We all know the history of four rings from Audi — you know the whole story of how they came about in more detail in our article — the result of the union of four car brands: Audi, of course, Horch, DKW and Wanderer. Thus was born the Auto Union, whose logo symbolized the logical result of this union - four intersecting rings.
It is one of the most easily recognized logos in the automotive industry, and despite the various graphic evolutions it has undergone, its structure has remained unchanged throughout all these decades.
But the registration of two logo proposals reveals that Audi seems to be considering a deep re-design of the four rings — as you can see, they are not even four rings anymore.
The first proposal only maintains the outer contour of the rings, completely eliminating the “core” of the current logo, precisely what symbolized the union of the four builders. The second maintains an intersection in the middle of the "rings".
Why change what is not broken?
Truth be told, the times of Auto Union are long behind us. Audi was the only one of the four brands that has reached the present day, so the symbolic representation of the union is no longer a reason to be.Subscribe to our newsletter here
The removal of the “core” from the logo could symbolize the merger of the four brands into one, Audi. Maintaining the outer contour of the four rings, it ensures historical connection and visual familiarity.
The second solution is more intriguing. Why maintain an intersection between these two peculiar shapes?
Horch's return?
Rumors have recently emerged that Audi is preparing to rival the more luxurious Mercedes-Maybach, restoring the Horch brand — a brand always associated with luxury since its founding in 1904.
The re-introduction of the Horch brand could come within two to three years, when the Audi A8 receives the predictable mid-life upgrade. As we see in the Mercedes-Maybach S-Class, the new Horch name proposal will remain an Audi A8, but with specific styling details — grille, wheels, etc... — and, of course, a suitably opulent interior.
If the recovery of the Horch brand by Audi is confirmed, the second proposal for a logo would start to make more sense, as two of the four brands that formed Auto Union would be active.
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It's all speculative, and despite the fact that these logos have been registered both in Germany and in the USA, it doesn't mean that we will see them on the “street”. They can only serve as protection for the current logo, preventing the appearance of similar logos by other manufacturers — see the case of BYD and BMW, where the logo of the first is clearly inspired by the second.
