- The first post-war Audi, internally called the F 103, launched in August 1965 with a 53kW engine.
- This model replaced Auto Union’s two-stroke DKW cars and marked the return of the Audi name.
- Between 1965 and 1972, over 400,000 units were built, with the Audi 60 being the top seller.
Sixty years ago this August, Audi fired up its post-war comeback with a car that would quietly reshape its future.
Known internally as the F 103, the “new Audi” rolled off the Ingolstadt production line on August 13, 1965, marking the first use of the Audi name in a quarter-century and debuting the brand’s first four-cylinder, four-stroke engine.
Auto Union GmbH, the forerunner to today’s Audi, was in crisis at the time. Its DKW models, stubbornly clinging to two-stroke engines, were being left behind in a market hungry for refinement.
Enter Daimler-Benz, then-parent company, which not only supplied a more modern four-stroke engine but also dispatched engineer Ludwig Kraus to oversee its integration. The result is a now-classic car that steered Audi from obscurity into relevance - and sales success.
What’s in a name? Everything
Despite its pioneering role, the original model never officially wore its power badge. Known simply as the Audi (or “Audi type”), it came with a 53kW engine and became colloquially dubbed the “Audi 72.” It was offered in two- and four-door sedan forms, with a station wagon version (badged “Variant” at Volkswagen) arriving in 1966.
The range quickly expanded: the Audi 80, Super 90, Audi 60 and Audi 75 (replacing earlier trims) all joined the family by the early 1970s.
In a subtle evolution, the F 103 kept its shape throughout its seven-year run, receiving only minor tweaks like a redesigned dashboard and parallel-action wipers for the 1970 model year.
But its real transformation was symbolic, as it replaced the obsolete DKW badge, ushering in an era where the four rings would once again stand for progress.
The original disruptor
By the time production ended in 1972, the F 103 had not only saved Auto Union but also set Audi on a path to independence within the Volkswagen Group.
Of the 416,852 first-gen Audis built, more than half were Audi 60 and 60 L models. By all indications, it was a new beginning for Audi.
To commemorate the anniversary, Audi historian Ralf Friese will deliver a lecture on July 23 at the Audi museum mobile in Ingolstadt.
