Horch

Horch was a German automobile manufacturer founded in 1904 by August Horch in Zwickau, Saxony. The company produced luxury automobiles that helped establish Horch as a prominent name in the German automotive industry during the prewar era. Horch cars were known for their engineering and refinement, and the brand contributed to the development of early German luxury motoring.

The origin of the name is notable in automotive history. August Horch's first company used his surname, but a trademark dispute led him to leave the firm and form a new company. He chose the Latin translation of the word for “listen”—Audi—as the new company name, while the original Horch company continued under the Horch brand.

In 1932, Horch became part of Auto Union AG, a merger that brought together four brands: Horch, DKW, Wanderer, and Audi. Within Auto Union, Horch operated as the luxury line, continuing production through the 1930s and into the early years of the war. The broader Auto Union group would undergo further restructuring after World War II, and the Horch marque did not continue as a stand-alone brand in the postwar German market.

Today, Horch is remembered as an early German luxury automaker and an important chapter in the history of Audi and Auto Union. Surviving prewar Horch automobiles are valued by collectors and appear in museums and vintage car collections.