Autoblog

Saab's Victor Muller wanted to nix Griffin, return to airplane emblem

Zach Bowman — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:15:00 EST

Filed under: China, Europe, Saab, Electric

According to Just-Auto.com Victor Muller wasn't a fan of the Saab Griffin logo. The executive was quoted as saying he wanted to "abolish" the Griffin logo and return to the airplane emblem. Muller made it clear that if he'd had his way, the propeller would have replaced the Griffin across the Saab lineup long ago.

National Electric Vehicle Sweden, the company that recently bought Saab, was forced to abandon the Griffin logo due to the fact that the emblem is still used by truck manufacturer Scania. The manufacturer is reportedly concerned about potential Chinese counterfeiting - NEVS is owned by Youngman, a Chinese automaker - though it's unclear how that relationship would lead to illegal copies.

Either way, NEVS has said the loss of the Griffin logo isn't that important to the company so long as it can continue to build on the Saab name. Muller, meanwhile, said he wishes NEVS luck in the company's electric-vehicle endeavor, but that he doesn't understand its new business model.

Saab's Victor Muller wanted to nix Griffin, return to airplane emblem originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 09 Oct 2012 09:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen cuts sales projection by 140k for Europe

George Kennedy — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:30:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Europe, Plants/Manufacturing, Volkswagen

Volkswagen has dramatically cut its internal sales target for Western Europe for 2012. The estimate has been chopped by 140,000 vehicles according to Automotive News. In the report, Bernd Osterloh of VW is quoted telling German newspaper Handelsblatt, "The VW Group is tentatively selling more cars this year than last year. But that is correct that it will be somewhat less than what was originally planned."

The 140,000-unit reduction in the sales estimate is less than the 250,000 figure reported by the German newspaper last month, though Volkswagen denied that report. Sales for the VW Group in Western Europe are down 5.8 percent to 1.25 million units through the first eight months of this year.

According to a internal Volkswagen Group report, the German automaker estimated that it would build 9.4 million vehicles in 2012. That figure, which includes MAN and Scania commercial truck production, is down from the previous estimate of 9.7 million vehicles.

Though Volkswagen says it does not expect the European car market to make a comeback in the 12 to 24 months, it has been pleased with sales of the current Golf, as well as orders for the seventh-generation Golf - pleased enough that the German automaker says it will boost production of the current model through the end of the year. The seventh-generation Golf goes on sale in Europe in November.

Volkswagen cuts sales projection by 140k for Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Oct 2012 18:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CEO says Volkswagen's buying spree is over

Chris Tutor — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 18:03:00 EST

Filed under: Lotus, Porsche, Volkswagen, Alfa Romeo, Fiat

After adding Italian motorcycle icon Ducati to its stable and spending $5.6 billion on the rest of Porsche, Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn says he's done shopping for a while.

"We have enough to do at the moment in taking our twelve brands to where we want to be," Winterkorn tells German newspaper Handelsblatt.

Rumors of VW's pending purchase of Malaysian carmaker and Lotus owner Proton have been swirling for a while - as recently as July. And a year ago, VW Chairman Ferdinand Piëch implied interest in relieving Fiat of its Alfa Romeo brand. But Winterkorn says his company is just too busy integrating Porsche and Ducati into the corporate structure to add any more brands right now.

"That I find Alfa Romeo an interesting brand is not a secret," Winterkorn said. "But we are currently busy enough with our brands."

At least one industry analyst, Michael Punzet of DZ Bank, thinks VW wouldn't pass up a bargain-priced Alfa or Proton if offered. "But at the moment I guess they are really focusing on integrating Porsche AG and consolidating the truckmakers MAN and Scania," Punzet said.

Read the full story at Bloomberg.

CEO says Volkswagen's buying spree is over originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 03 Sep 2012 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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New owners still struggling to secure rights to use Saab name

Danny King — Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:32:00 EST

Filed under: China, Europe, Government/Legal, Japan, Plants/Manufacturing, Saab

Not to state the obvious, but if you're going to buy an automaker, it's probably advisable to secure rights to use the name.

That's what the new owners of Saab are trying to work out after buying the iconic Swedish automaker earlier this month, Automotive News reports.

National Electric Vehicle Sweden (NEVS), the Chinese-Japanese conglomerate, acquired the company's physical assets, including its factory in Trollhättan, but didn't get rights to use the Saab name and logo. Truckmaker Scania and defense company Saab AB maintain the name and logo rights, and will need to sign off on NEVS using it, according to the publication. The parties are in discussions.

Saab, which made its first cars in 1947, was acquired out of bankruptcy earlier this month. The new ownership group, led by ex-Volvo Trucks chief Karl-Erling Trogen, is planning on turning the company into an electric vehicle maker and will likely start with a battery-electric powered 9-3 in 2014.

New owners still struggling to secure rights to use Saab name originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Jun 2012 16:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Volkswagen acquiring 55.9% stake in MAN SE to become Europe's largest truckmaker

Noah Joseph — Fri, 08 Jul 2011 08:58:00 EST

Filed under: Truck, Europe, Volkswagen, Earnings/Financials

There's plenty of room to get lost in the Volkswagen Group. In addition to the VW brand, the group controls Skoda, Seat, Audi, Porsche, Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti. But we can't forget its truck divisions. In addition to being Europe's largest automaker, VW is also one of its largest producer of trucks as well, producing VW commercial vehicles while holding nearly three-quarters of the shares in Swedish truckmaker Scania and a significant stake in MAN as well.

