With the arrival of summer, it's time to think about changing your car to a more environmentally friendly and healthy vehicle - a bicycle. Moreover, for this it is not at all necessary to change your favorite brand.
Many automakers sell environmentally friendly vehicles with a power of one human power under their logo. Audi, BMW, Land Rover, Mini, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Skoda and even Ferrari - all these companies are ready to satisfy the desire of their customers to switch from car to bicycle of the same brand. And although the sale of “pedal horses” for automakers is a side income that does not bring the same profit as the sale of cars, they are ready to invest a lot of money in this direction. What is it for? Mainly to ensure that the client remains loyal to the brand even when instead of the gas pedal he presses the chain drive pedal of his bike.
Two wheel exclusive
About 100 million bicycles are produced every year around the world - many times more than cars. But only a few of them carry the emblem of the car company on the frame. “Car” bicycles are an exclusive product and therefore not cheap. Although it all depends on what to compare. If with Chinese nameless consumer goods sold on every corner, then, indeed, such a “device” costs a lot. But if we compare the same products with similar products of world-famous bike brands, then the difference in overpayment for the brand will be minimal.
It is curious that the history of many auto companies is inextricably linked with the production of bicycles (Skoda began its activities 115 years ago in this direction), but only a few of them have retained their own bicycle production to this day. Now, most automakers prefer not to produce bicycles, placing an order on the side - from companies that have proven themselves in the bicycle market. But there are exceptions. So, Brand Peugeot has a division of Peugeot Cycles France, engaged in the production of bicycles for nearly 130 years. Peugeot Cycles France products are popular not only in France, but also far beyond its borders. It is also presented in Russia: a wide range of bicycle products, numbering several dozen (!) Models, can be found on the site cycles.peugeot.ru.
Prices for two-wheeled "fawns" vary significantly depending on the size and complexity of their design: for example, the simplest children's model costs 13,990 rubles, for an adult you will have to pay at least twenty, but an advanced cross-country or road model will cost 100-150 thousand rubles. "wooden". And this is not the limit: the latest Peugeot electric bike costs 200 thousand! It is clear that there are few people who want to buy such a miracle of technology, because for that kind of money you can look after a used small car of the same brand, and in very good condition. But, if this bike had a badge from a more famous brand, such as BMW, it would be much easier to “strangle the toad”.
Brand fee
Like Peugeot, the Bavarian automaker also prefers to produce bicycles on its own, although on a much smaller scale than their French counterparts. Bicycle products for BMW are not so much a source of profit, but an image product aimed at popularizing a healthy lifestyle among brand fans, as well as a tribute to traditions. Indeed, after the Second World War, it was the cycling direction that allowed the company to stay afloat. In devastated Germany, few could afford to buy and maintain a car, so cheap and unpretentious two-wheeled vehicles became the most popular means of transportation for the Germans and at the same time a lifesaver for the Bavarian concern, which gave it the opportunity to develop production in the territory occupied by the Allied forces.
Modern BMW bicycles bear little resemblance to their "great-grandfathers": they are much more technologically advanced and no longer as cheap as before. For example, a two-suspension hydroformed Enduro mountain model with an aluminum frame and hydraulic disc brakes costs 182,790 rubles in Russia, and a “cruise” version with a front shock absorber and a rich body kit ( Continental tires Cruise Contact, 180 mm Shimano BR-M395 disc brakes, Shimano Deore 30-speed transmission) will cost “only” 57,920 rubles. Agree that against the background of the cost of Peugeot bicycles, the products of the Bavarian concern do not look overpriced, because here the client pays not only for the product itself (by the way, first-class), but also for the brand.
High tech
Audi, the equally well-known Bavarian automaker, also developed its own line of bicycles, but, unlike its counterparts from BMW, outsourced their production. The assembly of two-wheeled Audi was carried out by German company Merida & Centurion (its products are known to cyclists all over the world), and aluminum frames for them (jointly developed by Quattro GmbH and engineers at the Aluminum Center in Neckarsulm) were produced by ADP Engineering GmbH. The most advanced bike model under the logo of four woven rings is the Audi design Cross Pro RS. Such a “device”, developed in the design studio of the auto concern and equipped with the most advanced technologies, was offered by German dealers for 4 thousand euros.
Why do we speak in the past tense? Because now bicycles have disappeared from the Audi range: the company decided to focus on the production of electric bikes and even created a promising E-Bike with a carbon frame, but things did not go beyond the concept ...
