People are only just realising what Audi’s famous Vorsprung durch Technik slogan means… and it’s blowing their minds

CAR fans are only just realising what Audi’s famed Vorsprung durch Technik catchphrase means… and it’s left them stunned.

The German manufacturer is known for its high-quality, luxury cars, but many in the UK still don’t realise what its long-running slogan actually says.

The literal translation is ‘advancement through technology’, which ties in well with Audi’s background for producing some of the best driving cars in the world.

It was dreamt up over 40 years ago by advertising agency boss, John Hegarty, 

He saw the catchy line written on an old poster at the Audi factory in Ingolstadt, and gave it a whirl at a company meeting.

“It was the first time certainly that a foreign phrase captured the public’s imagination in that way,” Hegarty recalls, speaking to The Guardian. 

“There was the possibility of rubbing people up the wrong way, but it’s amazing how it took off and how it became a part of British culture.” 

During the 80s and 90s the German phrase was mentioned regularly in episodes of Only Fools and Horses, the hit film Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, and was name-checked in songs by Blur and U2.

Peter Schwarzenbauer, an Audi board member back in 2009, said: 

“As we see it, Vorsprung durch Technik is a clear promise to our customers – and an obligation for all Audi employees to render our design even more innovative, our drive systems even more efficient and our product range even more emotion-packed.”

Social media users were stunned by the meaning and posted the, often hilarious, misconceptions they had held about the name.

One said: “Whenever I see that mentioned I always hear it in Phil Daniel’s voice in Parklife.”

Another replied: “I hear Del Boy saying it.”

While another chimed in with: “Isn’t it the dream to have people say your tag line back to you.”