If you imagine applying Audi’s Vorsprung
durch Technik (progress through technology) philosophy to a building, the
result will probably be pretty close to the Audi Museum Mobile. Opened in 2000
as part of the Audi Forum in Ingolstadt, the Bavarian hometown of the marque,
the museum sits alongside the production facility where buyers can arrange to
have a tour or collect their new car.
The four glass-wrapped stories symbolize
key eras, combining to make up the four rings of the Audi logo. The first
impression as you enter at the lower level is of the awesome engineering of a
giant paternoster lift on which more than a dozen cars are circulated over the
full height of the building in silent and seemingly effortless transit.
Amazing
rotating display dominates central space
Stylish
Wanderer W25K
Cars
housed in a dramatic glass rotunda
Display
of competition Quattros with IMSA car in foreground
The story of the marque is told from the
top down, as displays on the various floors demonstrate how Audi, Wanderer, DKW
and Horch came together in 1932 to create Auto Union, joined by NSU in ’69.
Level Three focuses on 1899-1945 and introduces company founder August Horch
with a fantastic array of early vehicles, including a gorgeous 1937 Horch 853
with elegant Sport Cabriolet body and ‘Fish Silver Coating’ of metallic paint.
Ferdinand Porsche gets a look-in here, as designer of the supercharged,
all-alloy six-cylinder engine for the less well-known 1938 Wanderer W25K with
its flamboyant transatlantic styling.
Two
ends of the Auto Union spectrum, with 980cc '65 Auto Union 1000SP Roadster
Monster
6-liter V16 duo of 1939 C/D-type and fabulous 1937 C-type streamliner
In addition, the top floor houses the
Silver Arrows gallery, with the V16 Auto Union C-type streamliner that hit
250mph in 1937 alongside the sole-surviving six-wheeler C/D-type hill climb
car.
Moving down a level, you enter the period
from 1949-2001 with a number of cars reflecting the austerity of the early
post-war years such as DKWs and the tiny, Ford Thunderbird-inspired (but three-
cylinder, two-stroke-powered) Auto Union 1000SP Roadster.
The motor-sport gallery has a plethora of
Audi Quattros, from Group B rally car to DTM racer, plus the 2000 Le
Mans-winning R8 tucked away in a corner. The pivotal Audi 100 is also
celebrated with a large permanent display.
The ground floor is reserved for temporary
exhibitions, which in the past have included Legends of Le Mans, 3 0 years of
the Quattro and Auto Union Silver Arrows. A nice touch on this level is a
timeline that uses models to illustrate the evolution of the firm, while
throughout the museum are excellent ‘technical stations’ that describe
different aspects of design, from drivetrains to aerodynamics. There are descriptions
in both German and English, illustrated by cutaway chassis and engines.
With more than 120 permanent exhibits and a
fine shop where you can buy original brochures and posters, this is a must for
all Audi fans.