But Mercedes-Benz is not going to abandon the production of two-wheeled models. Moreover, the company invests a lot of money in the development of such equipment, and it is designed with no less care than cars. In particular, the appearance of bicycles with a three-pointed star is being developed at the Mercedes-Benz Design Center in Sindelfingen. However, Mercedes does not have its own bicycle factory: with insignificant production volumes, it is simply unprofitable to maintain it. Therefore, as in the case of Audi, a reliable partner was found in the person of the aforementioned company ADP Engineering GmbH, whose specialists ate the dog in the production of premium bicycles. You can look at the results of the joint work of the two German giants in their fields on the website mercedes-benz.ru. Price spread - from 24,800 rubles. for a simple children's model up to 272,500 rubles. for a fancy mountain double suspension.
More expensive than money
Unlike a car, a bicycle is a less flashy and outrageous thing. Proving your toughness is much easier behind the wheel expensive SUV than an expensive bike. Therefore, even wealthy Mercedes-Benz owners at the sight of a five-figure price tag on a bike of the same brand, they are likely to pass by. Yes, Mercedes! How many Porsche owners would be willing to buy a carbon hardtail (i.e. without shock absorbers) RS model worth 348,124 rubles? The answer is obvious. But that is precisely why the owner of such a “device” will be able to feel his uniqueness, which cannot be said about the owners of Porsche cars, which are no longer much fewer on the roads of Moscow or St. Petersburg than “Zhiguli”. And from this point of view, a bike for the price of a brand new Lada Granta seems like a better investment than buying a car for the same money.
By the way, if the price of three and a half hundred thousand rubles for a two-wheeled Porsche seems too high to you, know that this is not the limit! So, released in 2009 by the Dutch supercar manufacturer Spyker, the Koga Aeroblade bike with an aluminum front fork, a titanium frame, and carbon fiber wheels and fenders at the start of sales was estimated at a record $12,540. And given the limited edition of 50 copies, this bike has already passed into the category of collectors, and its price has become even higher. Against this background, released jointly with Italian company The Montante two-wheeled Maserati 8 CTF worth 3,600 euros (about 180,000 rubles) no longer seems wildly expensive, but Ferrari bikes, with an average price of less than a thousand dollars, generally look like real state employees.
Nearly thirty years ago, the legendary Lee Iacocca predicted that by the turn of the 21st century there would be only a few automakers left in the world. Ex-president Ford and Chrysler perfectly saw the trends in the development of the global automotive industry, and therefore it is not surprising that his predictions were almost completely confirmed.
It only seems that there are many independent automakers in the world. In fact, the vast majority automobile firms are members of various groups and alliances. To be more precise, Lee Iacocca was right about everything - at present there are really only a few left in the world. major automakers, which actually divided the world automotive market among themselves.
As for the former place of work of Lee Iacocca - Ford and Chrysler, these pillars of the American automobile industry, along with General Motors, suffered the most serious losses during the economic crisis, and they did not know such losses in their entire history. General Motors and Chrysler went bankrupt, and Ford survived only by a miracle. However, a very high price was paid for survival. Ford lost its premier division of the Premiere Automotive Group, which included Jaguar, Volvo and Land Rover. In addition, Ford was forced to sell the British supercar manufacturer Aston Martin, get rid of a controlling stake in Mazda and liquidate brand Mercury. Currently, only two brands remain from the once huge Ford empire - Ford itself and Lincoln.
General Motors suffered no less serious losses. The Americans lost SAAB, Hummer, Saturn, but, despite the bankruptcy, they were able to defend Opel and the most valuable brand - Daewoo. General Motors currently includes Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden and Vauxhall. Plus, the American concern has the Russian joint venture GM-AvtoVAZ, which produces Chevrolet Niva SUVs.
As for Chrysler, the American concern is now a strategic partner of Fiat, which has already collected under its "wing" such brands as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia. Now Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram have been added to them.
The situation in Europe is quite different than in America. The crisis also made adjustments to the balance of power, but this did not affect the position of the giants of the European auto industry. Volkswagen continues to add to its collection of brands by acquiring Porsche in 2009. Now the Volkswagen Group includes nine brands - Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Skoda, Seat and manufacturer Scania trucks. It is possible that Suzuki will soon supplement this company - in 2009, the Volkswagen Group bought a 20% stake in Suzuki Motor.
