Eastern Europe

Volkswagen TSI Twinchargers Win the Votes in Eastern and Central Europe as TechnoBest Award for supercharger-turbocharger combination by 15-nation jury in Istanbul awards its prize to TSI engines

Wolfsburg, 21 February 2008 - At a ceremony in Istanbul, Volkswagen last night received the renowned “TechnoBest” technology prize for its TSI engines. The prize is awarded by a motoring jury from the automobile markets of Eastern and Central Europe. The jury said the Volkswagen TSI demonstrated genuine advancement in the field of petrol-engine technology.

J.D. Power and Associates Reports: Annual Growth of Diesel Light-Vehicle Demand in Eastern Europe, Asia and North America Set to Surpass That of Western Europe

OXFORD: 16 January 2008 — Annual growth of diesel light-vehicle demand in Eastern Europe, Asia and North America combined is projected to surpass growth in Western Europe by the early part of the next decade, according to the J.D. Power and Associates Automotive Forecasting Global Diesel Light-Vehicle ForecastSM.

Dec. 2007 -- ZF is focusing on growth and expects sales in Eastern European to increase by 10 percent. The aim is to gain access to the markets in the East. Any company interested in doing business with Eastern European vehicle manufacturers needs to have a local presence in these countries. All of the major volume manufacturers have developed production capacities in the East, and all ZF competitors have established themselves here. Without a presence in Eastern Europe, ZF could runs the risk of being driven out of the market in Western Europe by low-cost suppliers from Eastern Europe. The same applies to Japanese and Korean vehicle manufacturers who have been joined in Eastern Europe by their Asian suppliers. ZF wants to get in on the action as a partner for Asian manufacturers.

Strengthens its presence in Eastern Europe

Bratislava, Slovakia – 20 November 2007. Johnson Controls, one of the world’s leading suppliers of automotive interiors, electronics and batteries, is today opening a new Automotive Business Center in Bratislava. Some 180 employees are currently working in Štúrova 4 in the areas of finance, purchasing, information technology and human resources. Another 170 new jobs will be created there by the end of 2008 in order to support the future growth of the company in the Eastern European growth markets.

Hanover/Puchov, November 8, 2007 -- Continental AG has acquired a majority interest in the Slovak company Continental Matador Rubber s.r.o. and is pressing ahead with the organisational integration of the tire, engineering and conveyor belt operations

Continental AG in Hanover has acquired a 51% interest in Continental Matador Rubber s.r.o. based in Puchov, Slovakia.

The tire and conveyor belt busi­ness, together with the rubber processing equipment business unit, were separated beforehand from the parent company Matador a.s., which now holds a 49% interest in the joint company.

- New record: 4.61 million vehicles delivered in the first nine months
- Substantial growth in South America, Asian-Pacific region and Central and Eastern Europe

Wolfsburg, 18 October 2007 - The Volkswagen Group delivered 4.61 million vehicles world-wide between January and September 2007, setting a new record for the first nine months of a year. This corresponds to an increase of 8.2 percent compared to the same period last year. September likewise demonstrated a new record for the same month in any year: 545,500 vehicles sold mean an increase of 6.5 percent compared to September 2006.

Crewe / Riga, October 12, 2007 -- Bentley Motors, whose powerful grand tourers are renowned throughout the world for their luxury and performance, today opens the latest dealership in its worldwide network in Riga, capital of Latvia. Bentley Riga is the latest addition to Bentley Motors’ expansion into Eastern Europe after the opening of Bentley Istanbul, Turkey in May this year.