Automotive history tit-bits

ZigWheels brings to you a quick walk-through down the memory lane. Find out interesting
facts about your favourite car manufacturers.

 
BMW (Germany)

 Karl Friedrich Rapp was the name of BMW's founder, one of the biggest worldwide car
manufacturing companies. BMW or Bayerische Motoren Werke (Bavarian Motor Works) was
founded in 1916 as a successor to the Rapp Motor.

 Honda (Japan)

 Soichiro Honda (1906-1992) started off as a mechanical engineer and founded Honda in 1948.
He received more than 100 patents and pioneered new engine designs which rocketed Honda into
becoming the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world by 1959. By 1980's his formula for
success established Honda as a prominent leader in the automobile industry.

Mercedes-Benz

 Emil Jellinek was the Austro-Hungarian diplomat in France, who had the rights to sell Daimler's
cars in Austria, Hungary, France and USA. Mercedes was the name used by Jellinek to sell
Daimler's cars, and was in fact the name of his daughter. In 1902, Daimler registered the name
Mercedes as their car trademark. The Benz in 'Mercedes-Benz' comes from Karl Benz who was
born in 1844 and was a mechanical engineering. From internal combustion engine to a four-
stroke internal combustion engine, he developed and came up with the first of the modern
automobiles.

Toyota (Japan)

 Sakichi Toyoda (1894-1952) invented the automatic loom in 1925, and a year later formed the
Toyoda Automatic Loom Works Ltd. The company diversified into cars and the first Toyoda car
was produced by Kiichiro Toyoda (son) in 1935. The name of the company was changed to
Toyota Motor Company in 1937.

 Audi

The Audi history begins with a man called August Horch, who founded the company Horch &
Co in 1899. He invented his first car 1901 with the help of 15 fellow workers. In 1909 Horch had
to leave his company due to some issues and founded another company called Audi, which is the
Latin translation for 'Horch'. The brand Audi was finally registered in 1910.