The car brands owned by Volkswagen Group is a German automaker and the world’s largest manufacturer of passenger cars and commercial vehicles.
The company was founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front (DAF) as an autobahn public transport firm. It is headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony.
In addition to automobiles, car brands owned by Volkswagen have manufactured tractors and buses under the Volkswagen brand name.
After World War II, VW passed on to control the state-owned Volkswagen factory at Pilsen in Czechoslovakia.
This remained state-owned until 1945, when it became part of a foundation run by Ferdinand Porsche that came out of World War II reparations discussions with France (Paris), Great Britain (London), Soviet Union (Moscow), and the US).
Porsche bought back his 50% stake in 1947 when VW became known as Deutsche Automobil Fabrik (or DAF).
List of car brands owned by Volkswagen here on our blog; let’s go!
1. Audi
Audi AG is first on our list of car brands owned by Volkswagen and a German automotive manufacturer that designs, engineers, produces, markets, and distributes luxury vehicles.
Audi’s slogan is Vorsprung Technik, meaning “Advancement through Technology.” The company is a major player in the global vehicle industry.
In 2016, Audi car brands owned by Volkswagen reported worldwide sales of about 2.4 million vehicles.
In 2016, the company was ranked as the second largest premium car manufacturer globally by volume behind Mercedes-Benz.
The current chairman of the board of management is Rupert Stadler.
The company was founded by August Horch in 1901, who named the company Audi. The Latinized word “Audi” means “to hear.”
The four rings that form the Audi logo represent one of four car companies that banded together in 1932 to create Auto Union. These companies were: DKW, Horch, Wanderer, and Audi.
Audi’s headquarters are located in Ingolstadt, Bavaria. The company has been involved in automobile racing since the early 1900s.
In 2009, the Audi car brands owned by Volkswagen, became the official automotive partner of FIFA and the FIFA Club World Cup.
The company also sponsors various sports organizations, such as German Basketball Federation and International Skating Union.
2. Volkswagen
The Volkswagen Group is a German automaker that owns several car brands owned by Volkswagen, including Audi, Bugatti, and Lamborghini.
It also owns Bentley Motors Limited through its subsidiary, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles GmbH (VCV).
The company car brands owned by Volkswagen were founded by Dr. Ing. h.c. F., Porsche & Cie on May 28, 1937, by Ferdinand Porsche and his wife, Ferry Porsche, to build racing cars based on their experience with cars made at their previous business called Dr. Ing., which had been founded in 1932 by Ferdinand and Ferry’s father Walter Peter Ferdinand Porsche (1875-1961).
In 1948 it was renamed “Volkswagenwerk GmbH” after the German word for people who live close together or share a common fate; so this explains why they call themselves “people who live close together or share a common fate.
“In April 1972, Volkswagenwerk GmbH changed its name to “Volkswagen AG,” and in June 1988, it merged with Audi AG.
Then, in October 2008, the company car brands owned by Volkswagen again changed their name to “Volkswagen Group.”
This was because they wanted to move away from being known as a car manufacturer and instead wanted everyone to know that they were much more than that.
3. Bugatti Automobiles
Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S., commonly known as Bugatti Automobiles, is a French high-performance luxury automobile car brand by Volkswagen manufacturer and a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG.
The company was founded in 1909 by Ettore Giulietta and named after his son Carlo. Still, it was renamed “Bugatti” shortly after that, when he took over as chief engineer for the new company.
The first true automobile to be designed by Virgilio Conrero was launched in December of 1910, although it did not reach customers until two years later, on May 7th, 1912 (the same day that Handsome and Benz had their first race).
The car featured four-cylinder engines with 8 cylinders each and produced somewhere between 70–80 hp depending on model size – enough power to get up most hills!
It also came equipped with electric lights, which meant drivers could see when they approached traffic lights at night during World War 1 (1914–1918).
4. Lamborghini
Lamborghini is an Italian car brand owned by Volkswagen, a luxury sports cars, tractors, and SUVs manufacturer.
