Audi F103: The First Post-War Audi Turns 60

Discover how the Audi F103 marked a turning point 60 years ago, leading Auto Union from crisis to success with its four-stroke engine legacy.

Sixty years ago, amid the rapid transformation of the German car industry, a new chapter began for the brand with the four rings. On August 13, 1965, the first post-war Audi — known internally as the F 103 — rolled off the assembly line in Ingolstadt. Equipped with a 1.7-litre four-cylinder four-stroke engine producing 72 horsepower, this model marked Auto Union GmbH’s shift away from outdated two-stroke DKWs towards modern engineering.

A turning point came when Daimler-Benz AG, then the owner of Auto Union, supplied the new engine and sent engineer Ludwig Kraus to Ingolstadt. Kraus not only brought the project into series production but also laid the groundwork for future Audi models such as the Audi 80 and Super 90. The launch of the F 103 was more than just another vehicle introduction — it was a vital step that helped the company navigate declining DKW sales and embrace technical renewal.

The market welcomed the “new Audi” with interest. The compact sedan appealed to buyers looking for reliability and fresh engineering in post-war Germany. Over seven years, Auto Union built more than 416,000 F 103 series vehicles, with the Audi 60 becoming the best-seller. During these years, Ingolstadt grew into both a production hub for Volkswagen and the seedbed for what would become AUDI AG.

Today, the F 103 story remains a vivid reminder of how one bold engineering decision and the right timing brought the Audi name back to the road after the war. On July 23, Audi historian Ralf Friese will host a public lecture at the Audi museum mobile in Ingolstadt — a chance to look not only under the hood of this milestone engine but also into a decisive moment in the brand’s history.