Audi Neckarsulm Plant - DE 🇩🇪 - oooo411 Audi Reference

DETAILS

What: Audi Neckarsulm Plant (Audi Werk Neckarsulm)
Location: Neckarsulm, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Address: NSU-Straße 1, 74172 Neckarsulm, Germany
Country: Germany
Founded: 1873 (as Neckarsulmer Strickmaschinenfabrik)
Automobile Production Began: 1905 (NSU)
Became Part of Audi: 1969 (Formation of Audi NSU Auto Union AG)
Current Owner: AUDI AG
Primary Function: Premium vehicle manufacturing, engineering, technical development and advanced production technologies
Site Area: Approximately 1,000,000 m² (10.8 million sq. ft.)
Employees: Approximately 15,500 (2026)
Business Units Based Here: Audi Sport GmbH, Technical Development, Production & Logistics, Pilot Production, Quality Assurance, Manufacturing Engineering, AI & Digitalization initiatives, Audi Forum Neckarsulm
Current Vehicle Production: A5 family, A6 family, A8 family, e-tron GT family, S & RS Models (where applicable)
Historic Vehicle Production (Selected): NSU Prinz, Ro 80, Audi 100, 200, V8, A8, S8, R8 (Böllinger Höfe)
Production Specialties: Premium vehicle manufacturing, High-performance vehicle assembly, Low-volume production, Aluminum-intensive manufacturing, Flexible production systems, Pilot and pre-series production
Visitor Facilities: Audi Forum Neckarsulm, Customer Delivery Center, Factory Tours, Audi collection Shop, Audi exclusive Showroom, Audi Tradition Shop, Audi Tradition Historical Display, Restaurant Nuvolari
Adjacent Facilities: Böllinger Höfe

Significance: One of Audi’s two principal German production sites and the historic home of NSU Motorenwerke. Today it serves as a center for premium vehicle production, Audi Sport activities, engineering and manufacturing innovation.

See Also:

Audi Forum Neckarsulm
Audi Sport GmbH
Böllinger Höfe
Audi Ingolstadt Plant
NSU Motorenwerke

Aerial view of the Audi site in Neckarsulm

OVERVIEW

The Audi Neckarsulm Plant stands as one of the most significant facilities in the history of the four rings. Located in the city of Neckarsulm in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, it is Audi’s second major production site in Germany and serves as a center for premium vehicle manufacturing, engineering, technological development and high-performance production.

More than an assembly plant, Neckarsulm has become one of the company’s centers of excellence. It is home to Audi Sport GmbH, advanced manufacturing technologies, pilot production activities and numerous engineering departments while producing many of Audi’s executive, luxury and RS models. Together with Ingolstadt, Neckarsulm represents the heart of Audi’s German manufacturing operations.

The site’s roots extend far beyond Audi itself. Its history begins in 1873 with the founding of a knitting machine factory that eventually evolved into NSU Motorenwerke, one of Germany’s pioneering manufacturers of bicycles, motorcycles and automobiles. When NSU merged with Auto Union in 1969 to form Audi NSU Auto Union AG, Neckarsulm became an integral part of Audi’s future—a role it continues to fulfill more than half a century later.

Today, the plant combines more than 150 years of industrial heritage with some of the Volkswagen Group’s most advanced manufacturing technologies. Its continuing role in producing premium vehicles while developing future manufacturing processes reflects Audi’s philosophy of combining craftsmanship, engineering and innovation under one roof.

HISTORY

Industrial Origins (1873–1905)

The history of the Neckarsulm site begins not with automobiles, but with textile machinery.

In 1873, Christian Schmidt and Heinrich Stoll established a knitting machine factory in Riedlingen, Germany. Seven years later, the company relocated approximately 100 kilometers north to Neckarsulm, where better transportation links and room for expansion supported continued growth.

The company name NSU originated from the nearby Neckar and Sulm rivers, whose confluence gives the city of Neckarsulm its name.

As industrial demand evolved during the late nineteenth century, so too did the company. Bicycle production began in 1886, followed by motorcycles in 1901. By 1905, NSU had entered automobile manufacturing, establishing itself as one of Germany’s earliest vehicle manufacturers.

Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, NSU earned an international reputation for technical innovation, particularly in motorcycles, where it became one of the world’s largest producers during the 1950s.

From NSU to Audi

During the 1960s, consolidation within Germany’s automotive industry brought significant change.

In 1969, Auto Union GmbH merged with NSU Motorenwerke AG to form Audi NSU Auto Union AG. The merger combined Auto Union’s Ingolstadt operations with NSU’s historic Neckarsulm factory, creating the foundation of the modern Audi company.

While Ingolstadt became the company’s corporate headquarters, Neckarsulm remained an essential manufacturing and engineering center. The site’s skilled workforce and longstanding engineering expertise allowed it to continue producing premium vehicles while contributing to product development across the growing Audi range.

In 1985, the company adopted the name AUDI AG, formally uniting the brand under a single global identity while preserving the importance of both German production sites.

The Premium Era

Beginning in the late 1980s, Neckarsulm increasingly specialized in Audi’s executive and luxury models.

Production of the Audi V8 in 1988 established the facility as the home of the brand’s flagship sedans. That role continued through successive generations of the Audi A8 and helped define Neckarsulm as Audi’s center for high-value, technologically advanced vehicles.

The introduction of the first-generation Audi A8 in 1994 further elevated the plant’s importance. Built around the revolutionary Audi Space Frame (ASF), the aluminum-intensive luxury sedan demanded new manufacturing techniques unlike those used for conventional steel-bodied vehicles. Neckarsulm became the center of expertise for aluminum production within Audi, developing manufacturing methods that would influence future generations of premium vehicles.

