To a person who is not particularly interested in cars, it may seem that there are a large number of independent car manufacturers in the world. In fact, among the car brands can be distinguished giant concerns and alliances, which include several car manufacturers. So let's see who belongs to whom among the car brands.
ConcernVolkswagen
The parent company of the concern is VolkswagenAG... Volkswagen AG fully owns the intermediate holding Porsche Zwischenholding GmbH, which owns the prestigious car manufacturer PorscheA.G. Well, 50.73% of the shares of Volkswagen AG itself belong to the Porsche S.E. holding, which is owned by the Porsche and Piëch families - the descendants of the company founder Ferdinand Porsche and his sister Louise Piëch. The Volkswagen concern also includes companies Audi(purchased from Daimler-Benz) SEAT, Skoda, Bentley, Bugatti and Lamborghini... Plus truck and bus manufacturers MAN(Volkswagen owns 55.9% of the shares) and Scania (70,94%).
CompanyToyota
The president of the Japanese company Toyota Motor Corp. is Akio Toyoda, grandson of the company's founder. 6.29% of the company's shares are owned by The Master Trust Bank of Japan, 6.29% by Japan Trustee Services Bank, 5.81% by Toyota Industries Corporation, plus 9% are treasury shares. Among Japanese manufacturers, Toyota owns the largest number of brands: Lexus(the company was created by Toyota itself as a manufacturer of luxury cars), Subaru, Daihatsu , Scion(cars with youthful design for sale in the USA) and Hino(manufactures trucks and buses).
CompanyHonda
Another Japanese automaker Honda owns only one brand, and that was created by Honda itself for the production of luxury cars - Acura.
ConcernPeugeot -Citroen
Image with PSA Peugeot The concern is the second largest car manufacturer in Europe after Volkswagen. The largest shareholders of the concern are the Peugeot family - 14% of the shares, the Chinese car manufacturer DongFeng - 14% and the French government - 14%. As for the relationship of companies within the concern, Peugeot SA owns 89.95% of Citroen shares.
AllianceRenault-Nissan
The Renault-Nissan Alliance was founded in 1999 and is a strategic partnership between companies in the field of mechanical engineering development. As for the owners of the companies, 15.01% of Renault shares are owned by the French government and 15% - by Nissan. Renault's share in Nissan, in turn, is 43.4%. Renault controls partially or completely the following brands: Dacia (99,43%), SamsungMotors (80,1%), AvtoVAZ(more than 50% of shares).
Nissan controls only its division. Infiniti, engaged in the production of prestigious cars, and the brand Datsun which currently produces budget cars for sale in India, Indonesia, South Africa and Russia.
ConcernGeneralMotors
The American concern General Motors currently owns the following brands: Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Daewoo, GMC, Holden, Opel and Vauxhall... In addition, GM's subsidiary GM Auslandsprojekte GMBH owns a 41.6% stake in GM-AvtoVAZ's joint venture GM-AvtoVAZ, which produces Chevrolet Niva vehicles.
The concern is currently controlled by the state (61% of shares). The remaining shareholders of the concern are the United Auto Workers' Union of the USA (17.5%), the Government of Canada (12%). The remaining 9.5% of the shares are owned by various large creditors.
CompanyFord
Ford is currently controlled by the Ford family and holds 40% of the shares. William Ford Jr., great-grandson of the legendary Henry Ford, serves as chairman of the company's board of directors. Before the 2008 crisis, Ford owned brands such as Jaguar, Lincoln, Land Rover, Volvo and Aston Martin, as well as 33% of the Japanese Mazda. Due to the crisis, all brands, with the exception of Lincoln, were sold, and the stake in Mazda was reduced to 13% (and in 2010 - generally to 3%). Jaguar and Land Rover were bought by the Indian company Tata Motors, Volvo by the Chinese Geely, Aston Martin was sold to a consortium of investors, in fact, becoming an independent brand. As a result, at the moment, Ford only owns the brand. Lincoln, which produces luxury cars.
ConcernFiat
The Italian concern has collected such brands as AlfaRomeo, Ferrari, Maserati and Lancia... Plus, in early 2014, Fiat completely bought the American automaker Chrysler together with stamps Jeep, Dodge and Ram... The largest owners of the concern today are the Agnelli family (30.5% of shares) and Capital Research & Management (5.2%).
