>Interestingly enough is that "Auto Union" was the corporate name for Audi
>before Volkswagen purchased/merged with them.  For guys like me in the parts
>biz (who have been around too long), every time I see the Auto Union name I
>think of Audi, not Volkswagen.  Auto Union really put out some crap/junk in
>their day.  Talk about going backwards.....

Actually Auto Union (pronounced somethying close to "owto oohnyun"...
Raimund?) was a manufacturer before WW2... its SOHC (one camshaft for
both banks!) 5-liter V16 openwheeler racers were legendary, and could
spin the wheels in top gear at 160kmh!

What is now known as Audi was (at least for a while) DKW until VW
bought it in the late 60s... and relabeled the cars Audi 80 & Audi
90... these were the direct ancestors of the first "modern" Audi 80
(also sold with VW Passat badges) in 1973 and I think it was
reskinned as the disatrously-unreliable VW K70; the K70 shared
inboard front discs and the FWD inline straight-4 engine/transaxle
layout with Audis.
>Depends on what you mean by "in their day".  When the Auto Union was first
>formed (the 30's), they produced world class vehicles, as well as the some
>of the fatest race cars in the world.  Post-war Auto Union is something
>completely different (e.g., NSU).

Hey, the NSU RO80 was a great car. Along with the late-60s Toyota
Corona, it was before its time stylingwise, as both had shovel-noses
not otherwise to be seen until about 1978. The RO80 had an unreliable
Wankel engine. The NSU Prinz before it was an interesting and good
wee car, a bit of a ripper with a rear-mounted four and of course IRS.
--
Andrew Grebneff
Dunedin
New Zealand
Fossil preparator
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut