Audi 75 Classic Cars for Sale
The Audi 75 was developed from Auto Union’s Audi F103 and manufactured at the Ingolstadt assembly plant from September 1968 to July 1972. The Audi 75 was produced as both a saloon and as the Audi 75 Variant station wagon.
The Development of the Audi 75
In 1958, the German automobile manufacturer, Auto Union, was acquired by Daimler Benz and in the early 1960’s was bought in turn by Volkswagen. Volkswagen bought out Daimler-Benz mainly to gain access to the Ingolstadt assembly plant in order to increase the production of the Volkswagen Beetle. However, Auto Union continued to exist as a separate entity under the leadership of engineer, Ludwig Kraus.
During WW 11 Mercedes developed the four-cylinder engine for military purposes. By the 1960s, the four-stroke engine was becoming a commercial success because civilian drivers preferred the smoother ride. In September 1965, Volkswagen produced the DKW (Dampf-Kraft-Wagen) F103 based on the DKW 102 chassis and equipped it with a four-stroke engine. Volkswagen resurrected the Audi name because DKW was associated with two-stroke engines and henceforth the DKW F103 became the Audi F103. Auto Union’s Audi F103 debuted at the 1965 International Motor Show under the simple model name "Audi." The new Audi was successful in the West German automobile market. Kraus continued with the Auto Union's four-stroke Audi line even though Volkswagen had just produced the similar sized Volkswagen 411.
The Audi 75 Goes Into Production in 1968
The Audi 75 was produced towards the end of 1968 and was based on the DKW F 103 model. The 75 in the name refers to the horsepower. The saloon version of the Audi 75 came in a choice of two-door or four-door, a powertrain of a 1.5 to 1.8 L inline-4 with a four-speed manual transmission, and achieved a maximum speed of 150 kilometers an hour. The Audi 75 Variant station wagon model came with three doors and an optional third row bench seat in the rear that folded up. The Audi 75 replaced the Audi 72 and the Audi 80 in 1969.
The Audi Name and Logo
The Audi logo of four linked circles represents the four automobile manufacturers that formed the original Auto Union company. The Audi name was first used in the 1930s and is the Latin translation of the last name of Auto Union’s founder, August Horch.