'Vorsprung durch Technik' is one of the most enduring marketing slogans in the automotive industry – and one that has truly given expression to Audi’s focus.
It was first used in 1971 to showcase the technical diversity of the NSU range, then encompassing water-cooled front-drive, air-cooled rear-drive and rotary-engined models. But it really came into vogue in the 1980s with the radical Audi Quattro. At one point, the slogan was featured on the largest illuminated advert in Europe.
For the past few years, though, Audi has been more sparing in its use of Vorsprung durch Technik, with the focus on grappling with the advent of electrification and the need to reduce carbon emissions.
