Piech Exit to Loosen VW Politburo, Creating U.S. Opportunity

The sudden departure of Volkswagen AG Chairman Ferdinand Piech stands to loosen his politburo-style management, which could help VW finally start making cars Americans want to buy.

Volkswagen’s efforts to empower regional managers are set to accelerate after Piech resigned on Saturday. That could especially help the German manufacturer in the U.S., where VW was the only large-scale carmaker that failed to boost sales last year because of a lack of sport-utility vehicles and other cars tailored to American tastes.