Have you ever asked yourself how many companies Volkswagen owns? Car lovers know Volkswagen is a big player in the automotive industry, but Volkswagen’s family is bigger than you think.
Volkswagen has two divisions, one in the automotive industry and one in financial service, but they are involved in hundreds of companies world-wide. The Volkswagen brand alone owned about 6.7% of the global automotive market in 2025—second only to Toyota.
Oh, and depending on the ranking, Audi, Volkswagen’s luxury brand, is often in the top ten most valuable brands in the automotive market. Today we are going to explore the car brands and companies that are a part of Volkswagen’s ecosystem.
Enjoy!
Who is Volkswagen owned by? The owner of Volkswagen
Before discussing companies owned by Volkswagen, it may be helpful to look at the business that owns the Volkswagen Group. In other words, who owns the Volkswagen company?
The Volkswagen company, or Volkswagen AG, was initially formed by the German government in 1937. In fact, the name Volkswagen was chosen to support the company’s mission of providing cars to the people.
Volkswagen means “People’s car.”
Since then, the ownership of Volkswagen has changed somewhat, as Volkswagen AG became listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, allowing new companies some opportunity to buy shares of Volkswagen.
Originally, under Volkswagen laws, no shareholder in Volkswagen AG could buy more than 20% of the voting rights.
In 2007, however, the European Union charged against this law, and ownership began to change. In 2008, Porsche bought a 35% stake in the Volkswagen Group. In a 2022 shareholder report from Volkswagen, Porsche Automobil Holding reportedly held about 53.3% of voter rights.
It is also worth mentioning that Porsche is technically owned by Volkswagen AG (Volkswagen Aktiengesellschaft) because of a takeover purchase in 2012. Therefore, if you think about the supervision of all votes and stocks, the actual answer to “Who is Volkswagen owned by?” is just Volkswagen AG.
Volkswagen has even alluded to this by issuing a post on their website, telling consumers that the sale and production of Volkswagen cars and SUVs is wholly under the management of the Volkswagen Group.
How many companies does Volkswagen own?
So, how many companies does Volkswagen own?
That is somewhat complicated. Volkswagen AG has (automotive and financial services) two distinct divisions. The group only owns a number of companies in automotive, and it is responsible for hundreds of subsidiary companies.
According to a 2008 report, Volkswagen had approximately 342 subsidiaries, and it has three joint ventures in China, which include Volkswagen Anhui, SAIC Volkswagen and FAW-Volkswagen.
In addition to what it owns outright, Volkswagen has a number of shareholdings in major brands worldwide. For example, Volkswagen owns the Diconium brand (which is a digital transformation company), plus it has a 50% ownership stake in IAV (which is an engineering company).
Volkswagen also has shareholdings in:
- Bugatti Rimac: joint ownership with Porsche AG and Rimac Group.
- MOIA: 100% ownership (mobility services).
- Pay by Phone: a pay-by-phone parking service.
- Italdesign Giugiaro: 100% ownership subsidiary through Lamborghini.
Volkswagen also has five former marcas (including Auto Union company, Dampf-Kraft-Wagen, Horch, Wanderer, and NSU Motorenwerke AG).
Companies Owned by Volkswagen: The Volkswagen Family
While most people think of Volkswagen as one brand, it is much more vast than that. Volkswagen AG is an international automotive manufacturer responsible for designing & manufacturing a variety of vehicles. They also provide many services, including fleet management, leasing, and finance. By 2016, it was the largest manufacturer in the world and stayed that way until 2019.
Volkswagen was ranked in 7th place on the 2020 Forbes Global 500 list.
In the beginning, Volkswagen was a simple company intended to mass-produce cheap cars in Germany. Growth in production took place quickly in the 1950s and 60s allowing them to make a number of strategic acquisitions.
In 1965 Volkswagen purchased the Auto Union Group.
This allowed Volkswagen to gain ownership of the Audi brand. Provoking the acquisition of a controlling stake in SEAT in 1986, which was their first purchase outside of Germany. In 1994 they acquired Skoda, and then took control of Lamborghini, Bentley, and Bugatti in 1998.