ConcernBmw
At the end of the 50s of the last century, the Bavarian concern BMW was at great losses. At this time, one of the BMW shareholders, industrialist Herbert Quandt, bought a large stake in the company and actually saved it from bankruptcy and sale to its eternal rival, Daimler. The Kvant family still owns 46.6% of the concern's shares today. The remaining 53.3% of the company's shares are traded on the market. The concern owns brands such as Rolls-Royce and MINI.
ConcernDaimler
The main shareholders of the concern are the Arab investment fund Aabar Investments (9.1%), the government of Kuwait (7.2%) and the Emirate of Dubai (about 2%). Daimler produces branded cars Mercedes-Benz, Maybach and Smart... The concern also owns 15% of the shares of the Russian truck manufacturer - the company " Kamaz».
ConcernHyundai
The largest car manufacturer in South Korea, in addition to its own brand, also owns 38.67% of the brand's shares. KIA(the company is part of the Hyundai Motor Group).
Independent car manufacturers
Among the popular brands that do not have any alliances, and do not own other brands, there are three Japanese automakers - Mazda, Mitsubishi and Suzuki.
However, today's realities show that in the future it will be more and more difficult for independent automakers to survive. To sell your vehicles around the world, you need to have a solid “foundation” that is provided either by partners or by a batch of several brands. Thirty years ago, legendary manager Lee Iacocca, who was once president of Ford and chairman of the board of Chrysler, suggested that by the beginning of the 21st century, only a small number of automakers would remain in the world.
The Volkswagen concern, headquartered in Wolfsburg (Germany), is one of the world's leading and largest European car manufacturers. In 2018, 10,834,000 vehicles were delivered to customers around the world (in 2017 - 10,741,500 vehicles, in 2016 - 10,297,000 vehicles, in 2015 - 9,930,600 vehicles, in 2014 - 10,137,000 vehicles, in 2013 - 9,731,000 vehicles).
The group includes twelve brands from seven European countries: Volkswagen - passenger cars, Audi, Seat, ŠKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial vehicles, Scania and MAN.
The lineup of the concern covers a wide range of vehicles from motorcycles and economical small cars to luxury cars. The commercial vehicle segment offers a variety of options from pickup trucks to buses and heavy duty trucks.
The Volkswagen Group is actively involved in other business areas, such as the production of large diameter diesel engines for marine and stationary applications (turnkey power plants), turbochargers, gas and steam turbines, compressors and chemical reactors. The concern also manufactures automotive transmissions, special gearboxes for wind turbines, sleeve bearings and clutches.
In addition, the Volkswagen Group offers a wide range of financial services, including dealer and client financing, leasing, banking and insurance services and fleet management.
The Volkswagen concern has 123 factories in 20 countries in Europe and 11 countries in North and South America, Asia and Africa. Every weekday, 642,292 employees of the concern worldwide produce about 44,170 vehicles and work in other areas of business. The Volkswagen Group sells its vehicles in 153 countries around the world.
The concern of the concern is the production of attractive and safe cars that are competitive in the modern market and set world standards for their class.
Strategy TOGETHER 2025
“Strategy TOGETHER 2025” is the program of the Volkswagen Group, which marks the beginning of the largest restructuring in the history of the company. The changes to one of the top carmakers aim to achieve a leading position as a provider of sustainable mobility. To this end, the Volkswagen Group is transforming automotive production and plans to produce more than 30 all-electric vehicles of the next generation by 2025, with a focus on charging technology for such vehicles and autonomous driving. The development of cross-branding and smart mobility solutions will also become one of the key areas of the company's activities. The strategic partnership with Gett, established in 2016, was the first step in this direction; in the coming years, services such as robotic taxis and car sharing will merge. Successful transformation of a company also involves the development of innovation. The Volkswagen Group is improving digital technology across all brands and across the board. At the same time, the Volkswagen Group continues to develop partnerships and strategic investments, increasing the efficiency of its activities.
In the post-war years, when the factories of the automaker were under the control of the British administration, Henry Ford could become the owner of the company, but the deal did not take place - the Americans considered that the company was “not worth a penny,” and their “popular” car “Beetle” was absolutely inconsistent technical parameters that must be applied to passenger cars. In the years that followed, VW showed how deeply overseas automotive gurus had been mistaken.
In the early 1950s, the automaker produced about 65% of all cars in Germany, which provided the company with a turnover of $ 1.4 billion. The 70s became the golden years, when the company created two legendary models at once - "Passat" and "Golf", where the latter became the founder of a whole class of cars.
