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December 25, 2014
Audi and Italian Brands | Audi
Audi
Audi and Italian Design
Audi'sAnnual Press ConferenceOn the eve of the annual press conference, Fumio Ogawa attended a grand reception held for many journalists. He covered the Audi Group, which encompasses renowned Italian brands such as Lamborghini, Italdesign Giugiaro, and Ducati.
Text by OGAWA Fumio
Italian Brands Came Together Naturally
Lamborghini, Italdesign, Ducati. All are top-tier brands, and all are now active under the Audi umbrella.
At the press conference held at Audi headquarters in Ingolstadt, Germany, in 2013, Audi Chairman of the Board of Management Rupert Stadler announced the acquisition of three companies: the supercar manufacturer Lamborghini, Italdesign, known for its numerous innovative designs, and Ducati, a maker of high-performance motorcycles.
Lamborghini Veneno
Ducati 1199 Panigale R
SUV ConceptUrusLamborghini, whose 'Urus' is generating buzz, also unveiled the "International Motor Show" at the Geneva Motor Show in March 2013, a limited production model of only three units priced at 3 million euros (approximately 363 million yen).Veneno
"When asked why all Italian brands came to be managed under Audi, I can only say it happened naturally."
Chairman Stadler told us during a one-on-one interview.
Audi
Audi and Italian Design (2)
Design is a Form of Art
The evening before the press conference, a grand reception was held in a building in Munich, a converted 1920s postal sorting office, for numerous journalists. Here, the synergy with Italian brands was discussed.
Smoke filled the stage before the journalists seated at the tables. Emerging was the legendary sports car from 1966, the Lamborghini Miura. The beautiful yellow car was driven onto the stage with its engine running.
Despite the vast venue, the air was thick with exhaust fumes, but a British journalist quipped, "If it's the smell of a Miura, it can't be helped." Next, the SUV conceptUrus
appeared, showcasing its sharp design painted in a muted red base.
Then, Giorgetto Giugiaro took the stage. Known as "Il Maestro" (The Master), he is a legendary figure who has designed numerous iconic cars.
He has deep ties with Volkswagen and Audi, including the first-generation Scirocco and Golf. In 1988, he also created unique sports car concepts like the "Aztec" using the Audi quattro chassis, which remain memorable. This time, the concept model "Asso di Picche," unveiled in '73, was brought out. It is said to have been the design source for the first-generation Scirocco.
"While I can't immediately say how we will collaborate with Italdesign, our basic approach is to exchange ideas between our studios. I believe this is important and will provide a good stimulus for young designers."
The aforementioned Head of Design,Eggersaid, standing next to Mr. Giugiaro.
Meanwhile, "Il Maestro" emphasized the importance of design.
"Design is a form of art. For example, a musician can create a beautiful melody with just seven notes. Designers, whether consciously or not, possess the ability to create beauty that cannot be expressed concretely, much like music. Of course, responding to market demands is the job of a professional, but there must be a love for automobiles within that. Based on this shared understanding, we will work together."
Lamborghini Urus
Lamborghini Veneno
While carrozzeria are often thought of as simply designing beautiful cars, Italdesign was particularly renowned for its ability to incorporate technical content into concept cars and propose innovative ideas. It is likely that its rich experience is expected to be leveraged within Audi.
"We have had a long synergy with Lamborghini (acquired by Audi in 1999), and we have received support in design development from Italdesign (since Volkswagen acquired the company in 2010). The strength of Italy lies in its ability to express emotion, its distinctive design, and its creativity,"
Chairman Stadler replied when asked during the interview why Audi focuses on Italy.
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Audi and Italian Design (3)
We Found Ducati While Searching for the World's Best Motorcycles
The final presentation at the venue featured Ducati. Two MotoGP riders, Nicky Hayden and Andrea Dovizioso, appeared on stage astride Ducati "Desmosedici" bikes. The piercing exhaust note of the 1-liter engines echoed through the high ceiling, heightening the atmosphere.
"Audi acquired Ducati in the autumn of 2012 because motorcycles are in Audi's DNA. After all, two of Audi's four rings, the brands DKW and NSU, have a history of manufacturing motorcycles,"
Chairman Stadler stated.
"So, we searched for the world's best motorcycle manufacturer and found Ducati."
I have heard that executives at Audi (and its parent company Volkswagen) all love motorcycles, and while a planned business partnership with Suzuki, a maker of high-performance two-wheelers, ultimately did not materialize, it was greatly welcomed internally. It is easy to imagine that the bond formed with Ducati, which is second to none in beautiful, high-performance motorcycles, was similarly welcomed.
Ducati Streetfighter 848
Ducati 1199 Panigale R
"Tangible synergies? I believe there are many. For example, lightweight technology. Although they are now under our umbrella, our policy is to maintain their independence as much as possible. By doing so, we expect them to refine their existing technologies and content, and to enable us to achieve new things together in the future."
The Volkswagen Group, of which Audi is a part, also oversees designWalter de Silva
is Italian, and Audi's Head of Design, Wolfgang Egger, also has a background that includes working on the Alfa Romeo8C Competizionein the 2000s. Perhaps surprisingly, Audi may have a strong Italian connection.
