Going on a journey, each of us wants to learn more about a new city or country. The best way to do this is by sightseeing and museums. By the way, not all tourists like to visit the latter. It is a completely different matter when it comes to a unique museum of cars. Such an interesting place certainly must be examined. Not every country has such an unusual attraction. In our article, we want to talk about the Audi Museum in Ingolstadt.
Location
The museum is located in the city of Ingolstad, just a few kilometers from Munich. It is located within the walls of the Audi Forum multifunctional complex. The museum was opened back in 2000, its exposition is fully devoted to the history of the famous Audi concern and its predecessors.
Address of the Audi Museum in Ingolstadt: Ettinger StraBe, 85045.
The building is of unusual architecture made of steel and glass. His project was created by Gunther Henn. The exposition is very unusual and interesting, the impressions of which do not fit into the usual framework.
The opening hours of the Audi Museum in Ingolstadt are from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Doors are open for guests on any day of the week. The museum has a cozy cafe and a souvenir shop.
How to get to the Audi Museum in Ingolstadt?
Getting to your destination is not at all difficult. If you arrived at the Ingolstadt station, then there is the final stop of the shuttle bus number 11, where you can get to the museum. You need to exit at the Awidi Forum stop. From the Northern railway station and bus station you can also take bus number 15. The final stop of transport is located near the museum building.
If you plan to travel by car from Munich, you should follow the A9 Autobahn (Munich - Nuremberg), following the signs.
Museum exposition
Audi is a German automobile company that is part of the Volkswagen Group. The headquarters of the organization is in the city of Ingolstadt. There is also a museum of the concern. The glass building reaches a height of 22 meters.
The exposition of the Audi Museum in Ingolstadt is located on three floors and consists of 50 cars, 30 bicycles and motorcycles. Other exhibits from Audi, DKW, Horch, Wanderer and NSU are also featured here. In the halls are cars that took part in the rally.
The company logo in the form of four crossed rings and an inscription above them is striking in the lobby of the museum: Vorsprung durch Technik. Literally, the phrase translates as: "Advance through technology." It is no coincidence that the slogan is in a prominent place: since the 80s of the twentieth century, it has been the motto of Audi. The slogan is recognizable by fans of this brand of car around the world. The guides explain that its meaning is to move forward through the introduction of the latest technology. And this was actually demonstrated by one of the most famous companies in the world. Its development path cannot be called simple and easy. Over the years of its existence, the company has seen a lot, there have been not only ups, but also downs.
history of the company
The origins of the huge company originate in Mannheim, in the machine shop of the famous inventor of the car, Karl Benz. Within its walls, August Horch worked as a production manager for three years. The young engineer was eager to introduce something new, but this was not always possible, since Karl Benz sought to conquer new frontiers and countries, he was little interested in new technologies.
In 1899, Jorge managed to attract investor funds and founded his own company in Ehrenfeld, a suburb of Cologne. For several years, the company has changed its location more than once. The employees were actively working on the creation of the latest machine designs, introducing bold progressive ideas and solutions: double ignition, nickel-chromium steel gears, driveshaft, pneumatic tires and more. All this made it possible to create more powerful and reliable engines.
All innovative solutions required large design work, technically complex experiments and additional financial costs. During this period, the first difficulties appeared: after a failure at a car race, the head of the company began to disagree with the shareholders, who considered him an adventurer.
In 1909, the circumstances were such that Horch was forced to leave the enterprise. But he did not despair and immediately created a completely new company, giving it its former name. The idea of ​​reusing the existing name was unsuccessful, and Horch was forced to change the name. So a completely new name appeared - “Audi”, which is translated from German as “listen”.
The company gradually increased momentum and developed the latest car designs, thanks to which it was possible to win victories in races. The Audi 14/35 model appeared, which for three consecutive years won prestigious Austrian races of the international level, while receiving the nickname “Conqueror of the Alps”. Cars of this model were produced in the years 1911-1925.
Concern emblem
In the twenties of the last century, a competition was announced to create a suitable emblem for a new car brand. The logo in the form of a unit was chosen as a logo on the background of the globe. The emblem lasted about ten years.
In the early thirties, there was a serious crisis that pushed all car companies to unite for the sake of survival. For this reason, the Auto-Union AG concern appeared in 1932. Its members agreed not to compete with each other, on the contrary, to work each in its own segment.
The Audi company specialized in sports cars and middle class cars. During this period, a new emblem appears in the form of four intersecting rings that symbolized the merger of four machine manufacturers.
In the thirties, the concern produced sports cars for racing. Successful performances served as excellent advertising. Models of the enterprise repeatedly won in the European championships. Machines produced in those years were combined under the general name “Silver Arrow”, which was due to the color and shape. German cars took a leading position in world car racing, demonstrating the talent and professionalism of designers.