The VW Group includes brands such as Volkswagen, Skoda, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Audi, Seat, Bentley, as well as companies that manufacture Scania and MAN trucks.
Where are VW cars assembled?
Initially, the production of "people's" cars was carried out directly in Germany, but in the course of the development of the brand, factories began to appear on other continents, in particular in South and North America, as well as in Africa. The pioneer was the company's plant, built in the city of San Bernard, Brazil, where for more than 15 years they were engaged in the production of the legendary "Beetle", and now there is one of the main offices responsible for the design of future cars of the brand.
Currently, Volkswagen car factories are located in 12 large countries, including: Brazil, Argentina, Germany, Mexico, South Africa, Russia, Poland, Belgium, Spain, Czech Republic and a number of other countries. The company's revenues over the past few years have far exceeded the 60 billion euro mark, which makes the carmaker the largest automaker in the world.
The lineup of the company consists of the following models:
Where is Volkswagen Golf assembled?
VW Golf is the founder of golf-class cars, the latest generation of which is currently produced in Germany, in the city of Wolfsburg. At the same time, most of the cars of the previous generation were produced in Russia and Brazil.
Where is Volkswagen Passat going?
VW Passat is a full-size sedan, representative of the D-class. The assembly of cars of this model is now established at factories in the cities of Kaluga (Russia), Emden and Moselle (Germany), Luanda (Angola), Solomonovo (Ukraine), as well as Changchun (China).
Where is Volkswagen Beetle going?
VW Beetle is the iconic car of the company, the production of which is now established in Mexico.
Where are Volkswagen Polos going?
VW Polo - presented in two modifications - "hatchback" and "sedan", the first is produced in Spain, Poland and Germany, and the second - mainly in Russia.
Where is the Volkswagen Touareg going?
VW Touareg is a full-fledged off-road vehicle, the production of which is now established in the cities of Bratislava (Slovakia) and Kaluga (Russia). The car concept is at the heart of the Porsche Cayenne luxury SUV.
Where is Volkswagen Transporter going?
The VW Transporter is no less legendary than the Beatle and has the potential to be a great commercial and family car. The production of the model is now represented in the cities of Hannover (Germany), Poznan (Poland) and Kaluga (Russia).
Where is Volkswagen Amarok going?
VW Amarok is a modern car of the company, belonging to the class of pickups. The model is produced in Hannover, as well as in the city of Pacheco, located in Argentina.
Where is Volkswagen Jetta going?
VW Jetta is another popular model of the company that combines the spaciousness of a sedan and the charge of a hatchback. Cars designed for the European and American markets are produced in Mexico, while Russians are offered models made in Russia at a plant in Kaluga.
Where is Volkswagen Caddy going?
The VW Caddy is an excellent commercial vehicle that is actively purchased by large companies as well as small entrepreneurs. The assembly of the model is carried out in Germany, as well as in Russia, while in the first case the cars are delivered to the European, and in the second - to the Russian and Eastern markets.
VW is famous for its attitude to the quality of the cars produced, therefore, regardless of the country and city in which this or that model of the company is produced, it will certainly comply with strict corporate standards. This is achieved through the use of modern equipment, as well as strict quality control at all stages of the assembly.
In the automotive world, we are surrounded by just a bunch of abbreviations related to cars. But often reductions concern companies and concerns. One of these abbreviations, which has been around for a long time, is VAG! Some say that this is another name for VOLKSWAGEN, others call all German cars (including Mercedes and BMW) VAG. But what about the reality? It turns out everything is simple ...
Let's start as usual with a definition.
VAG Is an abbreviated abbreviation for Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft (the second word in the name means "joint stock company"), the abbreviated form is Volkswagen AG (because Aktiengesellschaft is a hard-to-pronounce word and was replaced with an abbreviation). In turn, the word Volkswagen is also abbreviated, hence VAG.
In the “people”, VAG is deciphered as Volkswagen - AUDI Group, but this is not at all correct. However, the manufacturer himself does not confirm such a reduction, but does not deny it either, that is, this is not an official name, but let's say - "popular"!
What's the official name?
At this time, there is an official name of the company, it's just - Volkswagen Konzern- German (translation - "Volkswagen Concern"). However, in English-speaking sources, the Volkswagen Group, sometimes the VW Group. Translated simply - the Volkswagen group of companies.
So how many brands are included?
