The Audi jubilee car, an Audi SQ5 3.0 TDI quattro in monsoon gray metallic, rolls off the production line to be delivered to a family in the United States. The six-millionth Audi with quattro drive rolls off the production line at the Ingolstadt plant, Germany last July 16 – only about one and a half years after the five-millionth quattro. Audi will deliver the jubilee car, an Audi SQ5 3.0 TDI quattro in monsoon gray ssmetallic, to a family in the United States. This new production record demonstrates the global success of Audi quattro. Since the original quattro, the first Audi with permanent all-wheel drive in the year 1980, this technology has conquered the roads of the world. With approximately 170 quattro versions, the brand with the Four Rings offers the biggest selection of all-wheel drive vehicles amongst the premium manufacturers. “Dynamism and sportiness, the utmost technical precision and safety – that's what Audi's quattro technology stands for. More than 30 years ago, it was recognized as a pioneering accomplishment; today, it is synonymous with technical progress,” states Dr. Hubert Waltl, Board of Management Member for Production at AUDI AG. As recently as February 2013, Audi celebrated its five-millionth car with permanent all-wheel drive. After just one and a half years, the company has reached the six-million mark. “Six million times Audi quattro drive – that's an outstanding performance! 30 years of quattro success are a credit to our motivated production team, which consistently and efficiently implements the Audi production system.” “Our colleagues' expertise in the field of all-wheel drive is impressive; it demonstrates our ‘Vorsprung durch Technik' and thus makes an important contribution to the brand's image,” said Peter Mosch, Chairman of Audi's General Works Council. “Without our qualified and flexible team, this milestone would not have been possible in such a short time.” In 2013, Audi produced a total of 710,095 automobiles with quattro drive. At the two German sites in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm, a total of about 2,000 Audi models with all-wheel drive roll off the production lines every day. Permanent all-wheel drive convinces customers worldwide. 44 percent of all Audi customers decided in favor of a quattro model in 2013. No other premium manufacturer sells more cars with all-wheel drive. The best-selling model globally was the Audi Q5, followed by the Audi A4. Audi's all-wheel drive is in particularly strong demand in the United States, Canada and Russia. In the Middle East, 70 percent of all Audi models sold in the region are equipped with quattro technology. Audi models with quattro are in high demand also in Germany: In the first half of the year, the company produced approximately 61,150 Audi models with quattro drive for the German market. With approximately 170 quattro-model versions – including the different body shapes, engines and transmissions – Audi offers the biggest selection of all-wheel drive cars amongst the premium brands. The quattro technology is available across all model series. The models Audi Q7, Audi R8, Audi A4 allroad, Audi A6 allroad and all S and RS models are only available with quattro drive. — SG