Two other major German automakers, Daimler AG and BMW, cannot boast of such an abundance of brands. Daimler AG produces cars under the brands Mercedes, Maybach and Smart, and BMW, in addition to the brand of the same name, also owns Rolls-Royce and Mini.
Another world's largest automaker is the Renault-Nissan alliance, which owns such brands as Renault, Dacia, Nissan, Infiniti, Samsung. In addition, Renault owns a 25% stake in AvtoVAZ, so from now on the Lada brand also enters the orbit of influence of the French-Japanese alliance.
Another major French automaker, PSA, owns the Citroen and Peugeot brands.
Of all the Japanese automakers, only Toyota boasts a good "collection" of brands - Lexus, Scion, Daihatsu and Subaru. Besides, in composition of Toyota Motor is part of the truck manufacturer Hino.
Honda's achievement is much more modest. In addition to the premium brand Acura and the motorcycle department, the Japanese have nothing else to brag about.
In recent years, the Hyundai-Kia alliance has rapidly become one of the leaders in the global automotive industry. The alliance currently manufactures cars under brands Hyundai and Kia, but in the near future, the Koreans plan to create a premium brand. According to unconfirmed information, it will be called Genesis.
From mergers and acquisitions recent years I would like to note the transition of the Volvo brand under the control Chinese Geely and the purchase of the Indian Tata Motor British premium brands - Jaguar and Land Rover. Most curious in this series is the acquisition by the tiny Dutch supercar manufacturer Spyker of the Swedish SAAB brand.
From the once powerful British car industry now there are only memories. The most famous British automakers have long lost their independence, but even small English firms have passed to foreign owners. The legendary Lotus company is owned by the Malaysian Proton, and MG was bought by the Chinese company SAIC. At the same time, SAIC sold the Korean SsangYong Motor to the Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra.
All these acquisitions, mergers, alliances and strategic partnerships once again prove the correctness of Lee Iacocca. In today's world, single firms can no longer survive. There are, of course, exceptions such as the English Morgan, Japanese Mitsuoka or the same Malaysian Proton. But these firms are independent in the full sense of the word. Absolutely nothing depends on them in the global automotive industry. But in order to sell hundreds of thousands of cars a year, not to mention millions, you need to have very strong “rear”. Which are provided either by partners, as in the case Renault-Nissan Alliance, or a whole brood of brands, as the Volkswagen Group practices. But firms such as Mazda or Mitsubishi will experience more and more difficulties in the future. And if Mitsubishi partners from PSA are ready to provide all possible assistance, then Mazda has to deal with all the hardships alone. And this is becoming more and more difficult every day in the modern world. What Lee Iacocca warned about thirty years ago.
Alexander Plekhanov
It only seems that there are many independent automakers in the world. In fact, the vast majority of automotive firms are part of various groups and alliances.
Ford and Chrysler, these pillars of the American auto industry, along with General Motors, suffered the most serious losses during the economic crisis, and they did not know such losses in their entire history. General Motors and Chrysler went bankrupt, and Ford survived only by a miracle. However, a very high price was paid for survival.
Ford - Lost its premium division of the Premiere Automotive Group, which included Jaguar, Volvo and Land Rover. In addition, Ford was forced to sell the English supercar manufacturer Aston Martin, get rid of a controlling stake in Mazda and liquidate the Mercury brand. Currently, only two brands remain from the once huge Ford empire - Ford and Lincoln.
General Motors - The Americans lost SAAB, Hummer, Saturn but, despite the bankruptcy, were able to defend Opel and the most valuable brand - Daewoo. General Motors currently includes Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden and Vauxhall. Plus, the American concern has the Russian joint venture GM-AvtoVAZ, which produces Chevrolet Niva SUVs.
Chrysler, the American concern, is now a strategic partner of Fiat, which has already brought under its "wing" such brands as Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Maserati, Lancia. Now Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram have been added to them.
Volkswagen - continues to replenish its "collection" of brands, acquiring Porsche in 2009. Now the Volkswagen Group includes nine brands - Volkswagen, Audi, Porsche, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Skoda, Seat and truck manufacturer Scania. It is possible that Suzuki will soon supplement this company - in 2009, the Volkswagen Group bought a 20% stake in Suzuki Motor.
Two other major German automakers, Daimler AG and BMW, cannot boast of such an abundance of brands.
Daimler AG - produces cars under the brands Mercedes, Maybach and Smart
BMW, in addition to the brand of the same name, also owns Rolls-Royce and Mini.
