Shortly after the first post-war Christmas in 1945 the first Volkswagen Type 1 – which, as the Beetle, sold more than 21 million cars – rolled off the production line in Wolfsburg.
Toyota Motor outsold sold Volkswagen in November as sales at the Volkswagen brand dropped, the result of the diesel emissions scandal. On Christmas, Toyota said it sold 9.21 million vehicles during January through November in 2015. The VW Group posted sales of 9.1 million during the same time. Given the ongoing ethical, legal and image problems at VW, it’s a good bet the Toyota will once again be the world’s largest automaker when the books close on 2015. VW brand sales have been dropping each month since October after it was revealed the company had cheated and lied about the emissions of its “clean diesel engines. Audi and Porsche are also implicated in the scandal.
The Volkswagen Group with headquarters in Wolfsburg remains one of the world’s leading vehicle manufacturer and the largest automaker in Europe. The Group comprises twelve brands from seven European countries: Volkswagen Passenger Cars, Audi, SEAT, ŠKODA, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, Porsche, Ducati, Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles, Scania and MAN.
During 2014, the Group increased the number of vehicles delivered to customers to 10.137 million (2013: 9.731 million). In Western Europe, more than one in four new cars is made by the Volkswagen Group. Group sales revenue in 2014 totaled €202 billion (2013: €197 billion), while profit after tax amounted to €11.1 billion (2013: €9.1 billion).
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
