https://wikicars.org/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=RaulpcWikicars - User contributions [en]2026-04-21T16:40:01ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.38.4https://wikicars.org/index.php?title=Volkswagen_Group&diff=15194Volkswagen Group2006-08-04T06:15:22Z<p>Raulpc: /* Brands */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Vw logo.jpg|right|125px|Volkswagen logo]]<br />
'''Volkswagen Group''' is a German [[automobile]] manufacturer.<br />
<br />
Volkswagen's second-largest market is China where its subsidiary, Volkswagen Group China is the largest foreign automaker.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
It was founded in 1937 as a public concern by the then Nazi government to sell the [[Volkswagen Beetle]]. After the Second World War in 1945, the British Army took control of the bomb-shattered factory and restarted Beetle production for the difficult post-war years which Germany had to face. In 1948, the British Government handed the company back over to the German state, where it was managed by ex-[[Opel]] chief Heinrich Nordhoff.<br />
<br />
In 1960, upon the floatation of part of the German federal government's stake in the company on the German stock market, its name became '''''V'''olkswagenwerk '''A'''ktien'''g'''esellschaft'' (''Aktiengesellschaft'', abbreviated ''AG'', being equivalent to the English ''Corp[oration]'' or American ''Inc[orporated]''). The name was changed to '''VOLKSWAGEN AG''' on 4th July 1985, to reflect the company's increasing global diversification from its headquarters and main plant, the ''Volkswagenwerk'' in Wolfsburg, Germany. The corporation now goes by that name or occasionally 'Volkswagen Group' in non-German speaking markets, and is currently the fourth largest car-manufacturer in the world. In 2005 VW sold more than 5.2 million vehicles, which equals a 9.1 share of the world market.<br />
<br />
In October 2005, [[Porsche]] acquired an 18.53% stake in the business.<br />
<br />
==Leadership==<br />
* 1945-1948 — Ivan Hirst<br />
* 1948-1967 — Heinrich Nordhoff<br />
* 1968-1971 — Kurt Lotz<br />
* 1971-1975 — Rudolf Leiding<br />
* 1975-1982 — Toni Schmucker<br />
* 1982-1993 — Carl Hahn<br />
* 1993-2002 — Ferdinand Piëch<br />
* April 16, 2002-present — Bernd Pischetsrieder<br />
<br />
==Brands==<br />
The company owns seven brands, which are organized into two groups or branches. <br />
<br />
The '''Audi branch''' consists of<br />
* [[Audi]] (Germany)<br />
* [[Lamborghini]] (Italy)<br />
* [[Seat | SEAT]] (Spain)<br />
<br />
The '''Volkswagen branch''' consists of <br />
* [[Volkswagen]] (Germany)<br />
* [[Bentley]] (United Kingdom)<br />
* [[Skoda Auto|Škoda]] (Czech Republic)<br />
* [[Bugatti]] (France)<br />
* [[Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles]] (Germany)<br />
<br />
These brands have been discontinued by VW:<br />
* [[Auto Union]]<br />
* [[DKW]]<br />
* [[Horch]]<br />
* [[NSU Motorenwerke AG|NSU]]<br />
* [[Wanderer (car)|Wanderer]]<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.volkswagen-ag.de/english/ Volkswagen Corporate]<br />
*[http://www.audiusa.com/ Audi USA]<br />
*[http://www.bentleymotors.com/bentleymotors/container.jsp?lang=en&winwdth=1016&winhght=768 Bentley English]<br />
*[http://www.bugatti-cars.com/bugatti/flash/index.html?langString=en Bugatti English]<br />
*[http://www.lamborghini.com/eng/lamborghini.html Lamborghini English]<br />
*[http://www.seat.com/com/generator/su/com/SEAT/site/main.html SEAT Global (in English)]<br />
*[http://www.skoda-auto.com/global Škoda Global (in English)]<br />
*[http://www.vw.com/ Volkswagen USA]<br />
<br />
{{VW}}<br />
[[Category:Companies listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange]]<br />
