Audi at the time used Times. The new typeface would be neither sans-serif (like Futura) nor serif (like Times), and the idea for a rounded typeface was born. After the company failed to find an existing rounded typeface at the time, the new typeface had to be developed.
Audi's choice of typeface at the time was Times New Roman, but they wanted something different. They didn't want a sans-serif like Futura or a serif like Times, so they decided to create a rounded typeface from scratch.