August Horch

August Horch (12 October 1868 – 3 February 1951) was a German engineer and automotive pioneer, founder of the industrial giant later known as Audi.

He was born in Winningen. Initially a blacksmith, he later studied at the technical college in Mittweida, Hochschule Mittweida. After qualifying as an engineer, he worked in shipbuilding. From 1896 he worked for Karl Benz, before founding A. Horch & Co. in Ehrenfeld, Cologne, Germany, in November 1899.

He built his first car in 1901. The company moved to Reichenbach in 1902 and to Zwickau in 1904. Following a dispute in 1909, Horch left the company but stayed in Zwickau, becoming its competitor.

His new firm was initially called Horch Automobil-Werke GmbH, but a legal dispute over the Horch name forced him to change it. The court ruled in favour of his former partner, recognising the latter’s right to the registered trademark and barring Horch from using it further. In 1910, the company therefore became Audi Automobilwerke GmbH, using a Latinised version of his name.

Horch left the company in 1920 and moved to Berlin, where he pursued various activities. In 1937, he published his autobiography, “I Built Cars” (Ich Baute Autos). He also joined the board of Auto Union, the successor to Audi Automobilwerke GmbH, and became an honorary citizen of Zwickau. Streets in Zwickau and his hometown of Winningen were named in honour of Audi. He received an honorary professorship from the technical university in Braunschweig.