VW takes majority in MAN

MAN Logo

With MAN and Scania, VW is now Europe's biggest truck builder

Volkswagen announced today that they have built up a 55.9% share of German truck and heavy diesel engine manufacturer MAN. Volkswagen will have influence on the 253-year-old MAN's supervisory board, making it easier to create a functional partnership with another VW truck builder, Scania.

This will give Volkswagen more ability to compete with the heavy truck manufacturing divisions of Daimler and Volvo.

A spokesman for MAN said that the firm is enthusiastic about the announcement, telling Reuters news wire, "The cooperation with Volkswagen and Scania now enters a new, offensive stage."

"Volkswagen is more than pleased with the result," said VW executive Martin Winterkorn said in a release. "As a result, our objective of realizing substantial synergies between MAN, Scania and Volkswagen in the interest of all shareholders, employees and customers is moving closer."

MAN and Scania's combined output of 172,000 truck units weighing more than six tonnes was just slightly higher than Volvo's output, but still 37% lower than Daimler's.

Source: Reuters

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Mito

What next ?

July 8, 2011 11:18 am

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rnsaza

How big is too big or how much is too much? I don't care how big VW gets but when will individuality become only a word in the VW group?

July 8, 2011 1:03 pm

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///AMG

that VW truck was ugly as hell :P i bet that they are trying to take volvo and mercedes down. I love Volvo and Merc trucks. and i dont think that VW trucks will succed. quality on a truck is more important i think. but you never know, maybe the help from scania and man who are very experienced will get succes.

July 8, 2011 2:03 pm

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DdW

I think the acquisition will not only involve truck manufacturing but bus as well. With MAN being taken over by VW, it would be a intensive threesome fight for sales involving MB (Daimler) and Volvo.

July 9, 2011 12:28 am

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ReyJoe

"it is still 37% lower than Daimler", they still have a lot of homeworks to do in order to catch up with Daimler... : )

July 9, 2011 1:03 am

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RODHA

253 years and ending up in the arms of another manufacturer. Should be hard to bear.

July 9, 2011 2:39 am

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LostPassword

I would not expect to see VW badged trucks at any time. Ironically MAN actually bought out VW's South American Truck and Bus arm a couple of years ago. Now VW have got it back in a way, but all they'll want in the tie up is cost savings between its 2 truck brands.

July 9, 2011 10:33 am

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Thedamned

MAN is not a bad acquisition. I think MAN as the Audi of trucks. Not that bad at all by VW :)

August 17, 2011 10:13 am

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