Alex Webb, Columnist

Lamborghini Looks at Some Ferrari-Style Engineering

Volkswagen's spin-off strategy is starting to look a lot like Sergio Marchionne's at Fiat. But the German giant needs to be a little bolder.

October 14, 2019 at 10:20 AM UTC

By Alex Webb

Alex Webb is a correspondent for Bloomberg Quicktake. He previously covered the technology, telecoms and media industries in London, San Francisco and Munich.

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Photographer: John Phillips/Getty Images Europe

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At various times during his 14-year tenure as chief executive officer of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV, the late Sergio Marchionne held takeover talks with Volkswagen AG.

The news that VW is considering a stock-market listing of its Lamborghini supercar division suggests Marchionne continues to influence the German carmaking giant. By spinning off high-value operations such as trucks and sports cars, VW’s boss Herbert Diess would be imitating his Italian peer’s successful approach to creating shareholder value. But Diess is struggling to be as daring, which will make it harder to achieve his goals.