Kicking off in May and culminating on Audi’s official birthday of July 16th, Toy Collector has been running a weekly blog, tracing the history of the Audi Marque though model cars donated by Audi from their merchandise range. The models then went up on the auction block in the site’s forums.
Further models were donated by leading toy and model makers Amalgam Fine Model Cars, Bub Premium Classixx, CMC, Kyosho, Looksmart, Minichamps, Neo, Revell, Schuco, Siku and Wiking, making 33 lots in total. Audi’s winning 2008 Le Mans drivers Dindo Capello, Allan McNish and Tom Kristensen chipped in too, with a signed Norev model of their winning Audi R10 TDi #2 car.
Audi’s Jon Zammett said “We’re very pleased the auction has been such a huge success and extremely impressed with Toy Collector’s innovative idea for holding it in their forums. Helen & Douglas House is a wonderful cause and we’re happy to have helped them again, especially as part of our centenary.”
For further information, please see:
• www.toycollector.com/AudiCentenaryBlog
• www.toycollector.com/AudiCentenaryAuction
About Audi
Audi UK has enjoyed an exceptionally rapid rise to prominence in the premium sector. In 2000 just over 43,000 Audi models found homes in the UK, and from that point until 2008 the brand has continually broken annual sales records, successfully passing the milestone 100,000 sales mark in 2007 and 2008, when it ended the year with a record 4.7% market share from 100,845 sales. Globally, the brand exceeded 1 million deliveries for the first time in its history in 2008, marking the occasion with its best ever revenue figure and a record profit-before-tax total of 3.177 billion Euros (GBP2.94 billion) in the process. With its programmes for both road and race cars the brand continues to maintain its dramatic trajectory. On the road it is extending its reach into important new segments with strong offerings such as the A3 Cabriolet, A5 Cabriolet, Q5, RS 6 and R8, while at the same time bolstering its appeal to its existing customer base with core models like the all-new A4 and A4 Avant. On the race circuit Audi Sport will aspire to secure its ninth Le Mans victory in 2009 with the R15 TDI – a completely new sports prototype powered by a newly developed ten-cylinder diesel engine.
In 2009, the Audi brand established by August Horch on July 16, 1909 celebrates its centenary. The four rings of the Audi badge symbolise the brands Audi, DKW, Horch and Wanderer, which were combined to form Auto Union in 1932. Auto Union and NSU, which merged in 1969, both made many significant contributions towards the development of the car. AUDI AG was formed from Audi NSU Auto Union AG in 1985. Together with the two traditional companies Auto Union GmbH and NSU GmbH, Audi Tradition has nurtured the extensive, diverse history of Audi for many years and presented it to the public. The Audi museum mobile at the Audi Forum Ingolstadt (Germany) is open daily from Monday to Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. The August Horch Museum in Zwickau (Germany) is open from Tuesday to Sunday from 9.30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Photos and further information are available at http://www.audi-mediaservices.com/en
About the Helen & Douglas House
Helen & Douglas House is a registered charity providing respite and end of life care for children and young adults with life-shortening conditions, as well as support and friendship for the whole family. The two hospice houses are bright, vibrant and positive places, where the emphasis is on living life to the full, even when that life may be short.
There are many families in the UK caring for a child or young adult who has a life-shortening condition. Caring for someone, often for 24 hours a day, seven days a week, over many years, can put an immeasurable strain upon the family. While families willingly invest love, energy and care, life becomes governed by the relentless timetable of nursing and medical needs.
Relationships can suffer, careers may have to be abandoned, healthy brothers and sisters can feel left out and regular family activities and holidays can be rare. Families can often feel alone and afraid in their grief.
How Helen & Douglas House can help Children can stay at Helen House and young adults can stay at Douglas House, along with their families, for short periods of time for rest and recuperation, treatment of distressing symptoms, end of life care and support. The Helen & Douglas house enjoys the regular support of Audi UK and its other supporters include BBC Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson.
Further in information is available at http://www.helenanddouglas.org.uk
About Toy Collector
Launched in 2008, Toy Collector is a web portal for collectable toy and model enthusiasts designed to allow collectors to share their passions via blogging, discussion forums, picture and video galleries and offering resources like want ads and a yellow pages suppliers directory as well as the largest toy-and-model-related event calendar on the internet. The site also has ToyPedia, a Wikipedia-style online encyclopedia of collectable toys which currently covers over 20,000 items and is growing constantly.