The company car brands owned by Volkswagen were founded in 1963 by Ferruccio Lamborghini. Lamborghini’s headquarters are in Sant’Agata Bolognese, Italy.
The company’s name combines the founder’s name and an Italian Bull. Ferruccio Lamborghini created the Lamborghini logo to represent his family crest.
The Lamborghini car brands owned by Volkswagen logo consist of a bull standing on its rear legs with its front hooves in the air. The bull is colored red, white, and green to represent Italy’s flag.
Ferruccio Lamborghini was born in 1916 in a small town in northern Italy. He grew up working on tractors and cars with his father and brothers.
In 1947, he opened an auto repair shop in Cento in Ferrara, Fabbrica Automobili Ferruccio Lamborghini.
In 1963, he built his first car, the 350GT. It was a two-door coupe with a 3.5 liter V12 engine that produced 275 horsepower.
The Lamborghini 350GT also had a top speed of 160 mph and could go from 0–60 mph in 7 seconds.
Lamborghini continued to build cars until 1974, when he sold his company to the Holding Italiana Group (HIH).
In 1986, Gianpaolo Dallara and Bob Wallace bought the company back from HIH.
They formed Dallara Automobili S.p.A., which is still in business today, making race cars for Formula One teams like Williams F1 Team and Scuderia Toro Rosso.
In 1988, Lamborghini introduced the Countach 5000 Quattrovalvole, which was the first car they produced after they got back on their feet.
It had a 5-liter V12 engine and could go from 0–60 mph in 4 seconds.
In 1989, Lamborghini car brands owned by Volkswagen built their first SUV, the LM002.
It had a 5-liter V12 engine that produced 350 horsepower and could go from 0–60 mph in 6 seconds.
The LM002 was sold until 1996, when they stopped making it due to poor sales performance.
In 2001, Lamborghini introduced the Murcielago, which is still in production today.
5. Bentley
Bentley is British luxury car brands owned by Volkswagen AG. The company was founded in 1919 by Walter Owen Bentley (1875–1951), who had previously been involved with constructing a steam engine on the pioneering Western railway in India.
Bentley Motors Limited car brands owned by Volkswagen were founded in 1919 in Cricklewood, North London, by Walter Owen Bentley (1875–1951).
The first cars produced were based on vehicles produced by Hotchkiss and Rolls-Royce but soon developed their own unique designs that have continued to influence modern-day luxury cars, such as the Continental GT V8 Convertible and Flying Spur.
In 1969, the German group Georg von Opel acquired it, and in 1985, it was sold to Volkswagen.
In 2014, they began production of their first vehicle, the Arona SUV. Bentley is the most exclusive car brand globally, with a limited production run.
Bentley’s headquarters are in Crewe, Cheshire, England, and their luxury cars are assembled at Volkswagen Group factories in Pune, India; Dresden and Leipzig, Germany; Crewe and Gaydon, UK.
These car brands owned by Volkswagen are currently focused on expanding their range of SUV models. Volkswagen AG, based in Germany, owns the company.
The current chairman is Wolfgang Dürheimer (since 2014), and the CEO is Adrian Hallmark (since 2017).
6. SEAT
SEAT is a Spanish automobile manufacturer. It is owned by the Volkswagen Group, which also owns car brands owned by Volkswagen, such as Audi, Bugatti Automobiles, and Lamborghini.
The company originates in the car manufacturing division of the Spanish metal engineering company FASA (Fábrica de Automóviles de Salamanca).
In 1976, FASA entered into a joint venture with the German company NSU to create a new Spanish car manufacturer: DINA S.A.
The first model produced by DINA was the Dyane 6, a restyled version of the French Citroën Mehari (a unique 4-wheeled vehicle with its engine in front).
The Italian company Bertone supplied the bodywork for both this and subsequent models.
DINA’s first car was the DINA 1, a small hatchback designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro. It was launched in Spain at the end of 1977.
The DINA 1 was followed by the more spacious DINA 2 and 3 models, with three or five doors.
These car brands owned by Volkswagen are also styled by Bertone but constructed using FASA technology.
