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Audi's Left Handed Revolution!
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Right hand drive vehicles were an instant design decision when Audi first started producing cars over 100 years ago. In fact, Audi made only right hand driven cars till 1921, however, in a bid to showcase their techno wizardry at the time, Audi introduced a left hand drive car. This was done approximately 16 years before Germany officially legislated the technology in 1938. In true fashion and sticking to the now popular tag line- 'Vorsprung durch Technik' Audi has showcased its prowess for sticking with times and moving in the direction that would prove to be extremely important for the company.
It was in 1922 that Germany started to witness the advent of left hand drive cars. It was a small population, approximately ten percent of the country's cars, at the time, however the number began to grow and within a year the proliferation of left hand drive cars had reached 25 per cent. Audi was quick to follow and stick with the changing trend. They company had been officially around since 1909 and had already made a mark with its range of engines that either were four, six or eight cylinder units. Amongst the range of cars to feature these engines was the Audi Type K, which was built between 1921 and 1926. This particular model became a rage in Germany after the Berlin Motor Show where it was featured with a left hand drive set up. It became the first car to go on sale in Germany with a left mounded steering wheel. Incidentally the K also featured a conventional floor mounted gear shift which was located alongside the car's handbrake.
Today there are 74 countries around the world that use right hand drive cars, however in the past right hand drive was the most sought after driving set ups. One of the first nations to switch from right hand drive to left hand drive was the United States of America. In Europe, it was Italy that lead the change revolution which first began in 1912, however it took till 1926 for the whole country to comply. Spain and Austria followed suit and so did Hungary and the then Czechoslovakia. The last European country to opt for left hand drive was Sweden in 1967.
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