Renault-Nissan - he owns such brands as Renault, Dacia, Nissan, Infiniti, Samsung. In addition, Renault owns a 25% stake in AvtoVAZ, so from now on the Lada brand also enters the orbit of influence of the French-Japanese alliance.
Another major French automaker, PSA, owns the Citroen and Peugeot brands.
Of all the Japanese automakers, only Toyota boasts a good "collection" of brands - Lexus, Scion, Daihatsu and Subaru. In addition, the truck manufacturer Hino is part of Toyota Motor.
Honda - Apart from the premium brand Acura and the motorcycle department, the Japanese have nothing else to brag about.
Hyundai-Kia alliance. Currently, the alliance produces cars under the brands Hyundai and Kia, but in the near future, the Koreans plan to create a premium brand. According to unconfirmed information, it will be called Genesis.
Also:
- the transition of the Volvo brand under the control of the Chinese Geely
- Purchase of the Indian Tata Motor British premium brands - Jaguar and Land Rover.
- the acquisition by the tiny Dutch supercar manufacturer Spyker of the Swedish brand SAAB.
From the once powerful British car industry now there are only memories. The most famous British automakers have long lost their independence, but even small English firms have passed to foreign owners. The legendary Lotus company is owned by the Malaysian Proton, and MG was bought by the Chinese company SAIC. At the same time, SAIC sold the Korean SsangYong Motor to the Indian automaker Mahindra & Mahindra.
The guys from Ingolstadt are far from the first to launch an image stroller for children on the market. Similar products are in the arsenal of BMW, Aston Martin, Porsche and McLaren. Models of the latter, by the way, are very popular among Russian mothers. However, Audi decided to go even further and offered fashionable parents a hybrid of a three-wheeled walking “carriage” and an anatomical car seat. If necessary, the chassis is removed directly into the pillow, and the stroller turns into a real car seat. It remains only to fix it in the car and fasten the baby with seat belts.
Honda: Crazy Lawnmower
It's no secret that the Japanese have been practicing lawn mower manufacturing for a long time. But the fact that at times they are turned into racing cars, perhaps, few people know. We are talking about the Mean Mower model from Honda, trained to perform not only its direct duties of mowing the lawn, but also to cut through the asphalt, developing a speed of over 200 km / h. The car is driven by a 110-horsepower engine borrowed from the Honda VTR Firestorm sports bike, and is paired with a 6-speed gearbox. With such a set and with a mass of 140 kg, the lawn mower is capable of delivering the first hundred from a standstill in four and a half seconds.
Ford: picnic coal
And how do you like it - branded charcoal from overseas Ford? Once a subsidiary owned by the auto giant, small batches purchased coal briquetting equipment from the American-German company Buehler. After a while, the Yankees established large-scale production and began to produce packaged barbecue charcoal from softwood waste under the Kingsford brand. Today, the manufacturer is a full-fledged leader in this segment, controlling more than 80% of the local market.
General Motors: eau de toilette for men
The American automaker managed to work with several perfume companies at once. By the way, a joint collaboration with Coty led to the creation of Corvette eau de toilette, and a partnership with Riviera Concepts ended with the appearance of the Hummer fragrance. Rumor has it that now General Motors is preparing another "delicious" surprise for fans. Is it in honor of the new Chevrolet Camaro? However, competitors are not asleep either - Mercedes-Benz, Ferrari, Bentley, Bugatti, Jaguar and even Kia also have their own perfume.
Lamborghini: double coffee maker
But the Italian Lamborghini, which once started with the production of tractors, decided to surprise the world with its coffee machine with a selector in the form of a gear lever, neon lights and the ability to prepare a drink for two mugs at the same time. But its uniqueness is not only in this. In addition to using high-quality stainless steel, each such apparatus is assembled exclusively by hand. Naturally, limited parties or under the order.
Ferrari sports laptop
For the thirteenth year in a row, Acer has been the exclusive supplier of computing equipment to the Scuderia Ferrari Formula-1 team.
Within the framework of cooperation, computers are also stamped for the mass consumer.
During this time, by the way, we saw several models of laptops from the Acer Ferrari line. Their distinctive features include a fiery red case with the brand logo, made of lightweight, but at the same time heavy-duty carbon plastic, as well as rubberized sidewalls and a mouse designed in the same style.
The kit is also complemented by a bright branded napkin for monitor care. It's time to start Gran Turismo and feel like a racer.
