VW Group Went On Spending Spree In 1998 Acquiring Bentley, Rolls-Royce, Bugatti And Lamborghini

VW Group went on a spending spree in 1998 to rescue famous names in the automotive industry from going into extinction.

The German purchased Rolls-Royce, Bentley, Lamborghini and revived the Bugatti brand.

A later deal between Volkswagen Group and BMW Group saw the latter to take over Rolls-Royce from 2003.

Today, it controls VW, Audi, Bentley, Ducati, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT, Skoda, MAN, Scania, VW Commercial Vehicles and Bugatti.

Automobili Lamborghini and Bentley Motors are two of Volkswagen Group’s biggest money maker. 

The Volkswagen Group may be known for its iconic models including the Beetle and Passat, but back in 1998, the German auto-giant went on a spending spree to rescue famous names in the automotive industry from going into extinction.

Before the year ran out, Volkswagen AG has had car brands like Bentley Motors, Lamborghini (through its subsidiary Audi), Bugatti and Rolls-Royce under its control – though a later deal allowed the BMW Group to take over Rolls-Royce from 2003.

• See Also : Lamborghini Announces Best-ever Results For Deliveries And Revenues In First-half Of 2024

Today, the Volkswagen Group owns and controls the Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Ducati (motorcycle), Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT, Skoda, MAN, Scania, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles and Bugatti – the latter now through a joint partnership with Rimac.

As of today, Automobili Lamborghini and Bentley are two of VW Group’s biggest money maker, with the former posting its best-ever results for deliveries, revenues, and operating income for the first six months of 2024.

British luxury marque Bentley Motors had not too impressive H1 after delivering a total of 5,476 (-23%) cars between January and June 2024 and posted an operating profit of €261 million (-33%).

In comparison, Italian sports car manufacturer, Lamborghini, delivered a record 5,558 cars (5,341 units in H1 2023), generating revenues of €1,621 million plus an operating profit of record €458 million.

• See Also : Bentley Announces Financial Results For First Half Of 2024, Bentayga Remains Bestseller