As Audi expanded its model portfolio through the 1990s and 2000s, Neckarsulm’s responsibilities grew to include executive sedans, sportbacks, high-performance derivatives and increasingly sophisticated production technologies.

Home of Audi Sport GmbH

One of Neckarsulm’s defining characteristics is its close relationship with Audi Sport GmbH.

Originally established as quattro GmbH in 1983, the company was created to develop high-performance Audi models and special projects. Over time, its operations became closely integrated with Neckarsulm, where many of Audi’s RS models are assembled alongside regular series production.

The nearby Böllinger Höfe production facility further strengthened this relationship, serving as the home of the Audi R8 and later expanding to support additional Audi Sport manufacturing activities.

Today, Audi Sport GmbH continues to oversee the development of Audi’s highest-performance road vehicles, reinforcing Neckarsulm’s reputation as the spiritual home of the RS family.

A Center for Innovation

While Neckarsulm remains a major production facility, its role extends well beyond vehicle assembly.

The site supports engineering, pilot production, manufacturing development, digitalization initiatives and quality assurance activities. Audi continues to position Neckarsulm as a center for advanced production technologies, artificial intelligence applications and future manufacturing processes.

Together with the Audi Forum Neckarsulm, the campus also serves as a destination for visitors, customers and enthusiasts, offering factory tours, vehicle deliveries and exhibitions celebrating the company’s history.

More than 150 years after its industrial beginnings, the Neckarsulm site continues to embody the transformation that has defined its history—from knitting machines to bicycles, motorcycles, automobiles and today’s premium electric and high-performance vehicles. Its continued evolution reflects not only the history of Audi, but also the broader story of Germany’s automotive industry.

CURRENT ROLE

Today, the Audi Neckarsulm Plant is one of AUDI AG’s two principal manufacturing sites in Germany and serves as one of the company’s most technologically advanced production campuses. Unlike many assembly plants that focus solely on manufacturing, Neckarsulm combines vehicle production with engineering, prototype development, pilot manufacturing, quality assurance and advanced production research.

The facility specializes in premium and high-performance Audi models, many of which require more complex manufacturing processes and higher levels of craftsmanship than volume-produced vehicles. This combination of precision manufacturing and technical development has established Neckarsulm as one of the Volkswagen Group’s centers of excellence.

The campus also serves as an important employer within the Heilbronn region and works closely with universities, research institutions and technology partners to advance manufacturing innovation.

CURRENT PRODUCTION

Neckarsulm remains the production home for several of Audi’s flagship model lines and represents one of the company’s most diverse manufacturing locations.

According to Audi, current series production includes the Audi A5 family, the Audi A6 family, the Audi A8 luxury sedan and the all-electric Audi e-tron GT. These model lines encompass combustion, plug-in hybrid and fully electric powertrains, reflecting the site’s role in supporting Audi’s transition across multiple propulsion technologies rather than focusing on a single drivetrain strategy.

The facility also manufactures high-performance S and RS derivatives where applicable, working closely with Audi Sport GmbH and the adjacent Böllinger Höfe production complex. This combination of premium luxury sedans, executive vehicles, grand tourers and performance models makes Neckarsulm one of the most technically complex production sites within the Volkswagen Group.

As with all Audi production facilities, model assignments evolve over time as new generations and vehicle programs are introduced. Nevertheless, Neckarsulm has consistently remained the company’s center for many of its most technologically advanced and highest-value production vehicles.

R8 production at Audi Böllinger Höfe near the Neckarsulm site

AUDI SPORT GMBH

No discussion of Neckarsulm is complete without Audi Sport GmbH.

Founded in 1983 as quattro GmbH, the wholly owned subsidiary was originally established to develop high-performance road cars while also supporting Audi’s growing motorsport activities and exclusive customer programs.

Over the decades, Audi Sport GmbH has become responsible for the development, production and marketing of Audi’s RS models, Audi exclusive personalization, performance parts and numerous special edition vehicles.

Its close integration with the Neckarsulm campus has made the site synonymous with Audi’s highest-performance production vehicles.

Many RS models receive final assembly or specialized manufacturing operations here, while engineering teams continue to develop future generations of Audi performance vehicles.

BÖLLINGER HÖFE

Located adjacent to the main Neckarsulm campus, Böllinger Höfe represents one of Audi’s most specialized production facilities.

Originally developed for low-volume manufacturing, the facility became internationally known as the home of the Audi R8, where highly skilled technicians combined advanced manufacturing technology with extensive hand assembly.

Unlike conventional automotive assembly lines, production at Böllinger Höfe was designed around flexible manufacturing cells, allowing greater precision and adaptability for complex sports cars.

The facility has since expanded its role within Audi Sport manufacturing while continuing to demonstrate production techniques later adopted elsewhere within the company.

ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY

Beyond manufacturing, Neckarsulm serves as one of Audi’s principal engineering locations.

Numerous departments responsible for production planning, manufacturing development, quality assurance and pilot production are based on the campus.

The facility also plays an important role in introducing new manufacturing technologies before they are deployed across Audi’s global production network.

Recent initiatives have focused on digital manufacturing, artificial intelligence applications, automation, sustainability and increasingly connected production systems as part of Audi’s broader transformation strategy.

The combination of engineering and manufacturing allows new production methods to be developed and validated alongside series production, shortening development cycles while maintaining Audi’s quality standards.

SUSTAINABILITY

Like other Audi production sites, Neckarsulm continues to reduce its environmental footprint through increased energy efficiency, resource conservation and sustainable manufacturing practices.

The company has introduced measures aimed at reducing energy consumption, improving material recycling and lowering emissions throughout the production process. Digital monitoring systems, intelligent logistics and optimized manufacturing workflows all contribute to these efforts.

Sustainability initiatives continue to evolve alongside Audi’s broader environmental objectives and the increasing production of electrified vehicles.