Mercedes-Benz: surfboard
While rival BMWs were making bobsleighs and Porsche was making kids' sleds, Daimler started making surfboards. Assistance in the development of the project was provided to the Germans by the famous American surfer Garrett McNamara, who depicted an ideal, in his words, board for riding on the waves. The line of cork surfers, called MBoard (Mercedes-Benz Board), is represented by models of gold and silver colors with an autograph of an extreme athlete emblazoned on them.
MINI : electric scooter
The British presented a scooter that will be appreciated not only by children, but also by their parents. The basis of the two-wheeled vehicle was a small electric motor, which allows speeds up to 25 km / h. Without additional charging of lithium-ion batteries, the scooter is able to cover a distance of about 30 km. However, you can ride it the old fashioned way, pushing off the asphalt with one foot.
Bentley: watches for aesthetes
Unlike their colleagues in the automotive industry - Aston Martin, Ferrari and Morgan, who experimented quite successfully with the release of their own watches, the British offered connoisseurs of beauty not just a stylish accessory, but a chronograph that can be assembled according to custom order. Customers are given the opportunity to specify any detail and fully compose the filling of future watches. And the legendary Swiss specialists from Breitling help Bentley in this. The exclusive collection was named so - Breitling for Bentley.
Mitsubishi: writing pencils
Do not be surprised, but the Japanese company, in addition to cars, is famous not only for the production of audio-video equipment and air conditioners. Two centuries ago, Mitsubishi tried its hand at making wooden pencils. Today it is a major manufacturer of all kinds of stationery, including ballpoint and automatic pens, mechanical writing instruments and lead holders. It is noteworthy, but to create a seemingly ordinary pencil for writing, perennial wood of noble species is used.
Volkswagen: sausage ketchup
“Why not earn extra money on food?” thought at the end of the 90s an automaker from Wolfsburg and put on stream the production of ketchup for sausages. Initially, the product was aimed at corporate employees of machine-building sites, and after a couple of years, VW began to supply bottles of tomato paste to the German domestic market. But the picture would be incomplete without the sausages themselves, which rather quickly added to the brand's food price list. By the way, not a bad idea for stimulating promotions. Let's say you bought a new Polo - get a month's supply of food as a gift!
Peugeot: kitchen pepper
For the second century in a row, the French are celebrated by making mills for grinding pepper, salt and other spices. Main Feature kitchen utensils, in addition to the presence of the emblem in the form of the notorious lion, is a combination of unique materials involved in production. This is steel with silver-plated metal, and porcelain, and natural wood. And in confirmation of the impeccable quality of workmanship, the company provides a lifetime warranty on its products. Such would yes on cars!
Hyundai: marine vessels
And the Koreans hit hard, becoming one of the largest shipyards in the world. Hyundai Heavy Industries manufactures and launches more than 60 marine heavyweights every year. Among them - bulk carriers, container ships, giant tankers and even dams, which form the backbone of all modern shipping and international trade. Moreover, the company is constantly working on its own technologies, in particular those responsible for security. One of these developments, for example, was an intelligent system for detecting obstacles on the water within 50 km, which independently rebuilds the route to avoid collision.
Automotive industry I always suffered from the fact that it was very difficult to understand the relationship between manufacturers. After the global financial crisis thoroughly crippled it in almost all countries, European and American auto giants began to frantically resell their brands. In this confusion, it became unclear who is now responsible for the famous brands. Online812 traced complex history relationships between major automotive brands.Few manage to maintain their independence in a competitive market. Basically, these are the largest brands that are still in the hands of the families of their founders. For example, the Peugeot Citroen automaker is still 30.3% (45.1% of voting shares) owned by the Peugeot family. The shares are also owned by employees of the concern (2.76%), there are also treasury shares (3.07%). The remaining shares are in free float.
By the way, Peugeot SA acquired a 38.2% stake in Citroën back in 1974, and two years later brought this share to 89.95%. So today, Peugeot almost completely controls the formerly independent Citroen.
The Bavarian concern BMW, which in 1959 actually single-handedly saved Herbert Quandt from the sale, still depends on his family. At the end of the 1950s, the rival company Daimler-Benz became interested in the unprofitable German brand, but Quandt did not sell it, and invested himself. Today, his widow Joanna Quandt and children Stefan and Susanna control 46.6% of BMW shares and live quite well. Stefan Quandt even served as vice chairman of the company's board for some time. Despite the fact that in different Ford time, General Motors, Volkswagen, Honda and Fiat offered very lucrative deals, Quandt's heirs refuse to sell, because they consider keeping the brand a matter of honor for the family.
