Porsche, Volkswagen, et. al.

[Setec Astronomy]

With all this news about Piech being out, I still can`t figure out who owns who or what.

I think part of my confusion stems from prior US marketing arrangements and maybe a local dealer or regional dealer organization.

We used to have a dealer here that sold VW, Porsche & Audi, the VW`s were in one showroom, and the Porsche and Audi in the other. I seem to remember ads about "your local Porsche/Audi dealer". So this was like 40 years ago and I figured that Porsche and Audi were kind of like Ford and Mercury, and certainly there were was the common VW-Porsche history dating back to the war, so I just presumed they were all one happy family.

A week or so ago I read something on Wikipedia that indicated there was more joint-venturing than joint ownership, and a lot of confusing 914 and 924/944 stuff, but now with this latest news I`m all mixed up again. I know back half a century ago or more Audi (Auto Union etc.) was completely separate, but maybe somebody can give me a concise history lesson here.

[Accumulator]

I`m no authority on this, but I do know that my `87 VW Quantum Synchro Wagon (probably my most overall satisfying vehicle *EVER*) was simply a rebadged Audi 4000. And today`s VWs and Audis (and Bentley) share a *lot* of parts. Not sure how Porsches fit in these days, but yeah back in the day the cheaper Porsches were sometimes originally developed at VW/Audi products, which apparently offended some [individuals].

My Porsche/Audi dealer got split up when the new owner bought it, AFAIK it was all his decision, not mandated from Above.

[Setec Astronomy]

Part of my confusion was the badge engineered models like the A8/Phaeton, Cayenne/Toureg, which would indicate they are all the same company, but as I said when I was reading last week there was all kinds of complicated JV`s and EU/German gov`t ownership laws etc. Maybe I can`t get a simple explanation because there isn`t a simple explanation. Perhaps the same thing would happen trying to understand the British Leyland history, before and after BL.

At least I understand what happened to Rolls and Bentley, LOL.

[SYMAWD]

Simply put, Volkswagen Group (VAG (VW auto group)) is the parent company of Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, SEAT, Škoda, Volkswagen, Ducati, and commercial vehicles including MAN, Scania, Neoplan, and VW Commercial Vehicles. That is why the Touareg/ Q7/ Cayenne/ Bentayga are the same as well as the Q5/ Macan and Tiguan/ Q3 and Golf/ A3, etc.

As far as showrooms, typically they used to be VW/ Audi/ Porsche as one building or separate buildings all on one lot. I work at a VW/ Audi/ Porsche dealer with 3 separate buildings on one lot. Porsche prefers separate buildings and Audi of America is essentially requiring separate buildings preferably as stand alone locations that follow this new design. My dealer is in the process of building our new showroom.



Once this new building is up, the dealer will also need to change their name to Audi (city they are located in). That`s the basics as it stands today.

[Setec Astronomy]

Thanks for that explanation, I know understand how it is today, I`m sure how it got that way is too complicated (as it goes back 50 or more years to get the whole story).

I do find it amusing that they are kind of playing the marketing game of them all being different companies, the same one GM used to play 30 years ago. IIRC around the GM bankruptcy time they forced all the Buick and Pontiac dealers to become Buick-Pontiac-GMC dealers, or maybe I am getting that mixed up too, maybe I am remembering the era where there was CPC and BOC or whatever it was, I guess it all filtered out after the bankruptcy when they removed half of the brands.

[Accumulator]

SYMAWD- Ah, so that "Audi-[City]" is mandated, huh? Wondered about that when my dealer renamed.

[SYMAWD]

SYMAWD- Ah, so that "Audi-[City]" is mandated, huh? Wondered about that when my dealer renamed.

Yep. The new building is kind of mandated too. Otherwise the dealer`s inventory allocations will likely be limited and they will lose incentive money. Right now I work at Cherry Hill Audi. When the new building is done we will be Audi Cherry Hill.

[Accumulator]

SYMAWD- Ah, guess that explains my dealer`s new facility too. I know they were very particular about certain seemingly minor details.

[SYMAWD]

SYMAWD- Ah, guess that explains my dealer`s new facility too. I know they were very particular about certain seemingly minor details.

Yes they are. I know the GM at another Audi dealer and they had guys from Germany come to inspect. If you want to talk about minor, they ended up moving a chair in the waiting area for service because it was placed at the wrong angle or something. They really want the Audi experience to be special.

[Accumulator]

SYMAWD- Huh, I might oughta get over my,uhm...attitude/reservations... enough to go see their new building some time. I`ve just been having them pick up the cars here at the house, what with the dealership being a good hour away and the whole "everything`s different there now"-effect. Eh, I`m only patronizing them because the Tech and car-jockeys that I trust with my Audis is still there.

[SYMAWD]

SYMAWD- Huh, I might oughta get over my,uhm...attitude/reservations... enough to go see their new building some time. I`ve just been having them pick up the cars here at the house, what with the dealership being a good hour away and the whole "everything`s different there now"-effect. Eh, I`m only patronizing them because the Tech and car-jockeys that I trust with my Audis is still there.

Here`s a few photos from one new building. Yours is likely similar. All cars are always on a trickle charger so that even at night, the LEDs can stay on which looks really cool as the front of the building is all glass.

[Setec Astronomy]

What time does Happy Hour start? While I appreciate the effort to make taking your car for service more enjoyable, most dealers just see this as a way to relax you before they ask "did you know that your windshield wipers were worn out?" and "do you realize that your car is already 2 years old and has never had the power steering system flushed??" and "your tires are only at 50% of their original tread depth, we`re running a special where you can get 3 tires for the price of 4, which is only 75% more than if you just drove on your tires until they were worn out, but you`ll have time to drink an extra latte!"

[Accumulator]

Gee, dealerships sure have changed since the ones I still think of as the norm! In the back of my mind I`ll always be thinking that I helped pay for that, and that I`d rather have lower service costs.

The one time I was in a dealership like that was a Hendrick Lexus in NC (where I got the YukonXLD, which I felt they wanted off their lot pronto lest it bring down their image). I was actually getting tired of saying "No thank you, I`m fine, don`t need anything" while thinking about how all that fluff-expense was factored into what I was paying them.

[Setec Astronomy]

Gee, dealerships sure have changed since the ones I still think of as the norm! In the back of my mind I`ll always be thinking that I helped pay for that, and that I`d rather have lower service costs.

The one time I was in a dealership like that was a Hendrick Lexus in NC (where I got the YukonXLD, which I felt they wanted off their lot pronto lest it bring down their image). I was actually getting tired of saying "No thank you, I`m fine, don`t need anything" while thinking about how all that fluff-expense was factored into what I was paying them.

Yeah, exactly.

[SYMAWD]

A portion is subsidized by the manufacturer.