AUGUST 26, 2001

A switch of direction at Volkswagen

VOLKSWAGEN is planning a major rebranding process to increase sales of Audi and Seat cars and, interestingly, the intention seems to be to make them both more exciting and this would seem to suggest that motorsport programs are the logical way forward. The rumors follow an analysts briefing by Seat chief executive Bernd Pischetsrieder, the man who is tipped to take control of the whole VW empire when Ferdinand Piech retires.

Pischetsrieder is a great Formula 1 fan and was involved in the planning for the BMW F1 project before he and rival Wolfgang Reitzle were dropped by the Munich company.

Pischetsrieder's aim is to give Audi, Bugatti, Lamborghini and Seat rather more interesting images while leaving VW's other brands Bentley, Skoda and Volkswagen to be the rather more staid brands.