7. Skoda
Skoda is a Czech-based car manufacturer. It was founded in 1895 in Mladá Boleslav, Czech Republic, by brothers Ferdinand and Ernst Fischl as Fabulec A.S.
The company car brands owned by Volkswagen later went bankrupt and was acquired by Volkswagen Group through its subsidiary SEAT Vehiculos Automotores Españoles (SEAT).
Skoda is one of the largest car brands owned by Volkswagen in Europe, with sales of over 1 million units per year for both passenger and commercial vehicles (the latter include vans).
Skoda’s operations are part of the Volkswagen Group, which is the world’s largest automaker by sales.
In November 2018, Skoda was ranked as the 7th largest car manufacturer in Europe by sales volumes.
The company’s name is derived from a Czech word for “broom,” It was also the brand of a car model designed by Josef Ganz that became popular in Europe before World War II.
Since 1994, Skoda Auto has been an international partner of the Volkswagen Group, which owns 53% of the company.
8. Jetta
Jetta is next on our list of car brands owned by Volkswagen and compact cars produced by the Volkswagen Group since 1979.
The Jetta has been marketed worldwide in sedan, coupe, station wagon, and convertible body styles.
It was introduced as part of the New Generation (NG) platform at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show with a new 1.4-liter turbocharged engine, which replaced its previous 1.6-liter petrol unit found in other models such as Golf Mk5 and Passat B6/B7.
As of 2011, over 1 million units had been sold. The Jetta is also known for its reliability and safety.
The car scored five stars in the Euro NCAP crash test, which was introduced in 1997. It has also been praised for its high build quality, good fuel economy, and strong engines.
The Jetta car brands owned by Volkswagen have been marketed worldwide as sedan and station wagons, as well as in coupe form.
In North America, the Jetta was offered from 1979 to 1985 as a two-door sedan with a front bench seat and manual windows (called the Rabbit) or as a four-door sedan with bucket seats.
In other markets, notably Europe and Asia, sedans were not widely available until the introduction of the second generation in 1984.
From 2006 onwards, it has been offered only in saloon form. The last station wagon models were produced in 1999; however, an estate version was sold briefly in North America during 2009–2010.
9. Porsche Automobile Holding SE
Porsche SE is a holding company that controls the majority of the voting shares in Volkswagen AG.
It is based in Stuttgart, Germany, owns 100 percent of the Volkswagen Group’s ordinary shares, and controls 51 percent of the Volkswagen Group’s voting rights.
Porsche SE car brands owned by Volkswagen were founded in 1931 as Gesellschaft zur Vorbereitung des Deutschen Volkswagens mbH (GV).
In 1984 it changed its name to Porsche Aktiengesellschaft (PAG) after acquiring control over all activities related to Porsche AG, which subsequently became part of PAG’s holdings on 1 January 2003 following its takeover by Volkswagen Group Aktiengesellschaft (VAG).
Volkswagen AG is a German automotive manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany.
It designs, manufactures, and distributes passenger and commercial vehicles under the Volkswagen Group marque.
The company’s headquarters are in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany.
The Group’s range of automotive brands includes Volkswagen, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, and Bentley.
Volkswagen is the world’s largest automaker and the biggest carmaker in Europe and China.
In 2016, it produced 10.3 million vehicles which were sold in about 150 countries around the world under various brands.
The Volkswagen Group is a German automaker and the world’s largest manufacturer of passenger cars and commercial vehicles.
Conclusion
The car brands owned by Volkswagen Group is a German automaker and the world’s largest manufacturer of passenger cars and commercial vehicles.
Volkswagen was founded in 1937 when its first factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, began producing the Type 1 or “Käfer,” a car later known as the Beetle.
The car brands owned by Volkswagen company expanded to incorporate manufacturing plants in several countries worldwide, including North America (Canada), South America (Brazil), India, China, and Russia.
In addition to automobiles, These car brands owned by Volkswagen also produce engines for ships and trains under their Audi brand name; buses under their Scania brand name; trucks under their MAN SE subsidiary; commercial vehicles such as fire engines through MAN Truck & Bus; motorcycles through MV Agusta SPA.
