Corporate Monthly summary

Audi is the exclusive automotive sponsor for the third year running at Design Miami/, the leading global forum for high-end design. From December 2 through 5, the world’s most influential dealers, designers, collectors, curators, and critics will meet here to celebrate the design scene’s highlights at countless events. Audi is not only sponsor of the VIP fleet, but also – with the “Audi Coastline Marina” installation – a participating designer. During the same week, Audi will participate for the first time at Art Basel Miami Beach, a key U.S. art show. Audi will thus sponsor the two most important events for contemporary art and design.

Most manufacturers’ cars have grown heavier as the years have gone by. This isn’t true of Audi. Quite the opposite: more than ten years ago the Audi A8 and the Audi A2, with their aluminum bodies, put a stop to this never-ending spiral of increased weight. Since then, Audi has developed this pioneering weight-saving technology more and more. Today ASF (Audi Space Frame), as it is now known, is used for four Audi models: the TT, TT Roadster, R8 and A8.

In an effort to ensure a smooth change of generations at Audi dealerships, AUDI AG and its dealers specifically invest in junior employees and prepare them for the position of Managing Director. This year, ten candidates completed the 22-months training course.

Audi is blazing new trails in corporate publishing: the first issue of the new Audi Magazine appeared on November 14. The Ingolstadt-based company is engaging top-flight teams for both the illustrations and the copy in the new publication. The new Audi Magazine will focus closely on the brand – while relying on high visual and journalistic quality.

The ninth Audi Twin Cup came to a close this weekend at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt following an exciting practical final. After a theoretical phase lasting several months, the finalists competed in typical work situations and put their outstanding practical skills to the test.

Audi has presented a milestone of the automotive future at a testing ground in Dudenhofen, Germany. Along with other European vehicle manufacturers at the second CAR2CAR Forum, Audi demonstrated how it will be possible in the future for data to be exchanged between vehicles of different brands.

Audi sold some 82,400 automobiles to customers worldwide in October. Sales of the premium brand thus rose 7.2 percent in year-on-year comparison. During the first ten months of 2008, the Ingolstadt carmaker sold approximately 844,700 vehicles, up 3.3 percent on the same period last year. Audi registered growth both in the European as well as in the emerging Asian markets. Audi Chairman Rupert Stadler said: “Audi is performing well, but our corporate performance is increasingly influenced by declining markets.”

It has not even hit the market, but it has already won an award: “Bild am Sonntag” named the new Audi Q5 the best vehicle in this year’s special SUV class, awarding it the “Golden Steering Wheel”.

Peter Schwarzenbauer, Audi Board Member for Marketing and Sales, today opened the first Audi terminal in Japan’s capital. The trendsetting dealership architecture was designed by the renowned office of Allmann Sattler Wappner. It heralds a major investment campaign into the brand’s international sales network, jointly undertaken by AUDI AG and its dealers.

Research gives you a competitive edge: INI.KU with the partners AUDI AG, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt and the City of Ingolstadt has already launched their cooperative activities in June 2008. The official opening ceremony takes place today at the SE Center Ingolstadt. INI.KU is the fifth academic science partnership launched by Audi at its Ingolstadt location to date. It supports research projects in the humanities, social and economic sciences.

AUDI AG is opening a new toolmaking facility at Neckarsulm today for the Toolmaking Division. The company has invested nearly €18 million in the building, new technologies and the establishment of a synchronous production system. As a result, Audi Toolmaking will be able to assume an even stronger position in international competition.

Automobiles from Audi are front-runners in their market segments – thanks to Vorsprung durch Technik, the technological lead that also extends to the field of manufacturing. The Production operation at Audi is innovative, and is characterized by uncompromising precision and strict quality-consciousness. It takes into consideration such aspects as the needs of our employees and efficient use of resources. And today, in a media workshop at the Ingolstadt site, Audi will be demonstrating all of these strengths of its manufacturing operation.

Yesterday’s opening of the first Audi dealership in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) marked the Ingolstadt-based company’s official entry into the Vietnamese market. By launching its sales programme in Vietnam, AUDI AG is reinforcing its position in the region, where the brand is currently scoring its highest growth rates.

