Audi 2009 Annual Report Download - page 127

… thinking about our children’s future. Audi’s centen-
nial provides a high-profile opportunity to look to the
future. The past 100 years have been shaped by a pas-
sion and hunger for driving developments forward.
Looking forwards and acting with the future in mind is,
above all, about sustainability. You can only act sustain-
ably if you act responsibly. If we as a company adopt a
responsible approach towards society, our products and
above all our workforce. After all, they are the key to
the trailblazing technological developments, perfection
and quality that Audi symbolizes.
The development of our human resources paves the way
for the future development of our company. We there-
fore give people the prospect of a successful career for
their whole working life, from apprenticeship to retire-
ment. That involves providing a corporate culture and
working conditions that enable our employees to re-
main effective and motivated throughout their entire
career. Learning – a whole life long – and showing es-
teem and respect are part and parcel of this, because
they safeguard the company’s success. This success cre-
ates scope for secure jobs, challenging tasks and oppor-
tunities for personal development. The success of the
company thus becomes the success of the individual
employee. And it shores up the prospects for Audi to de-
velop for future generations, too. Social responsibility
and corporate success thus become inseparably linked.”
Dr. Werner Widuckel, Member of the Board of Management for
Human Resources, AUDI AG
““Responsibility to me is ……
124
Photos: AUDI AG
So do you think that what people
expect from life has changed?
H: Yes, I do. People used to invest
first and foremost in material pos-
sessions; today, they invest their
time and money in experiences and
enduring values. A car is no longer
simply a means of transportation, it
is also always an expression of per-
sonality. And I think that is a perfect-
ly normal development in a world in
which real luxury is the ability to re-
alize your dreams and be at one with
yourself.
Would you say that a compact
car is compatible with the brand’s
premium models?
H: Compact and premium are not a
contradiction in terms! The A1 is an
appropriate response to the chal-
lenges of today’s world, and has
everything that is expected of a high-
quality car. I already pointed the way
with the Horch 11/22 hp. In 1906
Dr. Rudolf Stöss drove it to victory in
the Herkomer Run, which is acknowl-
edged as the 20th century’s most im-
portant reliability test – even though
it was the smallest car taking part!
So when it comes to cars, you
believe luxury is not a matter of
size or price. Do you apply the
same maxim to your private life?
H: I come from a family of black-
smiths and had a simple upbringing.
Of course I appreciate things of beau-
ty. But for me, genuine luxury is
about something else.
Why do you find the new A8 so
exciting?
H: I have very fond recollections of
Horch cars and, above all, the Pull-
man sedan. That was a truly classic
example of opulent luxury. Those
cars have become legendary, the
stuff of dreams. They are our her-
itage, even if they are no longer right
for today. And then you look at the
new A8. What makes this car so spe-
cial is its simple elegance. It has just
a hint of the luxury of yesteryear. But
it is reinterpreted in such a modern
way that it fulfills the requirements
of your present day. All those sophis-
ticated materials are not just used
for their own sake; they always have a
specific purpose. It is always a sheer
delight for an engineer to see a com-
ponent’s function given top priority.
We’ve discussed the past and the
present. How do you view the future?
Will it be electric?
H: You mean electric drive? As far as
I’m concerned, there is nothing new
about it – it’s merely waiting to be
rediscovered. Audi built the Audi duo
back in 1989. That was a genuine hy-
brid because it was powered by both a
100 kW (136 hp) five-cylinder gasoline
engine and a 9.3 kW (12.6 hp) DC
electric motor. I think history often
throws up intriguing ironies. The Audi
duo was already a plug-in hybrid long
before anyone had thought up that
term.
LEAP IN TIME
Listen to August Horch in an
imaginary radio interview at:
w
wwwww..aauuddii..ccoomm//aarr22000099//hhoorrcchh
* Fuel consumption and emission figures at the end of the Annual Report