Volkswagen AG is the world’s leading and one of the largest automobile brands. Not just production, VW also ranks in the top 10 by total revenue numbers.
| Company Type | Public |
| Industry | Automobile |
| Founded Country | Berlin, Germany |
| Founded Date | (28 May 1937; 85 years ago) |
| Operation Area | Worldwide |
| Headquarters | Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany |
| Chairman | Hans Dieter Pötsch |
| Products | Automobiles, Commercial vehicles, IC engines, Motorcycles, Heavy Engineering |
| Website | https://www.volkswagenag.com/ |
| Social | Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube |
Currently, VW group dominates the Automotive industry by owning volume, premium & sports brands – Volkswagen, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Škoda, Seat, Cupra, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, Ducati & Porsche.
Key Group Figures
- €250.2 billion sales revenue & € 15.4 billion profit before tax (last updated on 15-03-22)
- 8,283,000 vehicles produced in 2021 (last updated on 15-03-22)
- An average of approximately 32,355 vehicles are produced every working day (last updated on 15-03-22)
- 120 production plants worldwide (last updated on 24-11-2021)
Data Source: VW AG
The German global automotive company was founded by the German Labour Front (a Nazi organization – by Adolf Hitler) in 1937. Currently, VW is headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany & engaged in designing and manufacturing vehicles. For over 2 decades, the company has managed to lead the market share in Europe.
Given the success of the Volkswagen Group, it is important to highlight that Volkswagen is not a single brand, but the group owns many other successful brands too. That’s not all, VW is also responsible for the digitalization, luxury & EV transformation of all automobile brands.
In this article, I’ve highlighted all the required information about all Volkswagen group subsidiaries.
List Of Volkswagen Owned Companies
1. Audi
Audi AG is also a popular German brand, commonly known for premium (sports & luxury) cars. The VW group acquired Audi in 1965. Earlier, Audi was a part of Daimler.
The company was founded in 1932 by August Horch. Currently, it is headquartered in Bavaria, Germany. The company has 13 production accommodations in 10 countries.
- Vehicles offered by Audi: e-tron GT, e-tron, A4, A5, A6, A8, Q3, Q5, and Q7 are some of their best-selling models under different body styles – Sport, Sportback, SUV & Sedan.
- Website: Audi.com
2. Bentley Motors
Bentley Motors Limited was founded in 1919 by H.M. Bentley and W.O. Bentley. The company was founded in the United Kingdom and is currently headquartered in Crewe, United Kingdom.
The British automobile company designs, manufactures, and sells luxurious cars and SUVs. Bentley was first acquired by Rolls-Royce Motors in 1931 & then sold to Vickers in 1980. However, VW knew the real potential of this luxury car manufacturer and acquired Bentley group in 1999, and since then producing luxury masterpieces.
- Vehicles offered by Bentley: Bentayga Extended Wheelbase, Bentayga Flying Spur, Continental GT, Continental GTC &, etc.
- Website: Bentley.com
3. Porsche
Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, also known as Porsche, was founded in 1931 by Ferdinand Porsche. The company is headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany.
The brand started with development work and consulting. Primarily, Porsche didn’t focus on producing cars, but later on, it shifted to automobile manufacturing in 1939 in collaboration with VW.
Porsche also took part in manufacturing military tanks during WWII. In 1989, Porsche introduced the well-known Porsche 911 (one of the best-selling sports cars in the world), the first four-wheel car with a Tiptronic Transmission.
The founder of the company had inspired the famous Volkswagen Beetle designs. However, Porsche got acquired by Volkswagen AG in 2009 by owning a major stake
- Vehicles offered by Porsche: 718, 911, Taycan, Panamera & Macan
- Website: Porche.com
4. Lamborghini
Lamborghini is the next company on VW’s list. Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A, also known as Lamborghini, is an Italian sports car manufacturer. The Italian brand was founded in 1963 by Ferruccio Lamborghini.
It comes under the Audi division, and since Audi is acquired by VW, it makes Lamborghini a direct subsidiary of VW.
Moreover, Mr. Ferruccio always wanted a distinguished sports car brand. Be it looks & performance, he wanted everything top-notch compared to the Ferrari.
Today, Lamborghini is one of the top 3 sports car brands in the world & manufactures excellent cars. I think anyone can recognize a Lambo by its logo only, all thanks to the vision of Ferruccio Lamborghini & brand’s excellent performance.
- Vehicles offered by Lamborghini: Aventador, Urus, Huracan, and other models.