In its third appearance in the “Excellence in Production “ competition, the Toolmaking Division of AUDI AG has once again received a renowned award. Voted as “Toolmaker of the Year” in 2004 and 2006, Audi Toolmaking beat 30 other contestants to win first place in the “Internal Toolmaking over 100 Employees” category again this year.

On Sunday 1,300 mechanics from Audi partner businesses got an up-close view of the last – and thrilling – German Touring Car Masters (DTM) race of the season. AUDI AG invited service employees from southwest Germany to experience an exclusive day of racing and pit tours at the Hockenheimring racetrack.

Managing a good start and taking the euphoria all the way into the world championships – this is what the athletes of the German Ski Association (DSV) are aiming for. For the alpine team, things are getting serious as of tomorrow: the new Audi FIS World Cup starts in Sölden. For six years, Audi has been giving its name to the series.

The Audi quattro Cup is one of the biggest and most popular tournament series for amateur golfers: just this year more than 80,000 players participated. Golf pro Nick Dougherty now presented the winners’ trophies to the victorious teams of the world finale in Tenerife. The first registrations for 2009 have already been submitted.

The Audi Mileage Marathon, now completed, has provided convincing evidence of the efficiency of TDI engine technology. The fuel consumption of all 23 models in this 7,865-kilometer (4,887-mile) test was excellent.

The Audi Mileage Marathon is now into its third, decisive stage: when the fleet of 23 vehicles reaches Las Vegas, it will have completed about three-quarters of the total distance. In each successive stage, these cars from four Audi model lines have confirmed their exceptional fuel economy. The excellent results from the Audi A4 3.0 TDI quattro set a fine example: although its V6 TDI engine performs so well, its fuel consumption has been as low as 5.3 liters per 100 kilometers (44.38 US mpg) on many sections of the route.

Al Gore, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Climate Ambassador and former Vice President of the United States, traveled to the Netherlands on October 14 to speak to approximately 2,000 guests about his most pressing issue: the reduction of emissions to protect the climate. His choice of transportation: the AUDI A6 2.0 TDI e, the most efficient automobile in its class.

As the Audi Mileage Marathon progresses, TDI technology continues to demonstrate its exceptionally efficient use of fuel. With more than half of the 8,000-kilometer (4,971-mile) route now completed, 90 drivers from twelve countries have already driven the 23-vehicle fleet.

AUDI AG notched up double-digit growth rates in Europe, Asia/Pacific and America in September. The brand with the four rings increased its worldwide sales figures in September by 12.3 percent to 95,137 vehicles (2007: 84,716).

Audi is continuing to make its mark on the Indian automobile market. The company today announced the start of local assembly of the new Audi A4. “The successful model, which was launched on the Indian market in July this year, is the second Audi model to be produced at the Group plant in Aurangabad after the Audi A6.

The current plant manager at Audi’s Neckarsulm site, Jürgen Lunemann (56), will resign for personal reasons at the end of this year. Albrecht Reimold (47) will take over as Plant Manager on January 1, 2009.

After spending 35 years with AUDI AG, a retirement ceremony was held today for Dr. Andreas Schleef at the Audi Supervisory Board Meeting in Györ, Hungary.

The Audi MedCup 2008 has been decided: after six thrilling regattas with a total of 53 races in the Mediterranean, in which 21 boats from ten nations competed, the “Quantum Racing” team prevailed. At the finale in Portimão/Portugal the Americans again impressively kept their rivals in check, second place sufficed for them to clinch the title.

The stars of FC Barcelona are turning into serious DTM fans: After last year’s debut, the players of the 18-time Spanish champion came to the Circuit de Catalunya again today. There, they took over their new “company cars” and caught a whiff of racing air at the Audi driving experience and during rides in the DTM racing taxi.

A historic race in honour of Tazio Nuvolari: the Gran Premio Nuvolari is taking place from September 19 to 21 in Italy. The race starts and finishes in Mantua, Nuvolari's birthplace. Over 200 classic cars will be taking to the road to commemorate the "Flying Mantuan", as this legendary racing driver was known. Audi Tradition has close ties with the event, and this will be the eleventh time it has taken part. The most famous driver in the Audi Tradition team is the multiple Le Mans winner Dindo Capello. He will be at the wheel of a red 1971 NSU TT in the Gran Premio Nuvolari.

