Car brands are always looking to expand on the luxury market, which is why Audi is expected to revive an old sub-brand. It’s been reported the manufacturer is going to be bringing back the Horch marque in a similar manner to Mercedes’ revival of Maybach. The Horch name will go on the A8 sedan and feature different designs. Horch is also expected to be combined with a future W12 sedan.
A lot of car fans may be unfamiliar with the Horch brand. The company was started by August Horch in 1899 and focused on twin-cylinder models with 10 hp outputs. Audi described the brand in detail. “In the 1920s, extensive rationalisation measures were introduced in order to make assembly-line production more cost-effective. The launch of Germany’s first eight-cylinder car in the autumn of 1926 led to Horch products being numbered among the leading products of the German automobile industry. Whereas the Horch company had previously built only cars with four-cylinder engines, its engineers now concentrated entirely on large, distinguished eight-cylinder models.”
“The Horch 8 became synonymous with elegance, luxury and leading-edge technology in German automobile construction. The Horch company also began to set the standard internationally. In 1932, Horch’s market share in the engine-size class above 4.2 litres in Germany was more than 44%.”
“In addition, the Horch Body Design Office acted as the central design studio for all the group’s brands and laid down stylistic principles for the various models. The modern production technologies in use at the Horch factory became a benchmark for the group’s other factories.”
In the postwar years, Horch went on to produce luxury vehicles, such as the P240. Eventually, the brand became defunct, but its historical importance remained. Only time will tell how Audi will utilise the Horch name over the next couple of years. Going the Maybach experience, it’s easier to manage a sub-brand based on existing models, rather than a separate range.
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