- Website: Lamborghini.com
5. Skoda
Skoda, also pronounced as Škoda Auto a.s., was launched in the marketplace in 1985 by Laurin and Klement. Initially, the company was owned by the state but later in 1991, it got privatized.
Today, Skoda sells a wide range of luxury & SUV vehicles in 100+ countries. In 1991, Volkswagen showed interest in Skoda by taking a 30% stake in its name. Volkswagen kept increasing its stake until it acquired all equity stakes, and Skoda finally became a Volkswagen subsidiary at the end of the century.
- Vehicles offered by Skoka: Enyaq 𝗶V, Enyaq Coupé 𝗶V, Superb 𝗶V, Octavia 𝗶V, Enyaq 𝗶V, Superb, Fabia, Scala, Octavia, Kodiaq, Kamiq & Karoq
- Website: Skodaauto.com
6. Ducati
The company had started its production with vacuum tubes, radio components, and condensers but eventually started producing motorcycles. The impeccable sports motorcycles produced by Ducati are well-known for performance – only enthusiasts know the value.
The Ducati brand (Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A.) was founded in 1926 by Antonio Cavalieri with his three sons. Unlike other brands, Ducati is a motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Bologna, Italy.
In 2012, Audi announced the acquisition of Ducati for 1.2 billion dollars, and since Audi came under the VW list, Ducati has become a subsidiary of VW.
- Motorcycles offered by Ducati: Diavel, XDiavel, Monster, Street Fighter, Multistrada, Panigale, Supersport, Hypermotard, Scrambler &, etc.
- Website: Ducati.com
7. Bugatti
Automobiles Ettore Bugatti, also known as Bugatti, is a well-known brand for its supercars. The French automobile brand was founded by Ettore Bugatti in 1909.
VW automobile group acquired Bugatti automobiles in 1998 to produce supercars for enthusiasts. Since its acquisition, Bugatti has designed and manufactured supercars with the help of VW & other heavy engineering brands such as Kawasaki.
You must have heard about Chiron & Veyron, right? Noticeably, all of them are limited in numbers. I’ve also covered in-depth details about Bugatti La Voiture Noire, also known as the most Expensive Bugatti.
- Vehicles offered by Bugatti: Chiron, W16 Mistral, One Off, Concept & Veyron
- Website: Bugatti.com
8. MAN Automobiles
MAN is the 2nd brand owned by the VW group involved in Truck & Bus manufacturing. With 94.36% (as wiki data), VW (Traton SE) became a major shareholder in Jan 2009.
It was founded by Entrepreneur Ludwig Sander with Jean Gaspard Dollfus in 1758 (over 264 years). The brand started from a small vehicle assembly plant and now leads global supplies to maximum commercial vehicles.
In addition, VW has merged MAN with Scania to become the biggest truck manufacturer in Europe. Today, Man is offering powerful trucks, luxury buses, vans & other services.
- Vehicles offered by Man: TGX, TGS, TGM, TGL, TGE, Lion’s City, Lion’s City E, Lion’s City G, Lion’s Intercity, Lion’s Coach &, etc.
- Website: ManTrucks&Bus.com
9. Cupra
Cupra, a subsidiary of SEAT, previously known as SEAT sport, was introduced in 2018. It’s a Spanish car brand focused on high performance, craftmanship, racing, and best design.
Initially, Cupra launched performance, preferred, and impressive versions of SEAT’s performance cars, but later, Cupra came out as an independent brand and started manufacturing its vehicles independently.
Since VW owns 100% ownership in SEAT, Cupra itself comes under the VW brand group. Later, SEAT’s motorsport division, renamed Cupra Racing, now develops and participates in Rally, etc.
- Vehicles offered by Cupra: Born, Formentor, Leon, Leon Sportstourer, Ateca, e-Racer & Leon Competición (race cars).
- Website: CupraOfficial.com
10. Scania
Scania is part of the Traton division, which the VW group owns. The brand comes under Volkswagen commercial vehicles and is responsible for designing/manufacturing heavy trucks, buses, coaches, etc.
The Swedish automobile manufacturer was founded in 1911. Scania operates in Sweden, France, Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Brazil, and Argentina.
- Vehicles offered by Scania: L, P, G, R, S, Crewcab, Electric & Hybrid Truck
- Website: Scania.com
11. SEAT
SEAT was founded in 1950 by Instituto Nacional de Industria. The Spanish car manufacturer is headquartered in Martorell near Barcelona and exports a wide range of cars under Cupra & SEAT brands in over 75 countries.
