What do the four rings in the Audi logo represent?

Audi’s four rings represent Auto Union’s four founding companies.

The companies were Audi, DKW, Horch, and Wanderer. They joined in 1932 to form Auto Union AG, and the four interlocking rings symbolized their partnership. The emblem therefore began as a corporate group mark rather than a simple reference to wheels, engines, or the number of Audi factories.

August Horch had founded both Horch and Audi at different times after leaving his earlier company. DKW was known for motorcycles and small cars, while Wanderer produced cars, motorcycles, and bicycles. Their merger helped them compete during the difficult economic conditions of the early 1930s.

After the Second World War, Auto Union’s identity changed as ownership and corporate structures evolved. Audi later became the dominant brand name, but the four-ring emblem was retained and remains one of the world’s best-known automotive logos.