If we take 2011, then approximately 50.73% of VAG shares belonged to the PORSCHE holding. BUT VAG owns 100% of the shares of the intermediate holding Porsche Zwischenholding GmbH, which in turn owns the right to manufacture the prestigious PORSCHE AG vehicles. It turns out that the company is, as it were, closed on itself.
However, at this time, this concern includes a lot of other brands, such as:
- Volkswagen itself. Mainly engaged in the production of passenger cars.
- AUDI. It was acquired from the Daimler-Benz concern in 1964.
- NSU Motorenwerke is a motorcycle manufacturer. Purchased in 1969.
- SEAT - production of passenger cars.
- SKODA - purchased in 1991
- Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles - Engaged in the production of minibuses, buses, tractors.
- BENTLEY - Purchased in 1998
- ROLLS-ROYCE.
- BUGATTI - purchased in 1998
- Lamborghini - Purchased in 1998
- Scania AB - owns a controlling stake (about 71%). Tractors, dump trucks, trucks, buses and diesel engines are produced.
- MAN AG - a controlling stake (about 56%), acquired in 2011. They also produce special equipment - tractors, dump trucks, trucks, buses, diesel and hybrid power plants.
- PORCHE
- DUCATI Motor Holding S.p.A - purchased in 2012, is engaged in the production of premium motorcycles.
- ItalDesign Giugiaro - 90.1% of the shares, purchased in 2010, engaged in the development of auto design for new models, as well as restyling of old ones.
- SUZUKI Motor Corporation owns a large shareholding.
- Trademark "ALEKO" - under which the well-known "MOSKVICH" was sold, the rights to the brand belong to 2021.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, the concern itself consists of 342 companies that produce cars, motorcycles, special equipment, engines, etc. In 2009, it was the world's largest vehicle manufacturing corporation. And of course, it holds the leading position in the European market for a given period of time, the cars of this brand occupy from 25 to 30% of all sales.
Actually, that's all for today, I think the article is really useful to you. Sincerely your AUTOBLOGGER.
The Volkswagen concern is known all over the world. It is truly the largest group of car manufacturing companies. The parent company (or, as they say, the parent company) is located in Wolfsburg and is called, as everyone knows, Volkswagen AG. Well, this concern has a very rich and long history and a lot of interesting facts. So it's worth telling about it in more detail.
Porsche and Volkswagen
So, the headquarters of this concern is located in Germany, in Wolfsburg. The company was named "Volkswagen", which means "people's car" in German. Today, about half of the shares are owned by such a holding company as Porsche SE. Nevertheless, the Volkswagen concern owns all one hundred percent of the ordinary shares of an intermediate holding called Porsche Zwischenholding GmbH. In general, in fact, "Porsche" - these are cars that are produced by "Volkswagen". Today, company managers are negotiating to merge the firms into a single structure that could be called VW-Porsche. It is also interesting that Martin Winterkorn (a fairly well-known personality of the automotive world) until September 2015 served as chairman of the board of both Volkswagen and Porsche.
But that's not all. Today, the Volkswagen concern consists of 342 companies that produce cars and provide services related to this area. It is the largest car manufacturer in the world. And of course, the undisputed leader of the European car market. 25% of the cars that drive on the roads of the continent are made by Volkswagen.
About history
The Volkswagen concern begins its history in 1937. The founder of the company is Ferinand Porsche. It was he who created the so-called Society for the preparation of Volkswagen mbH. And in 1938 they began to build the first Volkswagen plant. Of course it was in Wolfsburg. In addition to the automotive industry, the plant was engaged in another type of activity. Concern Volkswagen AG then provided logistics and financial services. And besides that, he had a small food business.
In the 90s, the company began to experience major difficulties. Quite serious financial problems have appeared. But thanks to the entrepreneurial spirit of Ferdinand Piëch, everything worked out. In fact, this man saved Volkswagen. The concern switched to a 4-day working week, began to adhere to an offensive policy and began to develop at an even greater pace. In the end, the company managed to acquire just a huge number of popular brands.
Rolls-Royce and Suzuki
From 1998 to 2002, the Volkswagen automobile concern was engaged in the production of cars such as Rolls-Royce. All people know about these luxurious models, even those who are not familiar with the auto world. This topic is quite interesting. A division of the Volkswagen Bentley group was engaged in the production of these cars under an agreement with another company - BMW. Why? But because the Munich company bought from such a concern as Vickers, the rights to this brand. And since 2003, only BMW has the right to manufacture and manufacture cars with the famous Rolls-Royce emblem.
