It has finally been officially confirmed that Volkswagen Group and Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A. (IDG) will be joining hands in a new era of motoring engineering and design.
An official press release has been circulated about the details of the new partnership today. This includes the previously mentioned fact that VW will take a 90.1 percent stake in the company which will include the brand name, rights and patents. Thus the remaining 9.9 percent, a very odd number, will be owned by Giugiaro.
Interestingly, the share is being acquired by Audi’s Italian subsidiary Lamborghini Holding S.p.A. This could purely be a pen on paper business decision or it could be the start to something more wonderful and magical, one that any motoring enthusiast will start dreaming about. The similarities between the two are of course the fact that they are both Italian and have a flair for producing ridiculously beautiful machinery.
IDG an VW have cooperated on many project which include the Golf Mk1, along with concepts such as the Passat, Scirocco and the Audi 80. A comprehensive development framework agreement was concluded in 2008 and VW will continue to work with IDG on projects such as the VW Up! family model.
“With this shareholding in Italdesign, we are participating in one of the most renowned design and development companies with one of the richest traditions in the automobile industry. Italdesign is the flagship for creative Italian automobile design and has been instrumental in shaping the face of the automobile industry worldwide. As the creator of the Golf I, Giorgetto Giugiaro laid a new foundation for Volkswagen design in the 1970s,” said Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn, Chairman of the Board of Management of VW.
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urghh…
there goes our new persona….
macam mana nasib persona dan EMAS kita
peh. they just bought the entire company~
how italian is that?
rasanya diorang beli melalui Lamborghini ( Itali maa ) maybe sbb kerajaan Itali tak bg beli melalui Volkswagen ( Jerman Maa ). hehe. padahal sama jugak pemiliknya. ha3. Lamborghini, Audi, Italdesign Giugario. 3 jenama popular yg masing2 ada kekuatan adalah milik JERMAN walaupun bpusat di Itali. hehe
Bang, bila masa AUDI Italian based?
Something big is going to happen? We’ll just wait and see…
VW is certainly aiming to become an automobile powerhouse to be reckoned with.
With the new Persona replacement designed by Giugaro, will we see the tagline, Designed by Lambo, Handling by Lotus?
cooool! :D
Designed by Italian company, Handling by Lotus, Engine by Campro?, Built in Boleh Malaysia?
Well, that doesn’t seem much appealing…..
that would sound stupid and only ah beng would want to be associated in that manner. ah beng or Mahathir
lol, the Lambo image dam big.
Well, well, Proton can say that Persona R is designed by the same people who designed Lambo (insert latest model as at 2012)
Awesome takeover! Lets wait for more seriously rubber & fuel burning machine!
A smart move by a very smart company will only lead to a smart investment and success…
Well don’t be surprised if the EMAS concept rolls out to be a VW or AUDI instead. This given the fact that our country does not have any facilities to support the use of this kind of vehicle and technology. We don’t even have enough facilities for NGV, Bio-Diesel ( eventhough we are the largest producer of Palm Oil). Even talking about Hybrid in this country is like rocket science let alone Electric Vehicle.
” mentioned fact that VW will take a 90.1 percent stake in the company which will include the brand name, rights and patents. ”
maybe VW will take both EMAS and Persona design
I don’t think designs for other car companies are part of Giugiaro’s patents etc. The design rights for those design are in the hands of the car makers I think. If not, some car company would have made a play for Pininfarina & Zagato already since they designed cars for Ferrari & Aston Martin
pity.. if proton could buy italdesign first. like lotus n mv agusta..
proton’s next car is officially from VW…. ironically….
hahahah very true!
I think thats what Proton should do. It’s their niche market there. Develop a new car and JV it with the “Big Boys” for production. No way the EMAS could go globally with a PROTON badge. Thats the way foward i think for proton. R&D cost is very high now and the “Big Boys” can’t afford to do it on regular basis. PROTON can help, especially in the new HYBRID and Electric segment. Proton could excell here because its a whole new market there. Not just that, Proton is quit capable in producing cars (with the help of Lotus) in the 1600 cc and below category. In which i think in the near future is the autoworld will go for, not EV.
can’t sell with ‘PROTON’ image? Kia previously has a really bad ‘low quality and ugly car’ image in the UK/US. after the Forte and Forte Koup released there, everyone starting to like them.
i’m sure the same thing will happen to Proton someday.
you can try really hard looking in some car racing forums, you’ll find Americans screamin’ like, “holy mother of god i want that little Savvy”, “give me that fuckin Neo CPS, i’m sick with that Suzuki SS and those shitty Chevy”, “why the fuck we didn’t get the fuckin GTi, and now the CPS? fack!” and “someone please bring R3’s in here, liek, NAO”
yup.. I agree with you mim…. maybe we need a little time from Proton for answering this.. and for that.. I don’t know… hahaha
Enough time has been given to proton. If they still can’t make it, please close shop.
same also with hyundai/kia last time in korea…not until 80’s they venture out to US……
Enough time? Toyota took 80 years to get to where they are now (SAP and all). Volkswagen 60+ years. Same with Honda, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault, Kia, Hyundai etc etc. Now tell me again that 25 years is enough time?
cakap Malaysia Boleh..?? if God will, sure we can.. :)
@ KZM
Hyundai started almost at the same time as proton. Where is Hyundai now? and how is proton doing?
