27.02.2001 – 08:00

Audi AG

1 million Audi vehicles with quattro drive
Market leadership in Germany and Europe
Over 30 percent of all new Audi models have all-wheel drive

Geneva/Ingolstadt (ots)

- Cross-reference: photo was sent via satellite and is
available at: http://recherche.newsaktuell.de/galerie.htx?type=obs

More than a million Audi customers have
chosen permanent all-wheel drive since the original quattro was first
exhibited at the Geneva Motor Show in 1980 - and the trend is still
upwards! Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen, Chairman of the AUDI AG Board of
Management, handed over the one millionth Audi with permanent
all-wheel drive, an allroad quattro, to the Central President of the
Swiss Alpine Club (SAC), Franz Stämpfli, on the occasion of the 71st
Geneva Motor Show. "We will be using the allroad quattro for SAC
mountain rescue, which is celebrating its centenary this year, and
also in the field of Alpine training", commented Franz Stämpfli.

"The quattro driveline is one of the most successful Audi concepts
ever. It has played a big part in establishing our good reputation on
the world market", says Audi's Chairman Dr. Franz-Josef Paefgen. With
a market share of more than 25 percent, Audi is the market leader in
the all-wheel-drive passenger car sector in Germany, and also in
Europe as a whole, where its market share is over 13 percent. By the
end of 2000, Audi had boosted the quattro's share of total production
to 30.8 percent (1999: 27 percent). Overall, the quattro's share has
more than doubled since 1997, evidence of the popularity of this
driveline which unites safe and sporty driving. In the USA in
particular, Audi's most important export market, the quattro's share
of sales has reached an all time high at almost 90 percent.

The quattro driveline's triumphal progress began with the original
Audi quattro. Victories by Michèle Mouton, Walter Röhrl, Stig
Blomqvist and Hannu Mikkola in rallying from 1981 to 1987 contributed
above all to the quattro's growing popularity. The Audi A4 quattro
alone carried off seven international touring car championships in
1996. The latest high point in the quattro model programme was the
market launch last year of the Audi allroad quattro, which combines
the advantages of both a roadgoing saloon and an off-road vehicle. In
addition, Audi's S3, S4, RS4, S6 and S8 sports models and the Audi TT
with 165 kW/225 bhp are sold exclusively with the quattro driveline.

Audi is an international developer and manufacturer of
high-quality cars. The company maintains production sites in Germany,
Hungary, Brazil, China and South Africa. In 2000, Audi sold more than
650,000 cars, bringing in sales revenues of around DM 39 billion
(including Autogerma). The Audi Group has around 50,000 employees.

Note to editors: Photos to commemorate the anniversary are
available via "ots" (dpa) and the Audi Press Database
www.audi-press.de. They show the handing over of the one millionth
Audi with permanent all-wheel drive, an Audi allroad quattro, to the
Central President of the Swiss Alpine Club, Franz Stämpfli, by Dr.
Franz-Josef Paefgen, Chairman of the AUDI AG Board of Management, on
the occasion of the 71st Geneva Motor Show. Another motif shows the
"original" quattro between the Audi allroad quattro and an Audi TT
with quattro driveline in front of the "museum mobile" at AUDI AG's
headquarters in Ingolstadt.

Communication: 
Corporate and Finance Joachim Cordshagen
Tel: +49 (0) 841-89-3 63 40 
E-mail:  joachim.cordshagen@audi.de

Communication: 
Company and Finance (International) Jürgen De Graeve
Tel: +49 (0) 841-89-3 40 84 
E-mail:  juergen.degraeve@audi.de

Original-Content von: Audi AG, übermittelt durch news aktuell