In 2009, the Volkswagen Group took a step further - it entered into an alliance with a company like Suzuki. The firms exchanged stakes (German manufacturers got 20% of Suzuki's shares) and announced the joint development of so-called ecological vehicles. But in 2011, the alliance broke up, which was announced to the world.
2015 scandal
In September 2015, a worldwide Volkswagen scandal erupted. The concern was accused of the fact that the program that the developers used in the on-board computers that they produce determined one important point. Namely, in what mode the machine works - in normal mode or in a test mode. This program was introduced in cars with diesel power units. Including VW Jetta, Audi A3, Golf, Passat, Beetle. When testing began, the vehicle automatically switched to environmentally friendly operation. A very smart and well thought-out system, I must say. However, this turned out to be a huge disaster and financial cost for the concern.
The Environmental Protection Agency said that for absolutely every car that does not meet US standards, the company will have to pay a fine of $ 37.5 thousand. It turns out to be a fabulous sum. Indeed, since 2008, the concern has sold 482,000 cars. And the total amount of fines could reach 18 billion! To date, half a million of their vehicles have been recalled from the United States. This is also a loss. After the incident, the company's chairman Martin Winterkorn apologized publicly and said that he would definitely support the investigation. By the way, the ministry is engaged in it. After that, Martin resigned after more than a dozen years of work at Volkswagen.
Acquired companies before 2000
So, it is worth talking in more detail about what is included in the Volkswagen concern. Naturally, the main part of it is the Volkswagen company, which produces passenger cars. The company is not registered as a subsidiary of the parent group, but is a subdivision directly subordinate to the management of VW AG.
In 1964, the Audi company was added to this structure. It was purchased from Daimler-Benz. Next after Audi was NSU Motorenwerke. It was bought in 1969. This brand has not been used as an independent brand for a long time - since 1977. And before that, the company produced motorcycles and cars.
They took over the Spanish brand Seat, which has existed since 1950. Volkswagen owns 99.99% of the company's shares. The most interesting models began to appear after Seat joined the German structure. For example, the SEAT Bocanegra with a 180-horsepower engine, which was designed by Lamborghini specialists.
In 1991, the company acquired the Czech Škoda and then took back Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. This company was once part of VW AG, but in 1995 it became an independent brand. Or rather, a division. "Bentley", "Bugatti", "Lamborghini" - these brands are known today all over the world. And these are concerns that have been owned by Volkswagen since 1998. That year was a shock for the company. After all, these cars are considered one of the most popular, well-known and actively bought by people.
Acquired firms after 2000
The Volkswagen Group continued to acquire shares further. In 2009 he bought almost 71% of Scania AB. This production is engaged in the development and production of dump trucks, buses, trucks, truck tractors and diesel engines. Another company, MAN AG, bought in 2011, makes all of the above, as well as hybrid powertrains in addition. VW AG owns 55.9% of the firm.
Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A and ItalDesign Giugiaro are two other manufacturers bought by Volkswagen. The first of the listed companies is one of the leading manufacturers of premium motorcycles. And the second is a car design studio. Interestingly, in 2010, the Lamborghini holding bought 90% of the shares of this company. So Volkswagen was already the owner of the atelier, but after the paperwork was completed, it also became the official owner.
And one more interesting information. VW AG in 2013 acquired the Russian Aleko (it was under this TM that the famous cheap "Muscovites" were sold for some time). The right to use this brand and any emblems belongs to the German concern until 2021.
Financial questions
In March 1991, in order to optimize the organizational structure, the German concern decided to form an internal division that would deal with financial matters. It was named Volkswagen Finanz. In 1994 it became a closed joint stock company. This banking and financial structure receives full access to international financial markets, as well as the ability to carry out financing on very favorable terms. This unit deals with important issues. For example, by financing the development, production and purchase of machines for corporate and individual clients. Also provides banking, leasing and insurance services to these individuals. In general, a useful activity and, what is most important for the company, profitable.
About profit
And a couple more interesting facts in the end. In 2010, VW AG raised a huge amount of money, amounting to 57.243 billion euros! But of all this, the net profit turned out to be only 1.55 billion. Seems small in comparison with the revenue. However, this is actually a lot of money. After all, all expenses are taken into account, which go to almost 350 companies. Therefore, the profit is really solid. Therefore, it is not surprising that Volkswagen is by far the largest, richest and most famous company.