Museum exhibits
At the Audi Museum in Ingolstadt (photo provided in the article), you can see many stunningly interesting models. Among the exhibits there is also the “Audi 18/70” 1925 release. The car was considered one of the most expensive in the luxury class. It was produced until 1928. With an engine capacity of 70 l / s, he developed a speed of up to 120 kilometers per hour. The car model is presented in the museum in the context, which makes it possible to consider all the elements of complex mechanisms.
Among the exhibits of the Audi Museum in Ingolstadt, you can see an authentic copy (and the only one!) Of the Silver Arrow, which at one time was the best racing car. At competitions, the car developed a speed of up to 250 kilometers per hour.
No less interesting is the car of 1937, equipped with a 16-cylinder engine. He developed a speed of up to 400 kilometers per hour. It was on such a machine that the famous Bernd Rosemayer once performed, setting many records.
The Audi Museum in Ingolstadt itself is the best proof of the limitless possibilities of new technologies. Numerous exhibits vividly demonstrate automotive evolution over the past hundred years.
Among the exhibits of the museum are only the best models worthy of the attention of tourists. Here you can see the most expensive car, released in 1939 for the highest echelons of power of the Third Reich. In total, seven cars were assembled for them.
Unique lift
According to tourists, the Audi Museum in Ingolstadt is equipped with a unique lift, with the help of which exclusive models of cars rise and descend through all floors. All of them were once released in a single copy and to this day excite the imagination of guests. The lift is designed in such a way that it is visible even from the street through the glass walls. Strolling near the building, you can admire the mesmerizing movement of cars.
Further concern history
In 1940, the production of civilian cars was completely discontinued, as the concern switched exclusively to the production of military vehicles. During the war, Saxon factories were badly damaged, and then completely ended up in the zone of occupation. But the management of the company was allocated a loan from the Bavarian government, and this made it possible to revive production. Since 1939, the headquarters of the company was already in Ingolstadt.
Since 1965, all cars of the concern began to be produced under the Audi brand. Subsequently, the company became part of the Volkswagen Group. Since 1974, the design bureau was headed by Ferdinand Piech, thanks to which the introduction of new technologies began: a five-cylinder engine, four-wheel drive, etc. Ten years later, a galvanized body and diesel engines began to be used.
Plant today
Currently, the Audi Museum in Ingolstadt (the address is given in the article) and the automobile plant itself are just one of the twelve parts of production sites located in ten countries of the world. About 600 thousand cars are produced annually only at this enterprise. And at all the plants of the concern - about 1.5 million. The design bureau of the enterprise carries out design work, improving the design and technical specifications of new cars.
Sightseeing Tours
According to tourists, the museum of the automobile giant is worthy of the attention of guests. Avid motorists and admirers of the Audi brand will especially like it. For guests in the museum a variety of sightseeing tours are held. Tourists are offered various options for exploring the unusual history of the automotive giant. Travelers can visit the museum, go to the factory or take a sightseeing tour. The choice of program depends entirely on the wishes of tourists. The administration offers the organization of individual tours depending on the whims of customers. If necessary, it is possible to conduct a thematic tour for different age categories.
A worthy continuation of the inspection of the museum will be a visit to any production site at the plant. So, for example, even guests far from the automotive industry will be interested in a sightseeing tour, which tells about all stages of production, demonstrating them clearly. A walk through the body shop gives you the opportunity to see modern production technologies in action.
Programs for children
A separate program for visiting the museum has been developed for children, during which young guests are told about the history of the brand and the origin of the automotive industry. Kids learn a lot of new and interesting things about cars.
In the museum, before the eyes of the guests, pictures of the past swim, from the development of the automotive industry and the evolution of the color of cars, from the eighties of the last century, to the present. A separate pavilion of the museum is dedicated to modeling the car of the future.
Tourists reviews
Numerous positive reviews about the Audi Museum in Ingolstadt give reason to recommend it to all motorists and fans of the brand.
The exposition of the institution allows a completely new look at the world of cars. You can talk a lot about the technological progress of recent centuries, but you can only trace the evolution of cars in a museum. Changing exhibits allow you to evaluate all those changes that have occurred literally in a hundred years.
According to tourists, not only the museum’s exposition is interesting, but also its unusual building. The internal organization is completely different from traditional museums. Genuine interest is caused not only by retro cars, but also by later models and latest experimental models. Where else can you see so many unique cars? No other museum in the world offers a richer collection of motorcycles, bicycles and cars.
Instead of an afterword
At the beginning of the article, we already mentioned how to get to the Audi Museum in Ingolstadt. This is not at all difficult. If you are planning a group visit to the institution, you must leave a request with the wishes that you would like to see the excursions. The administration offers a large selection of objects for viewing, including individual workshops in which you can see live the main stages of car production. Tours are conducted in English and German, so without knowledge of the language you can just admire the luxury cars.