Audi's design milestones honored in anniversary celebration: iconic vehicles showcased to mark six decades of success
In a grand display at the Marques de Riscal Hotel in Elciego, Spain – a architectural marvel designed by Frank Gehry – Audi UK showcased a collection of historical and contemporary models, signalling a new era for the German automaker.
The event was a testament to Audi's rich heritage, with vehicles like the Audi 80 Variant from 1968, the Audi 100 GL Saloon from 1972, the original Audi quattro (1981), the seminal series 1 Audi TT Coupe, RS 2 Avant from 1994, RS 4 Avant from 2001, two R8s, an original manual V8 from 2007 and a V10-powered car from 2018, RS e-tron GT, and the brand new A6 Sportback e-tron (2025) on display. These rare and striking machines, part of Audi UK's 'heritage fleet', made for an impressive sight, offering a glimpse into the brand's past.
Among the vintage models, the Audi 100, despite being designed and developed in secret, became Audi's best-seller. The Audi RS 2 and RS 4, brutal exercises in packaging performance in estate car form, have become cult classics. The Audi quattro, represented at the event, was fast, sure-footed, and delightful, embodying the spirit of the 80s.
The new A6 Sportback e-tron, showcased at the event, is a throwback to the slippery Audi design language of the late 80s, with a focus on aerodynamics. The RS e-tron GT, the performance flagship of Audi's EV range, offers a muscular electric experience.
While the event celebrated Audi's past, the focus was on the brand's future. Audi's current design strategy, as outlined by Audi UK's senior exterior designer Gary Telaak and Audi UK's new managing director, José Miguel Aparicio, aims to revitalize Audi's design mojo by combining precise, daring, and refined stylistic language with innovative technology.
This strategy is part of a broader transformation aimed at establishing the youngest portfolio in the premium segment, renewing the brand’s appeal amid challenging market conditions. Key elements include exterior and interior design upgrades on current models, a new design philosophy described as "aesthetic intelligence," strategic partnerships, and accelerating model renewal and electrified portfolio expansion.
The advertising line 'Vorsprung durch Technik' ('progress through technology') has driven the brand into the premium space, and now, Audi is blending traditional Audi luxury and sportiness with cutting-edge digital and sustainable innovations to create modern, dynamic, and luxurious vehicles. This approach is expected to help Audi overcome recent financial and market challenges and strengthen its future competitive position.
- The future of Audi, as outlined by its senior exterior designer Gary Telaak and managing director José Miguel Aparicio, aims to revitalize the brand by combining a precise, daring, and refined stylistic language with innovative technology.
- Amid challenging market conditions, Audi's strategic transformation includes exterior and interior design upgrades on current models, a new design philosophy called "aesthetic intelligence," strategic partnerships, and accelerating model renewal and electrified portfolio expansion.
- Audi is blending traditional Audi luxury and sportiness with cutting-edge digital and sustainable innovations to create modern, dynamic, and luxurious vehicles for the automotive industry, a move that is expected to help the brand overcome financial and market challenges and strengthen its future competitive position in the finance sector.
