally symbolic: it links Audi's contemporary luxury ambitions with one of the predecessor companies represented by Auto Union's four-ring emblem.
- 2021
Horch designation returns on Audi A8
[1]Audi introduced a Horch-branded flagship A8 trim for the Chinese market.
- 1964
Volkswagen acquires Auto Union
[1]Volkswagen purchased Auto Union, eventually enabling the revival of Audi as a major brand.
- 1955
Horch P240 begins production
[1]The Zwickau works began producing the six-cylinder P240 in East Germany.
- 1940
Civilian production suspended
[1]Civilian automobile production ended after March as wartime manufacturing took priority.
- 1935
Horch 850 series introduced
[1]The straight-eight 850 series became the marque's top passenger-car range.
- 1932
Auto Union formed
[1]Horch, Audi, DKW and Wanderer merged to establish Auto Union AG.
- 1928
Acquisition by DKW interests
[1]Jørgen Skafte Rasmussen, owner of DKW, acquired Horch.
- 1923
Paul Daimler becomes chief engineer
[1]Daimler joined Horch and initiated development of an eight-cylinder model range.
- 1910
Audi name registered
[1]The successor company registered the Audi name, a Latin rendering of “horch.”
- 1909
August Horch leaves the company
[1]A dispute with the supervisory board led August Horch to establish a separate company.
Products and positioning
Historically positioned as a German luxury and prestige automobile marque, with emphasis on advanced engineering, large-displacement engines, formal design and social status. In its modern Audi usage, Horch serves as a heritage-based ultra-luxury designation aimed at the Chinese market.
Luxury automobiles
Horch 8 and 12
Large luxury cars representing Horch's pre-Auto Union prestige positioning. The range included high-cylinder-count vehicles intended for buyers seeking formal styling, strong performance and a high level of mechanical refinement.
Luxury V8 automobile · 1930
Horch 830B
A smaller and less expensive V8 line introduced during the 1930s. It broadened access to Horch's luxury image while retaining the marque's emphasis on large engines and formal executive-car design.
Luxury straight-eight automobile · 1935
Horch 850 series
The 850 series replaced earlier Horch 8 and 12 models as the flagship passenger-car family. It was positioned against leading German luxury cars, including the Mercedes-Benz 540K, and was offered in multiple body styles.
Luxury sport cabriolet · 1937
Horch 853A Sport Cabriolet
A prestigious pre-war open touring model and one of the best-known surviving Horch collectibles. Its rarity, coachbuilt character and association with the marque's late-1930s luxury period make it highly valued by historic-car collectors.
Military utility vehicle
Horch 901
A medium standard passenger vehicle supplied by Auto Union for military use during the Second World War. It formed part of the company's wartime vehicle program rather than its civilian luxury-car portfolio.
Ultra-luxury sedan trim · 2021
Audi A8 Horch
A modern Audi A8 flagship designation introduced in China in 2021. It uses the Horch name as a heritage signal for greater exclusivity and as a direct response to the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class.
Marketing campaigns
- 2021Audi A8 Horch launch
China
Audi revived the Horch name on the highest-end A8 designation to extend its luxury positioning in China and challenge Mercedes-Maybach.
Outcome. The name returned to market as an Audi trim and heritage designation rather than as an independent car company.
- 1920Horch luxury-image advertising
Germany
Under the influence of Moritz Stauss, Horch invested in advertising that treated the automobile as a product of design, status and cultural refinement rather than only mechanical transport.
Outcome. The approach helped establish Horch as a desirable German prestige marque during the 1920s.
Brand decisions
2021
Horch name reused for Audi A8 flagshipProduct launchBackground
Audi sought a stronger ultra-luxury proposition in China and faced competition from Mercedes-Maybach.
Action taken
Audi applied the Horch name to a flagship A8 trim level.
Aftermath
Horch re-entered contemporary automotive marketing as an Audi luxury designation while remaining dormant as an independent manufacturer.
1932
Merger into Auto UnionM&ABackground
Horch, Audi, DKW and Wanderer operated in a market where scale and differentiated brand roles were increasingly important.
Action taken
The four companies merged to create Auto Union AG, with Horch serving the luxury segment.
Aftermath
The merger created the corporate structure represented by the four-ring emblem and became a direct predecessor of modern Audi.
1909
Establishment of a second company after August Horch's departureStrategyBackground
August Horch left his original company after a dispute with its supervisory board, but the original business controlled the Horch trademark.
Action taken
He created a new Zwickau automobile company and adopted the Audi name in 1910, using the Latin equivalent of “horch.”
Aftermath
The decision created the separate Audi lineage that later reconnected with Horch through Auto Union and Volkswagen's Audi organization.
Sources3 sources
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