Currently reading: VW to curtail expansion

CEO Martin Winterkorn says VW Group is unlikely to acquire any more brands

Volkswagen CEO Martin Winterkorn doesn't intend to add any more brands to his much-expanded group.

In the past month the VW Group has acquired a 19.9 per cent stake in Suzuki and a 49.9 per cent stake in Porsche. Brands already under the VW Group banner include Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Seat, Skoda and VW itself.

But Winterkorn told German magazine WirtschaftsWoche that he was now satisfied with the VW Group line-up and he saw no need to add any other brands to it.

"There are some who knock on our door," he said. "Some really want to come under our roof as they see we're on a good path strategically. But we are satisfied with the current line-up. I don't see any need [to make more acquisitions]."

Winterkorn's acquisition of Suzuki is part of VW's plans to expand into the lucrative K-car market in Japan and he revealed that the initial 19.9 per cent stake could rise in the future. "Time will tell whether it will rise," he said.

Last month the VW Group also bought bankrupt coachbuilder Karmann and its German production facility. Winterkorn confirmed that the site would be used to build the Porsche Boxster, production of which was originally due to switch to Magna Steyr in Austria from its current site at Valmet in Finland.

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TheOmegaMan 21 December 2009

Re: VW to curtail expansion

wish they'd bought Rover off BMW back in the day

james26 21 December 2009

Re: VW to curtail expansion

won't be buying Saab then.... james

crashbangwallop 21 December 2009

Re: VW to curtail expansion

["There are some who knock on our door," he said. "Some really want to come under our roof as they see we're on a good path strategically]

Can Autocar tell us which brands are asking to be taken over? There seems to be a big story here. My guesses would be Fiat, Saab and maybe another of the smaller Japanese makers - does anyone know?