蛇吞象？ 保时捷控制大众汽车

法兰克福2009年1月6日消息 – 德国豪华跑车制造商保时捷 （Porsche） 在购买并持有超过50%的大众汽车（Volksvagen）股票后，在星期一晚些时候宣布，已经控制了这家欧洲最大的汽车公司 - 大众汽车公司。

保时捷在简短的声明中表示，通过新购买VW的股份，目前已经从原来的42%增加到50.76%。

大众汽车目前在产量方面排名全球第3大汽车制造厂商，仅次于通用GM 和丰田Toyota。通用GM基本上是靠赔本促销维持其销售额，但其财务上已经负债累累，处于破产的边缘。所以丰田和大众其实是全球最顶尖的两大汽车制造厂商。这在某种程度也反应了日本和德国两大顶尖制造大国的地位。

保时捷原本计划去年完成50+% VW控股，一度把VW的股价有一片刻超过1000欧元，使VW一度成为全球最值钱的公司。目前，VW的股价在250欧元上下。

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Porsche had initially planned to acquire more than 50 percent of VW's stock last year but was forced to delay the operation after the value of the shares soared amid frantic stock market speculation.

At one point, they traded for more than 1,000 euros (1,350 dollars) per share, making VW briefly the biggest company in the world by stock market valuation.

On Monday, VW shares closed at 254.74 euros, close to the range Porsche had set for itself of between 200-250 euros.

VW said in August that it had overtaken Ford to become the world's third biggest automaker behind General Motors and Toyota.

Porsche's takeover sees a family-controlled company that makes 100,000 expensive sportscars a year take control of a national institution that churns out five million vehicles annually.

Porsche, which makes the 911 sports car and Cayenne sports utility vehicle, plans to raise its stake in VW to more than 75 percent this year, with which it expects to gain total control over the group.

Having more than 75 percent would allow it to seal a so-called domination contract giving it full financial control.

In Germany, a minority investor that owns 25 percent of a company's shares can block strategic decisions, but in the case of VW that level is currently set by law at 20 percent, the amount owned by the state of Lower Saxony, where VW is based.

Porsche has challenged the so-called VW law and has received support from the European Commission, which has threatened to haul Berlin into European court again after a revised version of the law retained the 20 percent minority blocking threshold.

Porsche built up its stake in the much bigger VW through the use of stock options that allowed it to catch markets by surprise last year with the size of its holding.

VW's works committee is wary of the takeover however and of Porsche boss Wendelin Wiedeking, who has crossed swords with trade unions, which are extremely powerful at VW.

VW posted sales of 109 billion euros in 2007, while Porsche, which employs 11,600 workers, reported sales of seven billion euros in its 2006-2007 fiscal year.

The IG Metall trade union fears a Porsche takeover would lead to job cuts at German VW plants, despite assurances from Porsche that it is a long-term investor in the auto giant.