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Volkswagen Group
Type	Public (ISIN: DE0007664005, Xetra: VOW) (FWB: VOW)
Founded	1937
Headquarters	Wolfsburg, Germany
Key people	Martin Winterkorn, Chairman
Industry	Auto and Truck Manufacturers
Products	Auto and Truck Manufacturers
Revenue	€104.9 Billion (2006)[1]
Operating income	€15.4 Billion (2006)[1]
Net income	€2.75 Billion (2006)[1]
Employees	344,902 (2005)
Subsidiaries	Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, Škoda, Volkswagen
Slogan	Driving Ideas
Website	Volkswagen International

Volkswagen Group (ISIN: DE0007664005, TYO: 7659) is a German automobile manufacturer and currently the 4th largest automobile manufacturer in the world. Its core market is the European Union and its major subsidiaries include well-known brands like Audi, Bentley, Škoda, Lamborghini, Bugatti, SEAT and the brand Volkswagen itself. The Volkswagen Golf is the third bestselling car in the world, selling over 25 million cars through 2006. In 2006 the Volkswagen group sold 5.734 million automobiles claiming a 9.7% share of the world passenger car market.

Volkswagen's second-largest market is China where its subsidiary, Volkswagen Group China is by far the second largest Joint venture automaker.

VW was founded in 1937 as a public concern by the then National Socialistic government to sell the [[became Volkswagenwerk Aktiengesellschaft (Aktiengesellschaft, abbreviated AG, being equivalent to the English Corp[oration] or American Inc[orporated]). The name was changed to VOLKSWAGEN AG on 4 July 1985, to reflect the company's increasing global diversification from its headquarters and main plant, the Volkswagenwerk in Wolfsburg, Germany.

Volkswagen's Golf is the third bestselling car in the world, selling over 25 million through 2006

.

In October 2005, Porsche acquired an 18.53% stake in the business. In July 2006, Porsche increased their ownership to more than 25%. Press reports presume this was done to prevent a foreign takeover.^{[citation needed]} Later that year Porsche further increase their ownership to 30.9%, forcing them to launch the mandatory takeover required by German law, however Porsche expects this takeover to fail. However, many commentators argued that this investment in VW fits well to Porsche's strategy.^{[citation needed]}

In Sept of 2007 reports have surfaced that Porsche is looking to further increase its share of VW as EU courts are challenging the 47-year-old German law that gives any investor with at least a 20 percent stake the ability to block major decisions. See: Porsche May 'Significantly' Boost Volkswagen Stake.

• 1945-1948 — Ivan Hirst
• 1948-1967 — Heinrich Nordhoff
• 1968-1971 — Kurt Lotz
• 1971-1975 — Rudolf Leiding
• 1975-1982 — Toni Schmucker
• 1982-1993 — Carl Hahn
• January 1, 1993 - April 16, 2002 — Ferdinand Piëch
• April 16, 2002 - December 31, 2006 — Bernd Pischetsrieder
• January 1, 2007 - present — Martin Winterkorn

Schematic of Volkswagen's extended financial relationships.

The company owns eight active automotive based brands.

• Audi (D)
• Bentley (GB)
• Bugatti Automobiles SAS (F)
• Škoda (CZ)
• Lamborghini (I)
• SEAT (E)
• Volkswagen (D)
• Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (D)

These are the inactive brands of Volkswagen AG:

• Auto Union (although the Auto Union badge is still used on all Audi models)
• DKW
• Horch
• NSU (although the small amount of Audi shares not owned by VW trade under the ticker symbol NSU)
• Wanderer

Volkswagen is also the largest shareholder in Scania AB with a capital stake of 20.03% and 35.31% of voting rights. Prior to the increase of the stake in March 2007 they held a capital stake of 16.5% and a voting stake of 33.4%.

On October 4, 2006, Volkswagen acquired a 15.1% stake in German truck maker MAN AG, later increased to 29.9%, who had launched an offer to acquire Scania (which was eventually withdrawn). Previous Volkswagen CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder, and his successor Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, plan to organise a three-way merger between MAN, Scania, VW's own Brazilian heavy truck division and possibly their Light truck and van division as well. Due to VW's stakes in MAN and Scania, it is expected that VW will have a blocking minority stake of at least 25.1% in the merged entity.

Institutional Investors in Volkswagen AG are:

• 32.4% Foreign institutional investors

• 27.7% Private shareholders / others

• 30.9% Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG

• 14.9% State of Lower Saxony

• 9.7% German institutional investors

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• List of automobile manufacturers
• Volkswagen Group China
• Volkswagen of America
• Volkswagen do Brasil

• Volkswagen AG Corporate