Audi Poised to Control Bently, Bugatti, and Lamborghini

Winterkorn, the former head of premium brand Audi who replaced Bernd Pischetsrieder at the helm of the world’s fourth largest carmaker this month, plans to recreate centralised positions on the management board for group-wide development, production and sales that previously were unified in two individual brand group chiefs.

He also is expected to dissolve both brand groups, now broadly arranged around the ‘VW’ and ‘Audi’ marques, and divide them into traditional premium and volume brands. That would mean Bentley and Bugatti would be regrouped along with Audi and Lamborghini, while SEAT would be assigned to VW and Skoda.

‘Starting from a blank sheet like that may be designed to establish Winterkorn’s authority and end any potential power struggles,’ said Global Insight automotive analyst Thomas Ryard. ‘A centralised structure would prevent little empires arising that compete with each other,’ he added.


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IamEvilHomer - 1/11/2007 12:44:56 PM

+1 Boost

I would love to see the whole auto group under the name Auto Union

SilverAero - 1/11/2007 2:24:38 PM

+1 Boost

I could see it.

Neverfollow - 1/11/2007 12:54:28 PM

+3 Boost

That has already been addressed and voted down by the board. Too much $$$ to start educating the world on who Auto Union is/was.

AUTO_UNION - 1/11/2007 1:10:04 PM

+1 Boost

Agreed with Iamevilhomer.

Larry - 1/11/2007 1:55:44 PM

-2 Boost

Auto union is a german verison of General Motors

mynecksonfire - 1/11/2007 2:10:25 PM

-6 Boost

I completely agree with Larry, I used to hate GM cuz every car u bought shared so much with another it was disgusting, now Audis are just prepped up VWs, the R8 mirrors the gallardo and the European car scene suddenly seems so dismal

Rupert - 1/11/2007 4:21:11 PM

+4 Boost

which audis would you talking about? the a3? because that's it.
and oh dear, an audi is based on a lamborghini...how terrible.
and the euro car scene seems so dismal? that's a dumb thing to say and you know it.

S4cabriofoxone - 1/11/2007 4:58:00 PM

+3 Boost

And even still, the A3 is the best car in its class, all the "rebadged VW" arrogance nonwithstanding.

AUTO_UNION - 1/11/2007 2:54:39 PM

+4 Boost

You don't have a clue about Auto union, do you?

chewy - 1/11/2007 9:20:02 PM

+1 Boost

Yes, the A3 and the VW Golf share many parts, but even the Golf has beaten the BMW 1 series in numerous comparisons in base and top of the line versions, and it has destroyed it around the Top Gear track.

S4cabriofoxone - 1/12/2007 4:31:55 PM

0 Boost

I agree, except for a few details...

"The brand was re-appeared in 1949 in Ingolstadt, but because of the history of the brand the name is changed to Audi in the sixties..."

They didn't make up the name "Audi" in the sixties. Audi was August Horch's second car brand- after the suits at Horch kicked him out of his own company. His name means "light" or "to light" or something in German, and Audi is apparently the Latin equivalent.

Horch was actually an ultra-luxury brand, akin to Maybach and Rolls-Royce. I wouldn't be surprised if they brought it back under Audi- but then again, it would be an in-house Bentley competitor.