Volkswagen (VW; German pronunciation: [flks van]; /vo ks.w.

n/) is a German automobi urer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Volkswagen is the origin al and top-selling marque of the Volkswagen Group, the biggest German automaker and the third largest automaker in the world. Volkswagen has three cars in the top 10 list of best-selling cars of all time co mpiled by the website 24/7 Wall St: the Volkswagen Golf, the Volkswagen Beetle, and the Volkswagen Passat. With these three cars, Volkswagen has the most cars o f any automobile manufacturer in the list that are still being manufactured.[1] Volkswagen ranks first in spending the most money of any automaker on research a nd development as of 2011.[2] Volkswagen means "people's car" in German. Its current slogan is Das Auto ("The Car").

The Volkswagen Group comprises 12 principal vehicle manufacturers and their corr esponding marques: AUDI AG, the Audi Group, and the Audi marque: ~99.55% ownership;[8] the Audi marque is the sole active marque of the former Auto Union, bought from DaimlerBenz on 30 December 1964. quattro GmbH is Audi's performance engineering and man ufacturing subsidiary.[8] Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., and the Lamborghini marque: 100% ownership.[8 ] AUDI AG acquired Lamborghini S.p.A. in September 1998.[46]

Bentley including the Bentley marque: 100% ownership by Volkswagen AG.[8] Vo lkswagen purchased Rolls-Royce & Bentley from Vickers on 28 July 1998,[46] howev er the purchase did not include the license to use the Rolls-Royce trademark on automobiles, which is controlled by Rolls-Royce Plc.[47] BMW outmaneuvered Volks wagen, succeeding in obtaining the rights to use the Rolls-Royce trademark on au tomobiles. From July 1998 until December 2002, BMW continued to supply engines f or the Rolls-Royce Silver Seraph and the Bentley division sold cars under both t he Bentley and Rolls-Royce marques, under an agreement with BMW. Bugatti Automobiles S.A.S., and the Bugatti marque: 100% ownership.[8] Bugat ti Automobiles S.A.S. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Groupe VOLKSWAGEN France s .a.[48] Volkswagen acquired Bugatti International S.A. Holding in July 1998.[46] Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, and the Porsche marque: Volkswagen AG purchased 49.9% of the shares in Porsche Zwischenholding GmbH (the holding company of Por sche AG) in December 2009.[49] Volkswagen AG purchased the remaining stake in Po rsche AG equaling 100% of the shares in Porsche Zwischenholding GmbH, effectivel y becoming its parent company as of 1 August 2012.[37] Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. and the Ducati marque: 100% ownership by Automob ili Lamborghini S.p.A.;[8] company was bought on 19 July 2012.

MAN SE, and the MAN marque (controlling shareholder)[8] Acquired July 2011 b ecoming the 10th marque of the Group, 75.03% of voting rights as of 6 June 2012. Scania AB and the Scania marque (controlling shareholder):[8] Acquired July 2008 becoming the 9th marque of the Group, 89.2% of voting rights as of 31 Decem ber 2011.[13][50] SEAT, S.A. and the SEAT marque: 100% ownership;[8] initially in 1982 a co-op eration agreement with AUDI AG; 51% and 75% ownership in 1986, and full ownershi p in 1990. SEAT was the first non-German subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group.[23] koda automobilov a.s., koda Auto, and the koda marque: 100% ownership.[8] initia lly in 1991 a co-operation agreement and 30% ownership;[23] 60.3% and 70% owners hip on 1994 and 1995 respectively, 100% ownership since 2000[25] Suzuki Motor Corporation: Volkswagen AG completed the purchase of 19.9% of S uzuki Motor Corporation's issued shares on 15 January 2010, Volkswagen AG is the biggest shareholder in Suzuki. [51] The Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles assembly plant in Hannover, Germany Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles (VWCV), or German: Volkswagen Nutzfahrzeuge ( VWN): 100% ownership;[8] started operations as an independent entity in 1995. VW CV/VWN is in charge of all commercial vehicle developments within the Group, and has control over Scania AB and MAN SE. Volkswagen Passenger Cars, and the Volkswagen marque: the founding marque of the company, 100% ownership.[8] The Group also owns five defunct marques which are managed through the companies Auto Union GmbH and NSU GmbH, both of which are 100% owned by AUDI AG: Auto Union (the Auto Union company, together with NSU Motorenwerke AG (NSU), were merged into "Audi NSU Auto-Union AG" in 1969. The name was shortened to "A UDI AG" in 1985, and the interlocked four-ring badge from Auto Union is still us ed by AUDI AG). Dampf-Kraft-Wagen (DKW) Horch NSU Motorenwerke AG (NSU) bought in 1969 by Volkswagen AG, and merged into " Audi NSU Auto-Union AG"; the NSU brand has not been used since 1977, whilst the former NSU manufacturing plant at Neckarsulm is still used for Audi assembly. Ho wever, the current AUDI AG shares trade under the ticker symbol "NSU". Wanderer