Volkswagen is one of the largest automakers in the world and owns several well-known brands.
The company’s extensive portfolio includes popular car brands such as Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley, Bugatti, and Ducati. Additionally, Volkswagen also owns SEAT, Škoda, Scania, MAN, and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
These brands span from luxury cars and sports vehicles to motorcycles and commercial trucks.
Each brand under Volkswagen operates with a degree of independence, allowing them to maintain their unique identities while benefiting from the shared resources of the Volkswagen Group
So, let’s have a look at some popular brands that the Volkswagen Company is driving.
Volkswagen
It certainly comes as no surprise that Volkswagen Group owns the Volkswagen automobile brand.
In 1937, the Volkswagen Company was established in Berlin, Germany. The headquarters and manufacturing facility for Volkswagen is in Wolfsburg, Germany.
In Europe right now, Volkswagen is among the most appreciated automakers.
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Audi
Although it was first established as a standalone company in 1909, Audi has been an entity of Volkswagen since 1965.
One of the top most distinguished companies in the world is Audi. After the conclusion of WW II, the auto brand was driven by Auto Union GmbH, a part of Daimler.
Over 65 Audi vehicles are sold by automakers in the United Kingdom. Volkswagen introduced the Audi branding in the US in 1970.
In 1986, the company name was shortened to Audi AG and the corporate headquarters were moved to Ingolstadt.
Lamborghini
One of the well-known Volkswagen brands is Lamborghini. It’s a prominent Italian manufacturer of sports cars for Volkswagen in Germany.
In order to compare with Ferrari, Ferruccio Lamborghini founded Lamborghini in Sant’Agata, Italy.
Following the 1973 worldwide financial collapse, the company started having issues. In 1978, it came dangerously close to going bankrupt.
In 1998, VW acquired the brand and handed it off to the management of Audi.
Since then, the plant has been producing a powerful V12 sports car.
Bentley
Bentley has been manufacturing luxury automobiles since 1919. In 1998, it teamed up with Volkswagen.
In 1997 BMW submitted a proposal when Bentley put its Rolls Royce models up for sale.
With the anticipation of the Rolls-Royce company and emblem, Volkswagen outbid BMW and acquired practically all of the rights.
Volkswagen fully acquired Bentley in 2003, at which point it started selling cars under the Bentley name.
SEAT
Through a number of management alliances, Volkswagen began its quest for ownership of SEAT in the era of 1980s.
In 1986, Volkswagen acquired a majority stake in SEAT after raising its ownership to higher than 51%.
By 1990, VW acquired all of SEAT’s shares after its ownership percentage was later raised to 75%.
Bugatti
Bugatti was established in 1909 and joined the Volkswagen company in 1998. The brand is known for creating the world’s quickest vehicles.
Volkswagen acquired full control in 2000 when it took over the Bugatti family’s hotel and converted it into its corporate offices.
Ducati
Bologna is home to the corporate offices of the Italian motorbike manufacturer Ducati. The company was established in 1926 by Antonio Cavalieri along with his three sons.
They first started by manufacturing vacuum tubes, radio components, and condensers.
The company was able to endure the impact of WWII. When Volkswagen’s Audi division said in 2012 that its intention would acquire this company for approximately $1.25 billion.
Ducatti is widely renowned for its top-performance four-stroke bikes. They have dominated the motorcycle market for a long time.
Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche founded the brand in 1931. The first car was sold in 1939, although the corporation didn’t start off developing them.
VW Beetle components were expensively used in it. Porsche produced military tanks for the Allies in WW II.
When it was released in 1989, the famous Porsche 911 became the first four-wheel-drive car to use a Tiptronic gearbox.
The founder had a significant influence on the classic Volkswagen Beetle designs, which has led to long-lasting relations between Volkswagen and Porsche.
In August 2009, the two companies’ management decided to merge their operations. Volkswagen retained the majority of the company’s shares as of the end of 2015.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles
In several parts of the globe, Volkswagen does manufacture commercial vehicles such as small buses and other vehicles.
This company was founded in Hannover, Germany. They currently have over 20,000 employees and are rapidly growing.
MAN
It is possible to trace the origins of the MAN automobile back to 1758. At that time St. Antony started making ironworks.
Oberhausen was manufactured subsequently as a result of its merger with Good Hope and New Forges. The GHH organization grew and survived throughout WW II.
During this period, the company halted mining for steel and iron. The acquisition of Bussing allowed the company to focus on commercial vehicles.
A 50/50 partnership was established with Force Motors that facilitated the truck manufacturer’s debut in the Indian market.
