Volkswagen Group brands and the companies VW owns
Current list of brands inside Volkswagen Group with year of acquisition and a brief note on what each one builds today.
Volkswagen Group owns ten primary brands across cars, commercial vehicles, and motorcycles: Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Bugatti (now jointly with Rimac), Lamborghini, SEAT, Cupra, Skoda, Ducati, MAN, Scania, plus Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles. The Group is headquartered in Wolfsburg, Germany, and is one of the two largest carmakers in the world by global sales.
Here’s each brand with the relevant ownership history and what it builds today.
Quick reference
| Brand | Country | Acquired by VW | Builds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Volkswagen | Germany | Founded 1937 | Mass-market cars |
| Audi | Germany | 1964 (full control 1966) | Premium cars |
| Porsche | Germany | Majority stake 2012 | Sports cars, SUVs |
| Bentley | UK | 1998 (full naming rights 2003) | Luxury cars |
| Bugatti | France | 1998, partial divestment 2021 | Hypercars |
| Lamborghini | Italy | 1998 | Supercars |
| SEAT / Cupra | Spain | 1986 (full 1990) | Mass-market and performance cars |
| Skoda | Czechia | 1991 (full 2000) | Mass-market cars |
| Ducati | Italy | 2012 (via Audi) | Motorcycles |
| MAN | Germany | 2011 | Heavy trucks |
| Scania | Sweden | 2008 (full 2014) | Heavy trucks |
| Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles | Germany | 1995 (split from VW) | Vans and light commercial |
Volkswagen
Founded in 1937 under the Nazi regime as “the people’s car” project. After WWII, the British Army managed the Wolfsburg plant and got the Beetle into mass production. The German government privatized it in stages through the 1960s. The state of Lower Saxony still holds about 20 percent.
Modern VW makes the Golf, Tiguan, Atlas, ID.4, ID.7, and the entire MQB/MEB platform that underpins much of the Group’s range.
Audi
August Horch founded an earlier company in 1899; after a partner dispute he formed a new one called Audi (Latin for “horch,” meaning “listen”) in 1909. VW bought 50 percent in 1964 from Daimler-Benz and full control in 1966. Audi’s the Group’s premium volume brand: A4, A6, Q5, Q7, e-tron, RS series.
Audi also manages Lamborghini and Ducati on behalf of VW Group.
Porsche
Ferdinand Porsche designed the original Beetle for VW in the 1930s, so the relationship is older than the corporate ownership. Porsche AG was founded in 1931 as a design consultancy. The Porsche and Piech families (Porsche’s heirs) own the holding company Porsche SE, which itself owns a controlling stake in VW Group.
VW Group acquired a majority operating stake in Porsche AG in 2012 after a complex multi-year merger. Porsche AG had its own IPO in 2022 but VW Group still owns about 75 percent.
Bentley
Founded 1919 in the UK. Rolls-Royce bought Bentley in 1931. When Rolls-Royce went up for sale in 1998, VW won the Bentley brand, the Crewe factory, and the “Spirit of Ecstasy” radiator mascot, while BMW won the Rolls-Royce name and logo. From 2003, BMW could no longer build Rolls-Royce-badged cars in Crewe and VW could no longer build Bentleys at Goodwood. Bentley has been VW-only since.
Bugatti
VW bought the rights in 1998 and built the Veyron (1,001 hp W16 quad-turbo) and Chiron under VW ownership. In 2021, VW transferred majority control of Bugatti to a joint venture with Croatian EV maker Rimac, called Bugatti Rimac. VW Group retains a minority position.
Lamborghini
Ferruccio Lamborghini founded the company in 1963 in Sant’Agata Bolognese after a falling out with Enzo Ferrari. The company went through several owners after a 1978 bankruptcy, including Chrysler. Audi bought Lamborghini in 1998 and has owned it since. Current models: Huracan, Revuelto, Urus, Lanzador.
SEAT and Cupra
SEAT (Sociedad Espanola de Automoviles de Turismo) was founded in 1950 by the Spanish government. VW took majority ownership in 1986 and full ownership in 1990. SEAT is the Group’s Spanish mass-market brand.
Cupra spun out of SEAT’s performance division in 2018 as a standalone brand. Cupra Born, Cupra Formentor, Cupra Tavascan.
Skoda
Czech bicycle maker that started in 1895, then motorcycles, then cars. Survived under communist Czechoslovakia. After 1991 democratization, VW bought 30 percent stake. By 2000 VW owned all of it. Skoda is one of the Group’s most profitable brands per car: Octavia, Kodiaq, Superb, Enyaq.
Ducati
Italian motorcycle maker founded in 1926 (originally a radio components company that pivoted after WWII). Audi bought Ducati in 2012 for around 860 million euros, bringing it under the VW Group umbrella. Famous for Panigale superbikes and Multistrada adventure bikes.
MAN
Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nurnberg, traces back to an 1758 ironworks. Has built diesel trucks since the early 20th century. VW acquired a 55.9 percent stake in 2011 and increased to majority control in 2012. Heavy trucks, buses, and industrial engines.
Scania
Swedish heavy truck maker. VW had a minority stake from 2008, increased to controlling stake in 2014. Premium commercial trucks alongside MAN; the two operate as separate brands under VW’s Traton Group.
Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV)
Split as a standalone division within VW Group in 1995. Makes the Transporter, Caddy, Crafter, and Amarok. The Amarok shares a platform with the Ford Ranger as part of a joint venture.
What’s not in the Group
VW Group does not own:
- Rolls-Royce (BMW)
- Mercedes-Benz (independent, Mercedes-Benz Group AG)
- Bentley’s old parent Rolls-Royce aero engines (separate company)
- Bugatti’s pre-1998 history (separate French firm, dormant from 1956)
Acquisition rumors come up regularly (Aston Martin, McLaren) but as of 2026 the Group hasn’t added a new major brand since Ducati in 2012.