VW has almost 10 car brands under its wings and is planning to introduce a further 60 models (including multiple variants and facelifts) this year alone. Volkswagen is slowly building up its repertoire of technical knowledge and car brands in its bid to become the largest automaker by the year 2018. This in turn should reflect a sales figure of 10 million units a year. Thus to achieve that goal VW has to assimilate skills from already established companies.
It may be doing just that as according to Automotive News Europe, two confirmed sources have concurred on the rumour that Volkswagen will be buying a controlling stake in Italy’s largest design and engineering firm, Italdesign Giugiaro. Yes, this is the same ItalDesign Giugiaro that is working with Proton on the next generation Proton Persona replacement as well as the Proton EMAS range extender electric vehicle.
Funny how things work out the way they are – Proton was first in talks on working with Volkswagen, then they ended up working with Giugiaro, but now Volkswagen is rumoured to be buying over Giugiaro. This is supposed to be impending news so you can expect an announcement as early as next week if it really happens. Both Italdesign and VW have refused to comment on the matter.
Italdesign was co-founded by Giorgetto Giugiaro in 1968 and is owned by him while his son Fabrizio is the design and model head. The company has 975 employees and 800 computer aided design workstations in its Moncalieri head quarters. The company known for its world class design, have been involved with the design of cars such as the Alfa Romeo 159, the Alfa Romeo Brera coupe, the Fiat Grande Punto , the Suzuki SX4 and of course the new Proton Persona replacement and the concept Proton EMAS.
As the company doesn’t disclose its figures (it is a private company) there are no official stats on how well the company does. The latest data, which was from 2008, stated that the company’s revenues increased by 6.2 percent to 136 million Euros which broke even.
The Italian firm’s design work is a selling point for most car manufactures and is always advertised by their respective client. Engineering tasks have often been kept confidential and the only credit they were allowed to take was for the second-generation R56 Mini hatchback as well as its convertible and Clubman wagon counterparts.
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VW has kinda obscene logo
waa otak kotor
Maybe Italdesign Giugiaro should redesign VW’s logo.
triangle
wow…. persona replacement have a touch from italdesign giugiaro… good job proton…
Its easy to just pay for a good designer, but then your manufacturing quality is still below par….
Can’t argue anymore with that.
Bull’s eye.
hahaha…..proton ————> design solve…but….. quality=nope
They do have great designs but they’re only breaking even?
told ya, proton should buy italdesign-giugiaro. its ok proton, just go and buy vw.
wow, didn’t you guys see … hehe
well done wv, good way to screw with malaysia government on automobile industry, giving the message, if you can’t beat me … join me ….
sound like they are from the ‘dark side’
I thought AUDI design studio is sufficient enough, since they also design Golf GTI, Lambo, which looks not bad after all. Anyway, just cross our finger that VW able to design or partnership with Proton, then we can buy German tech with M’sian price.
I know this is not the case but it seems like VW is shadowing and chasing after Proton wherever it goes. I could almost hear Proton screaming, “God, not this German guy again! Leave me alone!” Hahaha.
I still think VW is still have their eye on Proton…by taking over Giugiaro..
to me it’s look like VW trying to hustle Proton for not bow down to the order of the highest order when VW trying to take over Proton and with EMAS concept which is one of the first in the auto industry VW would like to get a piece of that.
note: when talking EMAS concept, it is not the hybrid/ EV concept. you should see it yourself and you would not name a single other direct competitors to this concept which is an SUV that fit in a compact car and cheap too.
if it is true, then it is a very good news for malaysian auto industry…