Ford motor driven by William Ford Jr., great-grandson the famous Henry Ford. Henry Ford himself always dreamed of being the sole owner of the company. In 1919, Henry and his son Edsel bought out the company's shares from other shareholders and became the sole owners of their offspring. There is no doubt that the shares were sold to them without any problems, because the first shareholders were: a coal merchant, his accountant, a banker who trusted the coal merchant, two brothers who had an engine workshop, a carpenter, two lawyers, one clerk , owner of a haberdashery and a man who produced wind turbines and air rifles.
Later, the business was always inherited. So the father of the current director, leaving the board of directors, handed over the reins of government to his son, while remaining the largest shareholder. In January 1956, the Ford Motor Company again became a public company. In the 21st century, the company has about 700,000 shareholders. At the same time, the Ford family owns 40% of the voting shares, which determines the main policy of the company, and the remaining shares are in free float.
A little earlier than others, in 2007, Ford experienced a serious crisis. He lost $12.7 billion in a year. The Ford family tried to overcome the situation, and was even forced to sell the family estate and move to a smaller estate. Nevertheless, in order to somehow get out of the debt hole, the concern had to sell Aston Martin (which was 100% owned by Ford) to a consortium of investors for $925 million. Until 2008, under the pressure of Japanese competitors, the situation only worsened. Shareholders began to get rid of Ford shares. So did one of the largest investors, billionaire Kirk Kerkorian, who reduced his stake in the company to 4.89% (107 million shares).
Until recently, Ford boasted two more British brands - Jaguar (Ford bought Jaguar for $2.5 billion in 1989) and Land Rover (in 2000 it was bought by Ford for $2.75 billion). dollars from BMW). In 2008, both brands were put up for sale due to huge debts. In June 2008 they were bought by the Indian Tata Motors.
In March 2010, the Swedish auto giant Volvo reached an agreement with Chinese company Zhejiang Geely on sale Volvo Cars for $1.8 billion. In August this year Ford like a former Volvo owner received $1.3 billion in cash and $200 million in credit notes from Geely. By the end of the year, the Chinese will also transfer another $300 million to Ford's accounts.
Today, in addition to cars with its own name, Ford Motor owns the Lincoln and Mercury brands. Ford also owns a 33.4% stake in Mazda and a 9.4% stake in Kia Motors Corporation.
German Porsche is owned by the Porsche and Piech families, the heirs of company founder Ferdinand Porsche and his sister Louise Piech. The family clan owns shares of the company, giving the right to accept key decisions, and a small portion of preferred shares listed on the German stock exchanges. By the way, the cunning family has a very significant impact on the German car market. So, for example, Ferdinand Piech (grandson of Ferdinand Porsche), from 1993 to 2002 headed Volkswagen.
In 2009, the family concern acquired its first major foreign shareholder. It was the Qatari emirate, which bought out 10% of the holding's shares.
By the way, Volkswagen itself is actually owned by Porsche, and vice versa - since 2009, Volkswagen has owned 49.9% of the shares. Porsche AG.
Initially, Volkswagen was a state-owned automaker. It was reorganized into a joint-stock company only in 1960, and the federal government of Germany and the government of Lower Saxony each received 20% of the shares in its capital. For 2009, the main shareholders of the concern were: 22.5% - Porsche Automobil Holding SE, 14.8% - Lower Saxony, 30.9% - private shareholders, 25.6% - Foreign investment institutions, 6.2% - German investment institutions. In August 2009, Porsche SE and the Volkswagen Group reached an agreement whereby Volkswagen and Porsche AG would be definitively merged by 2011.
In addition to its own production, the divisions of the Volkswagen Group are currently: Audi (acquired from Daimler-Benz in 1964), Seat (since 1990, the Volkswagen Group owns 99.99% of the shares), Škoda, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini (the company was acquired by subsidiary Audi in 1998).
Hyundai Motor "raised from its knees" a single person - Chung Mong Koo, the eldest son of the founder of the Hyundai industrial group. In the late 90s, he seriously took up the quality of cars. For some 6 years, the Korean was able to increase sales in the US market by 360% and take fourth place among imported brands.