Audi is welcoming 682 trainees this year. With 453 young people starting their career training today at Audi in Ingolstadt and 229 who started the training on September 5 at the Neckarsulm location, Audi is maintaining its high number of trainee positions through 2008.

People have always had the urge to explore "the very ends of the earth". And motor vehicles have been used on such voyages of discovery ever since they have been in existence. The new special exhibition "To the ends of the earth – legendary expedition and long-distance journeys" at the Audi museum mobile (September 10, 2008 to January 7, 2009) shows twelve extraordinary exhibits that took their venturesome drivers on journeys around the globe.

The TDI is the world’s most successful efficiency technology. Now the latest Audi TDI is making its way to the US: Audi is introducing the world’s cleanest diesel to the streets of America inside the Audi Q7 3.0 TDI with ultra low emission system.

Audi has achieved considerable growth in important European markets, in some cases despite unfavorable general conditions: sales during the traditional vacation month of August in Europe (excluding Germany) increased by 5.2 percent to 26,442 cars (last year: 25,144).

Audi designs do not need four wheels to inspire and delight crowds. For its stand at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2007, the brand with the four rings has been honored with two iF awards from the renowned International Forum Design.

Olaf Scholz is visiting Audi’s Neckarsulm facility today. During a tour of the production shop where the Audi R8 sportscar is manufactured, the German Federal Minister of Labor and Social Affairs gained an insight into how the company is already preparing for the challenges posed by demographic change.

Just a few weeks before the start of the summer Paralympics for handicapped people, several athletes enjoyed a welcome change from hard training: Audi modified A4 and A5 models and invited the athletes to a ‘driving experience’ in Seefeld. The Olympians were impressed.

Audi continues to show strong growth in the Asia/Pacific region with 12,037 automobiles sold in July, a 7.6 percent increase compared to the prior-year month (11,189). In China (including Hong Kong), 9,403 new automobiles were sold (up 7.1 percent).

While many things may be new with FC Bayern München, when it comes to its “company cars” the German record champion again relies on equally sporty and comfortable support in the new season: Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Management Board of AUDI AG, today handed over the keys to the new “company cars” to the players, coaches and management staff in Ingolstadt and wished the team a successful start to the season.

Audi is continuing on its course of worldwide growth and will found its own sales company in Taiwan – just as it has in markets such as Canada, Australia and Korea. Audi Taiwan Limited will begin operations in February 2009 with ambitious goals: The number of cars delivered to customers in Taiwan is to be more than doubled by 2015.

Every year in summer the eyes of the world turn to Salzburg. For five weeks, the Salzburg Festival draws lovers of theater and music to the city of Mozart. Once again this year, Audi is supporting this first-class cultural event as the main sponsor. And Audi Night on the opening weekend is a social highlight not to be missed by prominent figures from business, culture and high society.

Setting new highs in vehicle sales, revenue and profit in the first half of the 2008 fiscal year, Audi is on its way to another record year.

A wave of “green” is washing over Ingolstadt: after two years of research, the “Travolution” team has developed a trend-setting concept to improve traffic infrastructure. Investment amounts to a total of about €1.2 million. AUDI AG and its venture partners presented the results today, with further joint pilot projects to follow.

AUDI AG is entering into a novel form of alliance with the community of St. Anton am Arlberg, a famous ski resort in the Tyrol province of Austria. Under the slogan “Live sporty.” numerous activities are planned. The handing over of three Audi Q7 models to the community today marked the project’s official start.

AUDI AG sold more than 516,000 cars to customers worldwide between January and June (2007: 508,842). This represents a gain of 1.4 percent compared with the first six months of 2007. In June, Audi sold around 90,000 cars (2007: 88,846).

Minister President Dr Günther Beckstein has presented the Bavarian Sport Award 2008 in the “outstanding promoter of sport” category to AUDI AG. The jury primarily recognised the support provided to athletes in many different disciplines as well as the innovative training opportunities made available.

Audi has set yet another sales record in China, delivering a total of 60,509 automobiles to customers in China (including Hong Kong) between January and June – the most successful half-year period in Audi’s 20-year history in China.