By 2008 Volkswagen purchased control of Scania, and acquired MAN, Porsche, and Ducati in 2012. Although a company heavily based in Europe, Volkswagen today operates in over 153 countries across the globe.
As even their primary brands, Volkswagen’s brands are broken apart in to 3 categories.
The Volkswagen marque includes “Volkswagen Truck & Bus”, “Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles”, and “Volkswagen Passenger Cars”.
Brands and car companies owned by Volkswagen
Volkswagen Group currently owns 15 automotive companies or brands, which include: Volkswagen, Seat, Audi, Skoda, Bugatti, Bentley, Lamborghini, Ducati, Porsche, Scania, MAN, and Volkswagen commercial vehicles.
The major companies associated with the VW brand are:
#1. Volkswagen.
Let’s talk about the most recognizable manufacturer on the list: Volkswagen AG has a 100 percent interest in all of the Volkswagen companies including Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Volkswagen Passenger Cars, and Volkswagen Truck and Bus.
The Volkswagen name was the first brand launched under the Volkswagen marque, which was founded in 1937 in Berlin, Germany, by the German Labor Front for the “Strength Through Joy” campaign.
Interestingly, the original company was announced by Adolf Hitler, who presented the company’s first vehicle, called the KdF-Wagen at the time. After this, Volkswagen began to produce other well-known vehicles such as the Beetle and Golf.
Volkswagen continued to expand to other varieties of vehicles, which were commercial vehicles and trucks, and finally, its electric vehicle range, which began in 2017.
Today, Volkswagen is the largest motor manufacturer in Europe.
#2. Traton SE.
Traton (or the “Traton Group”) is the new name for Volkswagen’s “Truck and Bus” division. Traton is one of the largest commercial vehicle manufacturers globally, which includes MAN and Scania brands and Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus and Navistar.
Traton was officially formed in 2013 to combine various vehicle companies run by Volkswagen Group. Traton also has a digital services solution, RIO, also one of Volkswagen’s subsidiaries.
Interestingly, Volkswagen states the name “Traton” has the first three letters of Transformation, transportation, and tradition. The last three letters – TON – stand for “tonnage”.
#3. Scania.
Scania is a leading manufacturer of automotive products based in Sweden, where the company is centered on commercial vehicles such as trucks, busses, and heavy lorries, while producing diesel engines for trucks and marine engines for marine and industrial applications.
The roots of the brand date back to 1911 to the initial merger of the two companies and is currently owned 100% by the Volkswagen Group with Scania being part of the subsidiary, Commerical Vehicles “Traton”, which is parented by Volkswagen alongside the MAN brand.
The reason Volkswagen has earnings of ownership over Scania is because they acquired the ownership that existed through the share to Volvo in 2000. By 2007, Volkswagen had a share of approximately 36.4% in Scania.
Eventually, Volkswagen purchased Investor AB in 2008 and earned ownership of 70.94%. As of 2015, Volkswagen has gained 100% share ownership of Scania.
#4. MAN Truck & Bus.
MAN Truck & Bus is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Traton Group, which is part of the Volkswagen family of companies. Based in Munch, Germany, MAN usually produces trucks and heavy goods vehicles to customers in countries around the globe.
The MAN Group sold light- and medium-duty trucks with MAN branding between 1967 and 1977 in tandem with the French Saviem Company, then formed a relationship with Volkswagen manufacturing and branding relationship from 1977-1993.
The MAN Group began producing trucks utilizing the Volkswagen LT design.
After Volkswagen formed its Truck & Bus subsidiary, which would later become its Traton subsidiary, it divested itself of its own shareholding in MAN Truck & Bus and transferred its interests to the new Truck & Bus division of Volkswagen AG.
#5. Navistar.
Navistar, an American company founded in 1986, is the successor to the original International Harvester brand. Today, Navistar owns the diesel engines and trucks that wear the “International” brand.
The company also manufacturers of IC Buses.
International Harvester was maybe best know for the original vehicles in the brand, which included the International Harvester Auto Wagon – a precursor to the modern pickup. By the 1990s, Navistar had captured a sizable share of the school bus market.