@ Tiadaid
Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Peugeot, Renault and gang started off in a time where there’s no computer or computer with power not even one tenth of what you have got today in a size of a one terrace house. Proton is born in an era of CAD/CAM. Why should proton needs 60+ years?
Kia/Hyundai started off almost the same time like proton. You want to compare Hyundai with proton?
Maybe.. maybe when we all died of old age.
i always believe Proton can go further but to be globally brand, but Proton must first win Malaysian market first with fairly competition.
I’m admit Proton do the good job and successfully win Malaysian market but they win by unfair competition. Import car charged tariff at very high tariff. Imagine Japanese car cost u double or tripple when it ariive in Malaysia. Same with conti car
Do you really need to pepper you comment with so many f-word :D
I think the design is one of the defining factor when it comes to buying a car. If not people would buy more of the previous generation City than previous generation Vios.
Perhaps EMAS was designed by an intern at Giugiaro while Gallardo and Murcielago were sketched by the Head of Design or something, because I really think EMAS is really sub-par.
Paul, i’m still waiting for a story on the “JUNKYARD” near the PROTON Tanjung Malim plant. It’s a massive one and i think the scrap comes from all over the country!!!!
Perghhsss…. Lamborghini, Lotus…
Design by Lambroghini
Tuned by Lotus..
Price by Malaysian
Wat else basher want? still comment about power windows..haha..
This time Toy. and Hon. still te best brand???
price by malaysian i’m not agree. because for your info our car is very high price. i means overprice compare to other brand. Of coz in Malaysia Proton seem very cheap, but you must know its because import car charged at very high import duty.
but i’m agree with you Proton ride and handling, suspension and quality are at par with global brand
wah!!! meaning now, PROTON EMAS 2nd edition must pay fees to VW in future, haha…. indirectly PROTON also collaborate with VW
rekabentuk : lambo
talaan : lotus
manufactured : VW
prestasi :audi
harga : proton
maybe the best car in the world…..
ha..ha..ha..
They kept it in Italian ‘hands’.
my concern, would this means Proton would have some hard time with their EMAS concept and Persona replacement, who exactly own the patern? if the patern belong to IDG, Proton might have to pay royalty to IDG and with IDG being own by Lambo, would this means Proton paying to Lambo for their design.
Is this another way of VW trying to get into Proton manufacturing facilities? Asean is an untapped market for VW and VW may be able to supply much cheaper car compared to other german marque if they able to have a manufacturing plant over here in Asean. To run a manufacturing fac by themselves might not be a good move with what happening over in EU.
Anyhoo, IDG own by Lambo which own by Audi which own by VW… VW really knows how to expand and avoid paying heftier tax since Lambo is not such a money making company, putting IDG under Lambo could help Lambo become profitable by IP marketing. I wonder if VW were talking about taking over Proton last time, which tree would Proton fall into? under skoda perhaps or maybe now under IDG the lowest in the food pyramid. Anyway, EMAS main selling point is the engine running it and it still with Lotus. If VW and Proton could JV on this technology concept maybe both could florish, while VW take on bigger player, Proton could take on Logan and other China emerging player for a start.
I dont see a point where VW is trying to compete /get into Proton manufacturing facilities….
VW is an international Auto car company, Proton is just some minor national Car company. There’s so much differences. VW don’t even need to get into our country just in order to survive.
VW needs the Italian company for its own projects. I expect more models to be released out in the future internationally.
For VW it is not about survival but expansion to emerging market (SEA- 500mil population)with lowest capitals investment (read Proton Tg malim plant excess capacity). I think the IDG work with proton and VW plan for SEA is just coincident.
logic..
kerelbort
saya rasa yang awak cakap tu ada logik jugak. sebab dah byk kali Volkswagen cuba beli Proton tapi tak berjaya. Maybe ni salah 1 strategi. Saya pun ada terfikir camni jugak. Maybe. Tak mustahil ini strategi Volkswagen. Maybe dengan beli Italdesign Giugario boleh menghalang Proton untuk terus maju. Perlu ingat Asia Tenggara adalah pasaran yg cukup besar. Kalau Volkswagen berjaya beli Proton, mereka akan dpt akses kepada hampir 500 juta penduduk ASEAN. Kan perjanjian AFTA akan jd kenyataan tak lama lagi. Kalau dpt beli Proton, maka Volkswagen sudah tentu dpt dijual dengan murah sebab dpt pelapasan cukai sbg kenderaan nasional. Imagine kalau dah dpt pelepasan cukai, sure2 Volkswagen boleh jadi jenama no 1 sebagaimana Volkswagen berjaya jadi jenama no 1 di China dengan syer pasaran plg besar di China berbanding sykt2 lain tmsk sykt tempatan China. Lagi 1 yang saya hairan Audi byk guna khidmat Pininfarina, kenapa tak beli Pininfarina? ataupun Bertone yg ke 2-2 nya juga dari Itali sebaliknya memilih Italdesign Giugario.
