Which Brands Is Volkswagen Responsible for?

Volkswagen is one the most recognizable car manufacturers in the world. They manufacture their vehicles but also have other brands. If you’re a Volkswagen owner, or are interested in becoming one, it’s good to know what brands fall under the company’s umbrella.

How many Volkswagen-owned companies do you have? And what information should you learn about ownership? Below are the brands Volkswagen is associated with:

Volkswagen Owns Car Businesses

Volkswagen Group owns 12 brands or car companies, which include Volkswagen, Seat and Audi, Skoda. Bugatti, Bentley. Lamborghini. Ducati. Porsche. Scania. MAN.

1. Audi

Audi joined Volkswagen as a subsidiary in 1965. From the beginning of WWII to the present, Audi was under Auto Union GmbH. Audi, which was established in 1909, set the standard for premium cars. Over 65 cars are sold in the UK by car makers.

2. Bugatti

Bugatti was created in 1909 and became part of Volkswagen in 1998. It is the manufacturer that produces the fastest car on the planet. Volkswagen assumed full ownership of the Ettore Bugatti guesthouse, and transformed it into their headquarters.

3. Bentley

Since 1919, Bentley has produced luxurious automobiles. In 1998, it formed a partnership to produce luxury cars with Volkswagen. Bentley put up its Rolls Royce model for sale in 1997. BMW was the winner. Volkswagen won the auction and received most of the rights. The Rolls Royce logo, name, and logo were not included in the bidding. Volkswagen took full ownership in 2003 and began supplying Bentley-branded cars.

4. Lamborghini

The Italian company was founded by Ferruccio Lamborghini in 1963. It was started to compete with Ferrari. The first year of production was a success. The Miura rear-wheel-drive sports coupe was a major factor in the rapid growth of the company. The company was hit hard by the 1973 global financial crisis and filed for bankruptcy.

In 1987, the company had gone through several ownership changes before Chrysler acquired it. In 1998, Volkswagen took control of the business and put it under Audi's management. This unit continues to produce a V12 sports car.

5. Porsche

The company was founded by Ferdinand Porsche in 1931. The company didn't initially manufacture cars. In fact, its first production vehicle debuted in 1939. Many components were taken from the VW Beetle. Porsche participated in the production of military tanks during WWII. In 1989, the Porsche 911 became a popular four-wheel drive car and had its first Tiptronic transmission.

Volkswagen and Porsche have had a long relationship. The founder of Porsche has been an influence on the Volkswagen Beetle design. In 2002, the Cayenne was launched in Leipzig, Saxony. In August 2009, the two companies’ management decided to merge the two entities. Volkswagen had a major shareholding in Porsche by the close of 2015.

6. SEAT

Volkswagen’s journey for control of SEAT begun in the 1980s through various management partnerships. Volkswagen was now the major stockholder of SEAT, having increased its share to 51 percent in 1986. In 1990, Volkswagen had the complete equity stake in SEAT. Spanish-based manufacturer SEAT was founded in 1950. The company had 24 cars in the UK. More than 15.000 people work for it.

7. SKODA

SKODA, a Czech auto manufacturing company was founded in 1985 by Laurin & Klement. In 1925, it was briefly owned by the state. It was then privatized in 1991. It sells automobiles in more than 100 countries. Volkswagen began to show interest in the business in 1991 when it purchased a 30% stake.

Later, this was increased to 60% in 1994 and 70% by 1995. Volkswagen finally decided to buy all equity shares, making SKODA a Volkswagen fully-owned subsidiary. Since this, the car manufacturer’s market share has been on a gradual rise.

8. Ducati

Ducati Motorcycle Manufacturing Company is located in Bologna Italy. Antonio Cavalieri founded the company in 1926 with three of his sons. They started out making radio components, such as condensers and vacuum tubes.

The business survived world war 2. Volkswagen expressed interest in buying the company when the Audi subsidiary made an announcement in April 2012 that it was purchasing the company for $1.2 billion. They are well-known for their high-performance, four-stroke motorbikes. The company has been the leader in motorcycle manufacturing for many decades.

9. MAN

Automobile maker, whose roots can be traced back to 1758, when St. Antony made ironworks. Oberhausen was formed later when it merged with New forges, Good Hope and Good Hope. GHH survived WWII and grew, but allies decided to break up the GHH group. The company stopped mining iron and steel during this period. The company was able to concentrate on commercial vehicles after the acquisition of Bussing. After the 1982 oil crises, the company was forced to face a financial crisis.

1986 saw the transfer of MAN Headquarters from Oberhausen to Munich. Force Motors formed a partnership of 50-50, which allowed them to introduce Indian trucks. Volkswagen bought a 55.9% interest in the business in 2011, which was raised to 73% in 2012.

10. SCANIA

SCANIA’s specialty is commercial vehicles – trucks and buses. In 1911, the company began its journey in Scania (Sweden). There are production facilities in more than 10 African countries, as well as many other European and Asian locations. The US NASDAQ also lists the company. The company’s logo consists of the coat of arms of Scania and a griffin. Saab-Scania AB was formed from the SCANIA merger and Saab AB. It was later split in to bus and truck divisions.

Volvo had attempted to acquire the company in 1999. However, the European Union stopped it. In 2000, Volkswagen took over the rejected Volvo shares – 36.4 %, and in 2008 it increased its stake to 70.93%. Volkswagen took over Scania's shares in 2015. It increased their shareholding to 100 percent.

11. Volkswagen

It shouldn't surprise that Volkswagen Group holds the Volkswagen brand. Volkswagen Group was formed in Berlin, Germany in 1937. Volkswagen's headquarters and main factory are located in Wolfsburg, Germany. Volkswagen is one the most well-known car brands in Europe.

12. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles

Volkswagen actually makes commercial vehicles such as small buses, trucks and other types of vehicles. It all depends on where you're looking. In 1995, the company was started in Hanover (Germany). This company employs more than 20.000 people right now, and they are expanding rapidly.

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