Bugatti at the Geneva Motor Show 2019
The corona pandemic did not affect the luxury goods business as much as it did mass consumption, although there was also a decline in demand.
(Photo: dpa)
Wolfsburg, Molsheim, Düsseldorf According to a report, there should be sales plans for the luxury sports car brand Bugatti in the Volkswagen Group. However, the French company did not confirm the presentation of a corresponding report in the British “Car Magazine” on Thursday. “We do not comment on speculation about the future of the brand,” it said at the company’s headquarters in Molsheim near Strasbourg.
Something similar could be heard from VW headquarters. There had also been rumors about a possible sell-off of other luxury subsidiaries such as Bentley and Lamborghini or the motorcycle manufacturer Ducati. Now the Croatian company Rimac is said to be interested in Bugatti.
Rimac was founded in 2009 by Mate Rimac and manufactures electric supercars. The Stuttgart sports car manufacturer Porsche took over ten percent of Rimac in June 2018 and increased its stake to 15.5 percent last year. A takeover by Rimac would mean a reorganization of the luxury sports car segment within the VW Group.
Bugatti explained that they were concentrating on day-to-day business – and from the current perspective there was no reason why the brand should change hands with its very expensive sports cars with up to 1500 hp. Most recently, positive earnings contributions were made in the group, and 82 models were sold in 2019.
The company does not provide any further details about its financial data. Bugatti is also coming through the crisis comparatively well in the current year. The corona pandemic did not affect the luxury goods business as much as it did mass consumption, although there was also a decline in demand.
VW is considering entering into car rental
Despite intermittent production failures, an improved result at Bugatti is foreseeable again in 2020, it said. However, there have been considerations for a further streamlining of the VW group for a long time.
CEO Herbert Diess said in 2018 that spin-offs are “conceivable” – but also expansions. VW is currently considering returning to car rental, possibly with Europcar or Sixt. There is no confirmation for this either.
As part of a structural reform, the luxury brands Bugatti, Bentley and Porsche were incorporated into the “Super Premium” subgroup in the world’s largest car company. The “Premium” group consists of Audi and the Italian manufacturers Lamborghini and Ducati, which are held through the Ingolstadt subsidiary.
The most important group “Volume” includes the core brands VW, Skoda, Seat and the light VW commercial vehicles. The truck and bus manufacturers MAN and Scania are organized in the Traton Holding. The Volkswagen Group is selling its business with special gearboxes.
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