What the VW Group wants, the VW Group gets – from the humble Skoda and Seat brands to posh automakers Lamborghini, Bentley and Bugatti and track makers Scania and MAN.
Alfa Romeo got away but only because Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne wouldn’t sell –though, with the Italian group facing its fair share of trouble, if the Germans make them an offer, you never know…
Its latest acquisition (at least at the time of writing this article), is motorcycle manufacturer Ducati. Recently, the world’s number two automotive group reportedly expressed its interest in acquiring a stake in Malaysian carmaker (and former Lotus owner) Proton.
Its labor representatives, however, don’t think this is such a good idea. According to Reuters, Bernd Osterloh told German newspaper Handelsblatt today that the company should not pursue any more acquisitions.
“We already have 12 brands”, said Osterloh, who is a member of the 20-strong VW Group supervisory board. “We first have to stabilize the group”, he explained.
He does concede that the Asian market is important in achieving VW’s goal to become the world’s number one auto manufacturer by 2018. Purchasing Proton, though, Osterloh says is not something the labor unions will support.
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