Report: Volkswagen to Begin Distancing From Lamborghini

More evidence has surfaced that Volkswagen Group may be on the cusp of relieving itself of some of its less-profitable subsidiaries. Following news of a November board meeting that would help decide the fate of numerous ultra-premium brands, rumor has it that VW is currently working out ways to give Lamborghini more autonomy and open the door for supply deals that could foreshadow it being listed on the stock market.

Additionally, the automaker’s supervisory board has already reportedly met to discuss the future of Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, and its Ducati motorcycle arm. Discussions were said to include how to electrify the more sporting nameplates via industrial partnerships and procuring investment dollars. Some of these deals are already in the early stages, according to Reuters, with a possible IPO for the Italian supercar brand alleged to be moving forward at the time of this writing.

Take this with a grain of salt, however. The outlet failed to name its insider sources and Volkswagen refused to comment on the manner. While we’re inclined to believe the reporting, deals like this require plenty of planning and sometimes take ages to finalize as executives make up their minds. It could be a while before we get hard evidence or confirmation from VW — even if today’s news seems to suggest the opposite.

“Volkswagen is in the process of carving out Lamborghini, and to organize future supply and technology transfer deals,” one of the sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

It was then speculated that Lamborghini (currently a division of Audi) could be partially listed, with VW holding on to the lions share of stock to maintain control. But there has been “no formal decision to divest Lamborghini,” according to a secondary source, and no timetable for any of the arrangements suggested during the meeting.

“This is a first step which gives VW the option to list the unit further down the line,” they said.

From Reuters:

Volkswagen is reviewing what role its high-performance brands Lamborghini, Bugatti and Ducati will play within the multi-brand carmaker as part of broader quest for more economies of scale, senior executives told Reuters.

A global clampdown on combustion-engined vehicles has forced automakers to accelerate development of low-emission technology for mainstream models, leaving Volkswagen managers struggling to find resources to electrify low-volume sportscar models.

That will undoubtedly be touched upon again in November and Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess has suggested big changes will be announced before year’s end. Meanwhile, we’ve heard talk that Croatian supercar firm Rimac Automobili may already be in the process of scooping up Bugatti for itself with VW’s blessing.

[Image: Lamborghini]