In 1995, Navistar acquired the AmTran Company, more or less shortly thereafter, Navistar began expanding the company’s facilities for products intended for international use. In 2020, Traton announced its desire to acquire Navistar’s outstanding shares.
In 2021, Traton completed the acquisition, and Navistar became a part of the Volkswagen family.
#6. Skoda.
Skoda is a Czech automotive manufacturer that sells cars to 100 countries around the world (its parent company is the German Volkswagen Group). In 2017, it somehow achieved the highest profit of all Volkswagen Group subsidiaries with the exception of Porsche.
The Skoda Car Company actually started as an arms manufacture called Škoda Works in 1859. It was one of the largest industrial conglomerates in Europe in the 20th century.
In the 1990s, Czechoslovak state authorities introduced a variety of foreign parties to help revive the Skoda brand.
Volkswagen promised to retain the Skoda brand and, with government’s approval, took a controlling interest in Skoda. Today, it is a fully owned subsidiary of Volkswagen and remains one of the biggest brands in the Volkswagen Group.
#7. SEAT.
SEAT is a Spanish automotive manufacturer and a member of the Volkswagen family, known for their cars for passengers and motorsports, and is one of the most well-recognized car brands in the Volkswagen Group. SEAT was founded in 1950, in a joint effort of Spain’s Instituto Nacional de Industria, Fiat, and Spanish banks.
The company has presently sold models in over 70 countries around the world being an established brand under the policies of VW. It is one of the major companies of VW family and it was the first among VW family of brands, that is actually from outside Germany.
SEAT operated as an “independent automaker” for about 36 years, until the Spanish government sold SEAT to the Volkswagen Group in 1986, after a co-operation agreement with Volkswagen and Audi starting in 1982 did take place.
SEAT gave the VW family a number of inroads into the Spanish and even various other European countries.
#8. Cupra.
Cupra is a fully-owned subsidiary of the SEAT brand, which is part of the family of car companies owned by Volkswagen. The Cupra brand was launched in 2018 as a standalone brand, stemming from the SEAT’s popular “Cupra trim” as a car lovers brand.
At this time, SEAT also had their sports-focused segment, SEAT Sport become the “Cupra Racing” group focused on motorsports.
Cupra is described as a “challenger” brand developing cars and experiences that inspire the world with progressive vehicles and experiences.
The Cupra brand remains relevant in SEAT’s motorsports segment and generates considerable sales revenue for the SEAT and Volkswagen brands.
#9. Scout Motors.
Scout Motors is a newly established company owned by Volkswagen since 2022. Although the company is wholly owned by the VW family, it operates as an independent subsidiary of the VW Group.
The establishment of this independent company was part of the VW AG vision to create an affordable and attractive new electric vehicle. The company manufactures all-terrain electric vehicles and is beginning to build factories across the US as it prepares to launch its first vehicles into the US marketplace.
The Scout name comes from the International Harvester all-terrain vehicle named the “Scout,” which ran from 1961 to 1980. The company plans to produce its first vehicles, an SUV and a pick-up truck, in 2026.
#10. Jetta.
Among our list of Volkswagen Group brands, Jetta is an interesting one. It was established in 2019, a joint venture between the Volkswagen team, and the FAW group that was intended to provide Volkswagen a bigger footprint in the Chinese market.
The “Volkswagen Jetta” was already a popular car in China, which prompted them to spin out a whole new subsidiary, solely under the name. Jetta only has a handful of models today. These include the VA3 Saloon, the VS5 Compact SUV, and the larger VS7 SUV.
All of these cars were completed by the larger Volkswagen company in Germany. The original car, the VA3, was simply an updated version of the Chinese Volkswagen Jetta.
#11. Porsche.
Porsche SE is a German automotive company part of the Volkswagen family widely seen as one of the most profitable brands. It offers high-performance sports cars and has an origin story that dates back to 1931, when founder Ferdinand Porsche formed “Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche GmbH.”
