Volkswagen began its involvement in Ireland when in 1949, Motor Distributors Limited, founded by Stephen O'Flaherty secured the franchise for the country at that year's Paris Motor Show. [1] [2]
Volkswagen began its involvement in Ireland when in 1949, Motor Distributors Limited, founded by Stephen O'Flaherty secured the franchise for the country at that year's Paris Motor Show. [1] [2]
Motor Distributors' began to handle Volkswagen in Ireland in 1950, when Volkswagen Beetles started arriving into Dublin packed in crates in what was termed 'completely knocked down' (CKD) form ready to be assembled. The vehicles were assembled in a former tram depot at 162 Shelbourne Road in Ballsbridge. As of 2021, this is the premises for Ballsbridge Motors who are a Mercedes-Benz dealer. The first Volkswagen ever built outside Germany was assembled here. [3] This vehicle is now on display at the Volkswagen Museum in Wolfsburg. [4] Irish-assembled Beetles rose from an output of 46 units in 1950 to 2,155 units in 1952. This necessitated a move in 1955 to a new factory premises on the Naas Road. Assembly of the Beetle continued there until 1977 when production of the car ceased in Europe. Volkswagen vehicle assembly continued in Dublin until the mid-1980s. During the same period, the Volkswagen Transporter van was also assembled at these premises. This premises remained as the headquarters for Motor Distributors Ltd. [5]
Between 1950 and 1980, Beetle sales in Ireland averaged at 3,000 - 4,000 units per annum peaking in 1972 when 5,288 units were sold. In 1953, O'Flaherty acquired the Volkswagen franchise for the United Kingdom, which he sold to the Thomas Tilling group in 1957. In 1956, Volkswagen sales were high enough to cause concern in Dáil Éireann that it was adversely affecting the balance of payments. [6] The Volkswagen Golf Mk1 was introduced in 1975 and the Beetle ceased to be sold in 1980.
The rights to distribute the Audi brand were acquired in 1967 and the rights for Skoda acquired in 1993. [7]
In 2007, it was announced that Volkswagen AG would take direct control over its operations in Ireland from October 2008. [8] This took effect on 10 October 2008 when the distribution business became Volkswagen Group Ireland. [9] This came about as result of the lifting of block exemption regulations in 2003. [10] [11] Headquarter were moved from its premises on the Naas Road to Liffey Valley. [12]
In November 2009, Volkswagen Group Ireland also took control of the distribution business of SEAT in Ireland, another Volkswagen Group Brand. [13]
Volkswagen, abbreviated as VW, is a German motor vehicle manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. Founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front under the Nazi Party and revived into a global brand post-World War II by the British Army Officer Ivan Hirst, it is known for the iconic Beetle and serves as the flagship brand of the Volkswagen Group, the largest automotive manufacturer by worldwide sales in 2016 and 2017. The group's biggest market is in China, which delivers 40 percent of its sales and profits. Its name is derived from the German-language terms Volk and Wagen, translating to "people's car" when combined.
Volkswagen AG, known internationally as the Volkswagen Group, is a German multinational automotive manufacturer headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, Germany. The company designs, manufactures and distributes passenger and commercial vehicles, motorcycles, engines and turbomachinery, as well as offering related services, including financing, leasing and fleet management. In 2016, it was the world's largest automaker by sales, and keeping this title in 2017, 2018, and 2019, selling 10.9 million vehicles. It has maintained the largest market share in Europe for over two decades. It ranked seventh in the 2020 Fortune Global 500 list of the world's largest companies.
The Volkswagen Beetle—officially the Volkswagen Type 1, is an economy car that was manufactured and marketed by the German company Volkswagen (VW) from 1938 until 2003. It has a rear-engine design with a two-door bodystyle and is intended for five occupants.
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A direct-shift gearbox is an electronically-controlled, dual-clutch, multiple-shaft, automatic gearbox, in either a transaxle or traditional transmission layout, with automated clutch operation, and with fully-automatic or semi-manual gear selection. The first dual-clutch transmissions were derived from Porsche in-house development for the Porsche 962 in the 1980s.
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SAIC Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd., formerly known as Shanghai Volkswagen Automotive Co., Ltd. is an automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Anting, Shanghai, China and a joint venture between Volkswagen Group and SAIC Motor. It was founded in 1984 and produces cars under the Volkswagen, Škoda and Audi marques. It is the second automobile manufacturing joint venture in China after American Motors and the first German car manufacturer to enter China.
The Volkswagen Transporter, based on the Volkswagen Group's T platform, now in its seventh generation, refers to a series of vans produced for over 70 years and marketed worldwide.
TDI is Volkswagen Group's term for its current common rail direct injection turbodiesel engine range that have an intercooler in addition to the turbo compressor.
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The automotive industry in Ireland has had a varied history, the punitive tax on imported cars encouraged a wide range of companies to assemble their cars locally including Fiat, Ford and Renault. From Ireland's entry to the European Union in 1973, the need for locally produced cars to avoid import taxes reduced and since the 1980s, production ended and all cars are now imported.
OOO Volkswagen Group Rus was a subsidiary of Volkswagen AG, which grew from an investment agreement signed on 29 May 2006. Its main factory was in Kaluga, approximately 170 kilometres (110 mi) southwest of Moscow.
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