That's last bit's about to increase, though, as a new deal in progress will see Volkswagen increase its holdings in MAN SE from 30.5 percent to 55.9 percent. According to Bloomberg, the deal is still pending regulatory approval, but is expected to lead to increased cooperation between Scania and MAN, helping both companies reduce overhead.

The latest move in Volkswagen Group chairman Ferdinand Piëch's expansion plan, the takeover will make the German industrial giant that much bigger. Both Volvo (which also produces Mack and Renault trucks) and Daimler (which owns Freightliner, Mitsubishi Fuso, Thomas, Sterling and Mercedes-Benz trucks), each hold about 21 percent of the European truck market. But because MAN and Scania together account for some 30 percent of European heavy-duty truck sales, the acquisition is expected to catapult VW into position as the largest truckmaker in Europe.

Volkswagen acquiring 55.9% stake in MAN SE to become Europe's largest truckmaker originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 08 Jul 2011 08:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Truckin': Scania to accept Porsche's "token" offer?

Noah Joseph — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:26:00 EST

Filed under: Work, Porsche, Volkswagen, Earnings/Financials

"Sometimes your cards ain't worth a dime if you don't lay em down." The Grateful Dead couldn't have realize it at the time, but in the legal world of Mergers & Acquisitions, the lyrics to its cult classic song Truckin' may prove prophetic.

After acquiring majority stake in the Volkswagen group, Swedish law required that Porsche make an offer for Scania, which is in turn controlled by VW. Porsche obliged by submitting a lowball 2.8 billion euro offer, thinking and hoping the tender would be rejected since it had no interest in building vehicles any bigger than the Cayenne. PistonHeads reports that in the meantime, Scania's stock value, fueled by a 50% drop in fourth-quarter sales, dropped to a value below Porsche's offer. With those kinds of numbers, Scania's shareholders could be motivated to take Porsche up on its offer and unload their shares, leaving Stuttgart with more than it bargained for and the capacity to deliver its vehicles on the back of its own trucks.

[Source: PistonHeads]

Truckin': Scania to accept Porsche's "token" offer? originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Feb 2009 19:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not Much Obliged: Porsche makes mandatory offer on Scania trucks

Noah Joseph — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:27:00 EST

Filed under: Work, Porsche, Saab, Volkswagen, Earnings/Financials

Ever get the impression that the person offering you something doesn't really want you to take it? Well imagine that idea on a multimillion-dollar scale, as Porsche has submitted its obligatory low-ball offer on Scania.

The Swedish truckmaker, formerly under the same ownership as Saab and sharing basically the same logo, is controlled by Volkswagen, which controls 68.6% of its board and owns 37.7% of its capital. Since Porsche has, in turn, acquired controlling interest in the Volkswagen group, they have indirect control over Scania and were therefore required by law to make an offer. Nobody said that offer had to be realistic, though, and Porsche has stated it has no "strategic interest" in taking over at Scania's Södertälje, Sweden, headquarters. There is no official word on how low Porsche's offer was, but evidently nobody expects Scania to accept. But wouldn't it be funny if they did? Perhaps the next-generation Cayenne would come with a ridiculously high tow rating.

[Source: Detroit News]

Not Much Obliged: Porsche makes mandatory offer on Scania trucks originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Big Wig to Big Rig: Pischetsrieder to oversee truck merger

Noah Joseph — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 19:34:00 EST

Filed under: Europe, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Work, Volkswagen, Earnings/Financials

The earliest reports on the "resignation" of Volkswagen group CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder indicated that while he'd be replaced as chief executive, he would be retained to take on "special assignments". What such ambiguous duties might entail was a mystery, but it's looking like he may be put in charge of managing a merger between two major European truck companies.

MAN has been maneuvering to buy out Scania with offers over $13 billion, but the Swedish company has been fighting to maintain its independence from the Germans (sound familiar?). Volkswagen AG happens to be the largest shareholder of both companies.

At the moment, Volkswagen is neither confirming nor denying the reports of Pischetsrieder's potential re-assignment. The supervisory board is due to meet on November 17, when they'll make their decision, so we'll just have to sit tight until then.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req.]

Big Wig to Big Rig: Pischetsrieder to oversee truck merger originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 13 Nov 2006 19:34:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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World's Most Beautiful Autos named

Chris Tutor — Sun, 05 Nov 2006 13:58:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Convertible, Coupe, Budget, Minivan/Van, Performance, Wagon, Contests, Etc., Hatchback, Supercars, Bentley, BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Nissan, Porsche, Volkswagen, Volvo, Ferrari

As part of the 22nd Annual International Automobile Festival, a team of judges has chosen its Most Beautiful Automobiles of the World for 2007, and no, the U.S. did not come home with a trunk of gold medals in this competition. We Americans will just have to be content with our two silvers.

On the other hand, many of the pageant-winning cars can actually be found on these shores.

List of winners after the jump.

Correction: Looks like I got my international "Most Beautiful Automobiles of the World" contests mixed up. The cars listed on the jump were chosen at the 14th Annual "L'Automobile più Bella del Mondo" competition, Oct. 27th in Milan, Italy. The Annual International Automobile Festival is in France in January when their choice for most beautiful is announced. So it looks like I need someone to translate French and Italian for me cause Google ain't gettin' it. I'm chalking the Scania truck mixup to translation as well. Mulligan?

[Source: Virtual Car via Carbody Design]

Continue reading World's Most Beautiful Autos named

World's Most Beautiful Autos named originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 05 Nov 2006 13:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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