[[Category:Volkswagen]]<br />
[[Category:Companies of Germany]]</div>Raulpchttps://wikicars.org/index.php?title=Volkswagen_Group&diff=15193Volkswagen Group2006-08-04T06:14:10Z<p>Raulpc: /* Brands */</p>
<hr />
<div>[[Image:Vw logo.jpg|right|125px|Volkswagen logo]]<br />
'''Volkswagen Group''' is a German [[automobile]] manufacturer.<br />
<br />
Volkswagen's second-largest market is China where its subsidiary, Volkswagen Group China is the largest foreign automaker.<br />
<br />
==History==<br />
It was founded in 1937 as a public concern by the then Nazi government to sell the [[Volkswagen Beetle]]. After the Second World War in 1945, the British Army took control of the bomb-shattered factory and restarted Beetle production for the difficult post-war years which Germany had to face. In 1948, the British Government handed the company back over to the German state, where it was managed by ex-[[Opel]] chief Heinrich Nordhoff.<br />
<br />
In 1960, upon the floatation of part of the German federal government's stake in the company on the German stock market, its name became '''''V'''olkswagenwerk '''A'''ktien'''g'''esellschaft'' (''Aktiengesellschaft'', abbreviated ''AG'', being equivalent to the English ''Corp[oration]'' or American ''Inc[orporated]''). The name was changed to '''VOLKSWAGEN AG''' on 4th July 1985, to reflect the company's increasing global diversification from its headquarters and main plant, the ''Volkswagenwerk'' in Wolfsburg, Germany. The corporation now goes by that name or occasionally 'Volkswagen Group' in non-German speaking markets, and is currently the fourth largest car-manufacturer in the world. In 2005 VW sold more than 5.2 million vehicles, which equals a 9.1 share of the world market.<br />
<br />
In October 2005, [[Porsche]] acquired an 18.53% stake in the business.<br />
<br />
==Leadership==<br />
* 1945-1948 — Ivan Hirst<br />
* 1948-1967 — Heinrich Nordhoff<br />
* 1968-1971 — Kurt Lotz<br />
* 1971-1975 — Rudolf Leiding<br />
* 1975-1982 — Toni Schmucker<br />
* 1982-1993 — Carl Hahn<br />
* 1993-2002 — Ferdinand Piëch<br />
* April 16, 2002-present — Bernd Pischetsrieder<br />
<br />
==Brands==<br />
The company owns seven brands, which are organized into two groups or branches. <br />
<br />
The '''Audi branch''' consists of<br />
* [[Audi]] (Germany)<br />
* [[Lamborghini]] (Italy)<br />
* [[SEAT | Seat]] (Spain)<br />
<br />
The '''Volkswagen branch''' consists of <br />
* [[Volkswagen]] (Germany)<br />
* [[Bentley]] (United Kingdom)<br />
* [[Skoda Auto|Škoda]] (Czech Republic)<br />
* [[Bugatti]] (France)<br />
* [[Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles]] (Germany)<br />
<br />
These brands have been discontinued by VW:<br />
* [[Auto Union]]<br />
* [[DKW]]<br />
* [[Horch]]<br />
* [[NSU Motorenwerke AG|NSU]]<br />
* [[Wanderer (car)|Wanderer]]<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
*[http://www.volkswagen-ag.de/english/ Volkswagen Corporate]<br />
*[http://www.audiusa.com/ Audi USA]<br />
*[http://www.bentleymotors.com/bentleymotors/container.jsp?lang=en&winwdth=1016&winhght=768 Bentley English]<br />
*[http://www.bugatti-cars.com/bugatti/flash/index.html?langString=en Bugatti English]<br />
*[http://www.lamborghini.com/eng/lamborghini.html Lamborghini English]<br />
*[http://www.seat.com/com/generator/su/com/SEAT/site/main.html SEAT Global (in English)]<br />
*[http://www.skoda-auto.com/global Škoda Global (in English)]<br />
*[http://www.vw.com/ Volkswagen USA]<br />
<br />
{{VW}}<br />
[[Category:Companies listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange]]<br />
[[Category:Volkswagen]]<br />
[[Category:Companies of Germany]]</div>Raulpc