Peter
Volkswagen memayungi berbagai2 sykt automatif bersaiz kecil hinggalah gergasi daripada pelbagai jenama kenderaan murah hinggalah kepada kenderaan eksotic ( Buggati, Lamborghini ) dan super premium spt Bentley. Jenama – jenama biasa pun byk yg dimiliki Volkswagen.
Antara jenama milik VOLKSWAGEN yang saya tahu ialah
1) Volkswagen ( jerman )
2) Audi ( itali )
3) Lamborghini ( itali )
4) Bentley
5) Buggati ( plg laju di dunia, skrg no2 plg laju di dunia. dari peranchis tak silap)
6) SEAT ( dari belanda )
7) SKODA
8) SCANIA ( sweden tak silap – buat lori, bas )
SEAT dari Sepanyol bang.
Audi is German
Skoda is Czech
SEAT is Spanish
Bentley is British
Kerelbort –
I agree with Peter, VW is a multi brand carmaking giant … P1 is just a tiny speck (owned by a group of elites) struggling to compete with the world …. it would thus be the least of VW’s concerns.
At the end of the day, EMAS is just a “concept”, ie. something very preliminary (like a draft essay) which P1 just simply paid someone to do… it may / may not see light at the end of the tunnel anyway.
i think there are too many comments made by morons here.. Proton EMAS.. who else in the world but Proton and extreme patriotic die-hard give a shit about EMAS ? it is just a concept that Proton paid the design house to produce. whether Proton has the technical and financial capability to implement full-scale production is questionable. if Proton eventually paid for the full use of the design, then of course they own exclusive right to the design. but it is a just concept design. and to suggest VW, a multinational multi-million automobile giant purposely acquire a design house because they have some ulterior motives against Proton is delusion of grandeur of the highest order, the kind that only Mahathir and his supporters suffer from. nobody give a shit about Proton. Proton is shit.
Perhaps the next bulls will all end up looking like its Namir concept.
Just read up the comments.
You guys seriously thing think this will have any bearing on the Proton Emas?
Giugiaro is a design and engineering house. Disregarding who owns them, they will still take on projects from other manufacturers unless they have been booked full by its parent company.
Just as Giugiaro has many interesting designs, they have a good number of duds as well….I don’t see you guys swooning over how pretty the Lacetti, Lanos and the rest of the ugly ducking Daewoos are?
if you know anything about automotive design, it all comes down to how cheaply you can build them. At the end, its still designed to a “cost”. Don’t keep your hopes too high for a giugiaro designed Proton. May just look like …well, another Proton.
Peter
1 lagi tujuan diaorang bukan untuk tackle pasaran Malaysia ajer. Ya pasaran Malaysia kecil. Tapi pasaran AFTA cukup2 besar. Malaysia sbg anggota ASEAN dan kedudukan Proton sbg sykt nasional, sudah tentu kalau Volkswagen berjaya beli Proton maka kereta Volkswagen boleh dijual dengan terlalu murah ( tanpa cukai ). Dan kena ingat bawah payung Volkswagen juga ada jenama2 lain
If I Lamborghini, I will buy Pininfarina instead just to piss Ferrari off just like how Mercedes nicked Michael to their team.
i agree with you. but i thk pininfarina maybe chinese company will buy it. 3-4 chinese company get pininfarina help in design their car.
our naza sutera is penned (originally) by pininfarina…… not bad what…..
for loong term to own a car in malaysia is not high as u all expected….ok how much price suzuki sports in singapore?? than + COE, Exp parking (at ur house oso need to pay monthly, roadtax (got white, yellow black etc plate no in diff chrge, exp insurance +exp fuel+ need to scrap after certain years…+ need tu ‘berhutang’ back after scrap to own new car….total, own a cars is vely expensive in singapore…. but for indon and thais yes i’m agree cheaps but salaries over there very low…..so useless…
If you own a house or condo in S’pore, your parking is free. And enforcement isn’t that strict in many HDB areas. ;-)
This is very interesting… it’s hard to simply just think that VW wants an italian designer without taking away the fact that they acquired it so fast after the EMAS concept where before this (from what I know) no one really bothered about IDG that much. Plus the fact that they had contact with Proton before this.
I feel there’s something more… but it’s just a conspiracy :)
Seems like it. :-) But VW would’ve needed time to do due diligence on IDG before deciding to buy.
Maybe they just want to make Dr Mahathir angry… hoho…
haha… looks like Proton has fate with VW again to collaborate huh…
Again, looks like really true Proton set to tied up with VW in 2 weeks.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSSGE64Q00220100527?type=marketsNews