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Audi and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles End Q2/Q4 Feud with Mysterious Deal

Audi and Fiat Chrysler have made a deal regarding the rights to the Q2 and Q4 names.
Audi Q2 spyshots 1 photo
Photo: Carpix
Audi has obtained the right to use the Q2 and Q4 names for its upcoming models, while the Italian-American company that used to own them will not have any future products with those alphanumeric combinations.

The deal between Audi and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles was confirmed by Rupert Stadler, Audi CEO, at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show. According to Autoblog, the deal was agreed upon without any financial compensation. However, the exact cost of the Q2 and Q4 names is still a closely guarded secret between the two corporations.

As Audi’s CEO explained, his counterparts at FCA pointed out that the Q2 and Q4 trademarks were not for sale, but the two companies eventually negotiated an unspecified trade. Most likely, Audi swapped another name for the FCA’s Q2 and Q4. However, nobody knows what exactly did Audi give FCA in exchange for the Q2 and Q4 trademarks, especially since both parties mentioned the deal didn’t include a financial part.

We do know that FCA has retained its right to use the Q2 name for its differential technology, which has changed over the years from a mechanical limited-slip technology to an electronically controlled unit. The Q4 badge is currently found on four-wheel-drive Maserati models, such as the Ghibli.

Audi still holds the rights to the trademark “Duo,” the only moniker not used by the German company on a current production model. However, this name might not be the secret behind the deal made by the two corporations. We expect the details of the agreement to be revealed in a few years, when the Italian-American company will eventually launch a car with a name traded from Audi.

Meanwhile, both Audi and Volkswagen have a history of using Italian words for naming their models or technologies. After all, Audi is the Latin translation of “Horch,” the name of the company’s founder and an adaptation of the verb “horchen,” which means “listen.
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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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