Italdesign Giugiaro
VW seals 90.1% stake in Giugiaro, names top management
We have previously revealed that the Volkswagen Group has acquired a 90.1% stake in automobile design house Italdesign Giugiaro through one of the company’s subsidiaries: Lamborghini. The company has reiterated it’s takeover and said that the 90.1% acquisition covers the name rights and patents. At the same time Volkswagen has also named the top management of it’s new design arm.
Gerhard Willner, 49 and Salvatore Cieri, 53 have been appointed to the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors of Itadesign Giugiaro. Willner currently heads concept development at Volkswagen Passenger Cars, after holding the same position in Audi previously. Cieri who is a member of the Board of Directors responsible for Administration, Finance and Controlling in Lamborghini now serves as the Managing Director in Giugiaro. Giorgetto Giugiaro, co-founder of the design house is the Chairman of the Executive Committee while his son Fabrizio Giugiaro is the Vice President. Enzo Pacella maintains his position as Managing Director.
With so many automotive brands under Volkswagen Group’s umbrella, the acquisition of the Italdesign Giugiaro is viewed as a strategic decision made at the right time. The German automotive giant will fully utilize the design house in designing vehicles for at least some it’s brands. The company was established in 1968 and it has given it’s touch to vehicles such as the 1974 Volkswagen Scirocco, 1974 Volkswagen Golf, 1973 Volkswagen Passat, Alfa Romeo 159 and much more. One of it’s most recent projects is the Proton EMAS concept and it has also been contracted to come up with the Proton Persona replacement.
VW’s Lamborghini takes 90.1% stake in Italdesign Giugiaro
Its official! After days of speculation, Volkswagen has made its move of purchasing a majority stake in Italdesign Giugiaro official. However the take over is fronted by Lamborghini which belongs under VW’s umbrella. The announcement was made in Turin and the takeover covers possession of the brand name and patents.
Lamborghini takes a 90.1% in the Italian design house while the remainder is still being held by the Giugiaro family. Unfortunately both companies did not disclose any monetary figures regarding the purchase and the press release only mentioned that Giugaro “generates sales of over €100 million and has a workforce of some 800 employees (today).”
As mentioned earlier the takeover will help VW achieve its target of becoming the world’s largest automaker by 2018. Thus far the German auto giant owns 10 auto brands including Porsche and who knows who else VW will ‘consume’ in the future. Both companies have worked together in the past when Giugiaro helped design the Golk Mk1 and when it worked on concept cars that spawned other models like that Passat, Scirocco and the Audi 80.
VW and Giugiaro are also currently working on the Volkswagen Up! range. “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,” said chairman of Volkswagen Prof. Dr. Martin Winterkorn.
VW to announce 90% takeover of Giugiaro on Tuesday
Couple of days back we told you that German auto giant Volkswagen may take over Italian design house Italdesign Giugiaro but it lacked information such as the percentage of stake and so on. Today it has been revealed that VW is keen to purchase a 90% stake in the company and that an official announcement will be made on Tuesday in Moncalieri, south of Turin.
The remainder 10% will be retained by the Giugiaro family. As mentioned earlier the takeover is part of a plan that will see VW become the world’s largest automaker by 2018 with projected per annum sales of 10 million vehicles.
Having a design company such as Giugiaro in VW’s stable will prove to be instrumental since the group needs more designers and engineers to work on products from at least 10 different auto brands. The chairman of the design house Giorgetto Giugiaro and his son Fabrizio who acts as the head of design and model division are expected to maintain their respective positions after the takeover.
Proton’s concept hatchback to be unveiled in Geneva
What you see above is a new concept vehicle by Malaysian auto manufacturer Proton. The concept is a four-seater hatchback that was co-designed with Italdesign Giugiaro. The concept features a hybrid drive system that includes an internal combustion engine which is fitted on the front axle. The engine will recharge the lithium ion battery pack to provide a pure electric drive.
Some reports are suggesting that the concept utilizes a Lotus-sourced Range Extender System that has a 1.2 liter 3-cylinder engine that weighs only 56 kilograms. It is optimized for 2 RPM points. First generates 20hp at 1,500 revs while the other makes 47hp at 3,500 revs while peak torque is figured at 107Nm, achieved at 2,500 revs.
“This is the outcome of several years of study: the solution allows interior spaciousness on a par with that of a segment D saloon despite maintaining the exterior dimensions of a segment A car” explained Giorgetto Giugiaro, Chairman of Italdesign Giugiaro.
“You could say that it is a brand new type of car, a new automotive concept where looks are as important as function, ergonomics and comfort, not to mention environmental impact. It is higher than other compact cars to make the best use of interior space; the seat H point is at the same height as the passengers’ hips: you do not get down into your car as in a coupé, you do not climb up as in an SUV but you enter in a natural way. Rear seat comfort when you enter and leave the car is absolutely unprecedented, the distance from the front seat is comparable to that of an SUV” added Giugiaro.
According to the press release the yet-to-be-named concept has a platform that was designed by Giugiaro. The platform has been raised to house the lithium-ion battery pack. The 3550 mm-long concept also features four seats that are all identical. From the single image we have here which was revealed on the Giugiaro website, I must say that it looks pretty good. The concept will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on March 2nd.
