Audi to sell Lambo....

Is this confirmed, or just a rumor? Spinning it off to shareholders (ie, a public offering), or selling to a corporate?

 

http://www.just-auto.com/news_detail.asp?art=51252
GERMANY: Lamborghini not for sale
15 Mar 2006
Source: just-auto.com editorial team

Article Summary:
Audi does not plan to sell Lamborghini, contrary to reports published in the German magazine auto motor und sport.

(I'm not a subscriber, so WYSIWYG)

 

That's what I would have thought. Would have been a VERY surprising move for them, given their investments in the Company to date, and the fact that Lambo is just starting to hit their stride.

 

My friends that work for Lambo have not said anything about a weakening resolve on the part of Audi.

They do however regretfully say that they see the company becoming very much more German with the trend in engineering and product development going in the direction of Audi's with exotic bodywork.

They find it very discouraging and expect the ever increasing number of job openings to be filled by Germans. Can you say non renweal of contracts?

It will soon no longer be an Italian car, it will be full on German built in a satellite plant.

 

This was actually a joke.

Nothing more.

 

And what about Audi S8 sharing engine with Lambo ?

 

John what you may be talking about is the fact that last year the warranty expenses were being hidden from the Germans. A year end audit uncovered them and the sh*t really hit the fan. Heads got rolled and the Germans made all sorts of threats. Sounds like one of the threats went public and someone took it seriously.

 

Car companies insure "excess warranty liabilities". Some pissed of owner trying to cause trouble for the company hoping they can improve quality. Now news here - just somebody trying to make one from the rumor he heard in a restroom.

 

That information was not a rumor. As I said it was from some friends that work for tha Lambo factory.
I am unaware of excess warranty liabilities or insurance coverage for same but I suspect it is not done by the Italian companies because I know of 2 times in the last 23 years when unexpected warranty costs nearly put one company out of business, again not rumor.

 

Sorry - i misunderstood your post. Still no reason to sale the company. Heads better roll if they use some creative accounting to manipulate the number. Even if Audi not subject to SOX they still can get in trouble.

 

Yeah, well more German influence? Might as well shut her down. Lamborghini will turn into another commoditized brand in a short time.

 

They'll end up losing money. Don't they understand the appeal of Lamborghini is its flamboyant feel and Italianness?

Perhaps they think they can simply put a Lambo engine in it and do the rest in German.

Kiss residual values goodbye, unless Audi plans to do some very sophisticated engineering with Lambo that they would otherwise not be able to do.

But the writing is on the wall with the use of the G's engine in a few Audis.


What a shame.....



Forza,


Cavallini

 

Sell Lambo to Ferrari

 

You are making the classic mistake of thinking that the average auto consumer has your tastes. They do not. Look at how many really awful front wheel drive s**t boxes have had a wing put on the back and some combination of the letters X,R,S,T,W,G,T, attached to the name and they have sold like hotcakes. Harley Davidson, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Porsche just to name a few can put their badge on anything and sell it, maybe not to the faithful, but they will sell.

I think the Lambo engine will be the next major thing to go. VW/AUDI has some very powerful engines that are much less expensive to build. Just bolt on some finned aluminum castings that say Lamborghini and a loud muffler.

Sad, but I think that is the future.

Want a preview? Look at Rolls or the Bentley Cont GT. Do either resemble what used to come out of Crew? Pop the hood, one of the most famous engine builders in the world and now it says Fabrik en Deutschland.

 

HELL YEAH!

 

Why would they buy? Lambo or should I say AUDI will take itself out of the game.

The only question that remains, will Ferrari do likewise?

 

And how! I'm still amazed at how "at home" I felt when getting behind the wheel of a rental S4 when I was last in LA. Never been in the new A/S4, but Gallardo's dash/guages/radio could have been a direct swap!

nlh

 

<- implies joke

 

Sorry, to dense to get it.

But my second sentence does worry me a little. Without Lambo biting at their heels, what then?

 

The cars will stagnate, performance will not really change that much, etc.

 

I don't think he was being very serious when he said that. I doubt that will actually happen.

 

guys,audi are doing GREAT with lamborghini ownership.everyone seems to be complaining about lambo's current "german-ness" while ALL other carmakers
are trying to achieve exactly that;GERMAN "feel".
seriously though,lamborghini has never been in better hands than audi.
sales are superb,the cars are magic!feruccio must be smiling in his grave!

 

Couldn't dissagree more