Audi of America President Scott Keogh compared the business model
driving the brand’s U.S. and global momentum to the culture infusing the
dominating Audi Sport racing teams.
Keogh used his keynote speech at the 48th Annual Center for Automotive
Research Management Briefing Seminars to detail this crucial factor
behind the 92% Audi U.S. sales improvement since 2004.
He confirmed that Audi expects to set a new annual U.S. record of more
than 150,000 vehicle sales this year. That would be the fourth
consecutive full-year record for the luxury car brand and contrasts with
the 77,917 vehicles sold less than a decade ago.
Audi recently reported that July was its 31st month of record U.S.
sales. AUDI AG also confirmed that it would record sales of 1.5 million
vehicles this year, two years earlier than promised.
Audi views motorsports as a vital proving grounds
The key to these results is the Audi longstanding commitment to
motorsports as a proving grounds for advanced technologies, engineering
refinements and a lean organization approach to developing premium
customer cars.
The important role racing has played in Audi traditions extends back to
the Silver Arrow Grand Prix racers of the 1930s, includes the Pikes Peak
rally cars of the 1980s, and more recently can be found in the
dominance Audi has enjoyed by winning 12 of the past 14 Le Mans 24-hour
endurance races.
“If you race, but only race, all you’ve done is define a motorsports
team,” Keogh explained. “But if your top priority is to transfer
technology and integrate the lessons from racing, then you have defined
an entire company. This is why Audi races and it captures our clear view
on the value of motorsports.”
Racing also provides the basis of the Audi “challenger” culture, which
is coinstantly looking beyond recent successes to find strategies and
innovations that can keep the brand ahead of its leading luxury market
rivals. It’s the same approach Audi Sport uses to maintain its edge on
the race track.
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