While the company was originally a consultant and development business that produced no vehicles with its name, it worked on a vehicle for the German government that would become the Volkswagen Beetle, a huge sales success.
Porsche has always had a favorable relationship with the Volkswagen Group, including working together to produce pairs of vehicles, which began in 1969 with the VW-Porsche 914 and followed by a 6-cylinder version.
In 2011, Porsche and Volkswagen merged their respective companies. Porsche is now owned primarily by Volkswagen AG, while Porsche Automobil Holding has a controlling stake in Volkswagen’s operations.
#12. Bentley.
Bentley is one of the United Kingdom’s most well regarded car manufacturers, known mostly for its luxury sedans and SUVs. The brand has an extensive product portfolio including a much storied background in the sports-racing industry and is still a producer of high performance vehicles meant for everyday use.
Bentley was founded in 1909, quickly gaining traction, but it encountered severe difficulties during the Great Depression and was sold to the British Central Equitable Trust company that was later uncovered to be connected to the Rolls Royce brand.
In 1971 Rolls Royce ran into its financial difficulties as well, leading to the nationalization of the brand by the British government and the creation of Rolls Royce Motors.
Eventually, Vickers, an engineering company, purchased Rolls Royce Motors and subsequently sold to VW which also obtained the Bentley brand.
#13. Audi.
Audi is among the largest of Volkswagen’s subsidiaries, with facilities worldwide that manufacture vehicles. The beginning of the business goes back to the 20th century and does get rather complicated.
Audi started with the joining of Horche and Audiwerke, DKW, and Wanderer all contributing to the establishment of the Auto Union in 1932. The “modern” era for Audi began when Volkswagen acquired Auto Union from the Daimler-Benz brand in the 1960s.
After relaunching the Audi brand, Volkswagen combined the Auto Union brand with the NSU Motorenwerke brand in 1969, which formed Audi today. Being the 100% ownership of the Audi brand, Volkswagen is also responsible for the Audi Sport collection.
#14. Lamborghini.
Alongside Porsche, and Lamborghini is one of the richest brands that VW owns. Lamborghini was founded in 1948, by Ferruccio Lamborghini. This Italian company is one of the most successful manufacturers in the entire world. Lamborghini is on the list of car companies owned by Lamborghini because they are part of the Audi Group.
In 1987 Lamborghini was sold to the Chrysler corporation, who eventually sold them to two investment groups.
Then one of these investment groups sold it to VW.
Volkswagen allowed Audi to control the sports car company. Lamborghini sits next to Audi Sport, Ducati, and a few others as the most renowned brands owned by VW.
#15. Ducati.
Ducati is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer and one of the rare companies on this list that doesn’t actually manufacture cars. Founded in 1926 by Antonio Ducati and his three sons to produce condensers, vacuum tubes and parts for radios.
In 1935, the company was successful and built a new factory, which was eventually destroyed during World War II. They moved into motorcycles and started designing small engines for bicycles instead.
By the 1960s, Ducati produced the fastest 250 cc machine in the world and quickly expanded into a much larger market.
In 2012, Audi (owned by Volkswagen) purchased Ducati. Today, the brand is owned by Lamborghini, which is owned by Audi, which is owned by Volkswagen.
#16. Bugatti.
Bugatti, established in 1909, became a member of the Volkswagen group in 1998, and is known for making the fastest car in the world.
Total ownership was completed in 2000, when Volkswagen took over the Ettore Bugatti guesthouse, and renovated it to be their new headquarters.
Which companies does Volkswagen own?
As you can tell from the list, Volkswagen owns more brands than you might realize.
Over the years, Volkswagen has become one of the largest automotive brands in the world, offering a huge selection of vehicles, including commercial and passenger vehicles.
Volkswagen even has a slice of the engine producing market as they also offer marine engines and products for the industrial sector by their subsidiaries. Alongside all the vehicle companies owned by Volkswagen there is an assortment of company brands which have the VW brand.
There is even a Volkswagen financial services division that is associated with all kinds of companies, from digital transformation companies to leasing companies.
Who knows what companies will come next to be acquired by Volkswagen?