Withholding numerous partnerships, Volkswagen AG initiated its control of SEAT, and by 1986 it managed to get its stake up to 51 percent. The stake later was increased by 25%, making Volkswagen the majority stockholder in SEAT.
- Vehicles offered by Seat: Ibiza, Arona, Leon, Leon Sportstourer, Tarraco & wide range of SUVs.
- Website: Seat.com
12. Navistar
Navistar comes under the Traton brand, which directly reports to the VW group. The truck and diesel engine manufacturer was founded in 1902 as Harvester International. However, it changed its name to Navistar International Corporation in 1986.
The company is headquartered in Lisle (U.S.) and serves North/South America, Eastern Europe, the Middle East, South Africa, and Oceania.
As a part of Traton, Navistar got acquired in September 2016. In March 2017, VW Truck & Bus business invested 16.6% equity in Navistar. Together with VW, Navistar is revolutionizing the trucking business.
- Brands offered by Navistar: International Trucks, IC Bus, Fleetrite, etc.
- Website: Navistar.com
13. Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles
Along with splendid cars and motorcycles, Volkswagen is also known for making commercial vehicles like trucks and buses for the world. The brand is the leading producer of light & heavy commercial vehicles in the marketplace, giving its best to improve transportation, which will help people in the long run. The commercial vehicles of Volkswagen company include VW Commercial Vehicles, IC Bus, etc.
Conclusion
Volkswagen has been one of the most important names behind making cars affordable for the middle class. While taking numerous subsidiaries across the world, Volkswagen has made sure to rule the personal and commercial transportation sector for decades.
However, it is also responsible for the technological advancements for the next decade. However, VW has started implementing significant changes in the domain and transformed all brands via mechanical or software point of view.
The company has put its best efforts into all its decisions and has successfully earned appreciation for sticking to its goal and making vehicles affordable and less polluting for the world.
VW Facts:
- Volkswagen is 2nd largest automobile company in the world.
- Volkswagen has 120 production plants across the world.
- Post passengers automobiles, VW used to produce military vehicles.
- VW group has over 12 vehicle brands.
FAQs
Who founded Volkswagen?
VW was founded by the German Labour Front (Nazi Party – Adolf Hitler) in 1937. The Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH – company for preparing the German Volkswagen Ltd., was formally established. However, VW got a new name to, “Volkswagenwerk GmbH”, in 1938.
Who is owned by the Volkswagen group?
Currently, Volkswagen owns Audi (100% ownership) with Audi Sports GmbH, Automobili Lamborghini (100% ownership), Ducati (100% ownership), Bentley (100% ownership), Porsche (75% ownership), Scout (100% ownership), SEAT (100% ownership), Cupra (100% ownership), Skoda (100% ownership), Traton (100% ownership) and others.
Is Volkswagen vehicle reliable?
VW is one of the most sold car brands in the world & manufacturing since 1937. It owns other well-known sports, passengers & even truck brands, which shows that VW has built authority. In addition, VW is also well known for its durable engines, pricing, repair cost, and better fuel economy.
Where is Volkswagen care manufactured?
As of today, VW has 120 production plants. However, the main plant is in Wolfsburg, where all Volkswagen passenger & commercial cars are manufactured.
Is Volkswagen a German brand?
Yes, the VW group, also known as Volkswagen AG, is a German vehicle brand. It is headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany.
Does Volkswagen own Audi?
Yes, Volkswagen group owns 100% share of Audi group. VW acquired Audi in 1965. Earlier, it was part of Daimler.
Does Volkswagen own Porsche?
Yes, Volkswagen acquired Porsche in 2009 by owning a major stake.
Does Volkswagen own Bugatti?
Bugatti got acquired by the VW automobile brand in 1998. Today, it is the fastest and most premium sports car brand under VW.
How many companies does Volkswagen own?
The VW group owns 12 automobile companies which include Volkswagen, ŠKODA, SEAT, CUPRA, Audi, Lamborghini, Bentley, Porsche, Ducati, Bugatti, Man, & Scania. In addition, VW operates different units of finance and heavy engineering.
Does Volkswagen own Lamborghini?
Yes, VW owns the best sports car brand in the world – Lamborghini. The group acquired Audi and Lamborghini is a sister company of Audi.
Which Spanish vehicle brand is owned by Volkswagen?
Cupra and SEAT are famous Spanish automobile brands owned by VW.
