Porsche To Magna: Take The Money And Run

Bertel Schmitt
by Bertel Schmitt
porsche to magna take the money and run

Last year, Porsche gave Magna an eight-year contract to build the Cayman and Boxster models from 2012 on. Then Porsche went to Volkswagen. Then Opel came. VW was miffed and said “us or Opel.” When Magna’s Opel deal went poof, VW said Magna can come home, all is forgiven. Apparently not quite. Volkswagen (or Porsche, hard to say these days…) want to use the factories of bankrupt Karmann which Volkswagen had bought and cancelled the contract. Magna cried foul and wanted money.

Now, the matter is official, writes Automobilwoche [sub].



Porsche has officially dissolved the outsourcing contract with Magna, Boxster and Cayman will be built somewhere else, most likely in the former Karmann works in Osnabrück.

And Magna? Magna received a nice, but unspecified chunk of money for their troubles from magnanimous Porsche. (Or Volkswagen.) VW CEO Martin Winterkorn, who is also head of Porsche now, said: “You can believe me, Magna is very happy with the solution. They have been compensated for their work.” Come 2012, your Boxster or Cayman will not be made in Austria, but in scenic Osnabrück, birth place of the Karmann Ghia.

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  • PeteMoran PeteMoran on Dec 19, 2009

    Dancing with GM proves costly for every company they touch. (firmer Karmman works - I suspect you mean former - unless there's something interesting about the foundations?? Probably Boxter too, rather than boyter - otherwise known as the Gayman.)

  • Bertel Schmitt Bertel Schmitt on Dec 19, 2009

    PeteMoran for proof reader!

    You missed one: I spelled the Cayman as Caymann in the tags, sorry irreversible.

    However, it's Boxster not Boxter.

  • 1169hp 1169hp on Dec 19, 2009

    I'm just mad at that Cayman's misaligned exhaust pipes. I'll get over it though.

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