Today, 4.56% of Hyundai's shares are owned by the National Pension Service. South Korea, which can not stand Chung, and each time in every possible way prevents his re-election. In principle, their doubts are understandable - in 2007, 72-year-old Chung was sentenced to three years in prison for embezzling 90 billion won ($77 million) through fraudulent schemes. An appeals court later suspended that sentence and transferred Chung to public Works, but the reputation was irretrievably lost. In 2010, the Seoul District Court still ordered the ex-chairman of the board of directors to pay compensation in the amount of 70 billion won (about $60 million) for business decisions he made that were unfavorable for Hyundai.
Company Kia Motors today is the second largest South Korean manufacturer, and the seventh in the world. She enters Hyundai Kia Automotive Group, and is mostly owned by Hyundai Motor Co. (38.67% of shares), Ford Motor (9.4%), Credit Suisse Financial (8.23%), employees (7.14%), Hyundai Capital (1.26%).
Another major Asian manufacturer, Suzuki Motor Corporation, has only 16.9% of shares on its own balance sheet. The rest are owned by: Millea Holdings - 3.86%, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group - 3.28%, General Motors - 3%, another 16.24% of the shares are in free float. In January of this year, Volkswagen AG joined the largest shareholder of Suzuki Motor, which bought out 19.9% of the shares for 222.5 billion yen ($2.5 billion). In the deal, Suzuki was entitled to half of that amount to acquire shares in the German corporation.
Concern "Reno" over the past 60 years is gradually getting out of state control. Until 1945, Renault was 100% privately owned. However, during the war, the company's factories were destroyed, and Louis Renault himself was accused of collaborating with the Nazis and convicted. A major businessman died in prison, and his company was successfully nationalized. However, over the years, the state share began to decline. And if in 1996 Renault was state-owned by more than half, then in 2005 it already owned only 15.7% of the shares. In 1999, Renault and Nissan entered into perhaps the most enduring automobile alliance. Nissan is 44.4% owned French manufacturer, and Renault, in turn, gave 15% of the shares to the Japanese.
The fifth largest automobile concern, DaimlerChrysler, was very fond of the Arabs. The owner of the top brands Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Mercedes-AMG and Smart, has the Arab investment fund Aabar Investments (9.1%) as the main shareholder, the government of Kuwait owns 7.2% of the shares, and about 2% belongs to the emirate of Dubai. Next to such brands, it is surprising to see our KAMAZ, a 10% stake in which Daimler acquired in 2008. The German automaker paid $250 million immediately for KAMAZ shares and left $50 million until 2012. As a result of the deal, Daimler received one seat on the board of directors of KAMAZ. In February of this year, the concern bought another 1% stake in the truck manufacturer.
By the way, DaimlerChrysler owns a large block of shares in other companies: 85.0% of Mitsubishi Fuso Truck and Bus, 50.1% - Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation, 19.9% Chrysler Holding LLC (in 2007, 80.1% of the division's shares were sold for $7.4 billion to private investment fund Cerberus Capital Management, L.P.), 10.0% Tesla Motors, 7.0% Tata Motors Ltd.
The Japanese Toyota Motor Corp., whose president is the grandson of the founder of the company Akio Toyoda, is 6.29% owned by The Master Trust Bank of Japan, 6.29% by Japan Trustee Services Bank, 5.81% by Toyota Industries Corporation, 9% are treasury shares.
General Motors, which has long occupied a leading position in the automotive market, today is controlled by the state (61% of the shares). Its main shareholders are: the Government of Canada (12%), the United Auto Workers Union of the USA (17.5%). The remaining 10.5% of the shares were divided among the largest creditors.
The famous automaker still owns Chevrolet brands, Pontiac, Buick, Cadillac and Opel. More recently, he also owned a controlling stake in the Swedish Saab(50%), but after the crisis, in January 2010, he sold the company to the Dutch sports car manufacturer Spyker Cars.
In the summer of 2008, General Motors decided to sell brands Hummer, and for almost a year she tried to sell it to the Chinese, then to the Russians, then to the Indians. As a result, the only promising deal with the Chinese Sichuan Tengzhong Heavy Industrial Machinery Co fell through, and on May 26, 2010, the last SUV of the brand rolled off the assembly line of the General Motors plant in the US city of Shreveport.
In addition, General Motors was a major shareholder in several companies. For example, until recently he had a 20% stake in Japanese companies Fuji Heavy Industries ( Subaru cars) and Suzuki motor corporation, as well as 12% of Isuzu Motors.
