- For the first time AUDI AG sponsors the world’s most famous vintage car
rally
AUDI AG, for the first time, will be one of the main sponsors
at the 2008 Mille Miglia.
From 15 to 17 May, Audi Tradition will take six historic
automobiles to Brescia (IT) where the 1,000-mile race across half of Italy
starts and finishes. Taking part for the first time this year will be Rupert
Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG. He will be piloting a
Wanderer W 25.
Three Wanderer W 25 vehicles in total will take part, each one
representing a different year from the 1930’s. These 55 hp vehicles have
previously taken part in the world’s most famous vintage car rally, following in
the footsteps of other iconic vehicles from the brand’s post-war
history.
In 1954 the DKW 3=6 special class F91 won the touring car
category up to 1,300 ccm at the Mille Miglia. This three-cylinder car achieved
an average speed of 104.95 km/h from just 34 hp and 900 ccm. Returning to this
year’s Mille Miglia will also be two examples of the the 1956 DKW Monza.
A top-class crew will pilot the historic vehicles in this
year’s Rally. Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of
AUDI AG, will drive one of the Wanderers with the remaining Wanderer W 25 cars
to be driven by Stephan Grühsem, Head of Communications at Volkswagen AG, and
Toni Melfi, Head of Communications at AUDI AG. Joining Stephan Grühsem’s
team will be the famous German actor Thomas Heinze.
Double Rally-World Champion, Christian Geistdörfer, will drive
one of the two DKW Monzas, with Audi Head of Design, Wolfgang Egger behind the
wheel of the second vehicle.
The four rings of the Audi badge symbolise the brands Audi,
DKW, Horch and Wanderer, which were later combined under the umbrella of Auto
Union. Auto Union and NSU, which merged in 1969, made many significant
contributions towards the development of the car. AUDI AG was formed from Audi
NSU Auto Union AG in 1985. Together with the two traditional companies Auto
Union GmbH and NSU GmbH, Audi Tradition maintains the long and diverse history
of Audi. The Audi museum mobile at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt is open daily from
Monday to Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
|
