Most European automakers struggled through a six-year slump that reduced the car market by more than a third. Much like the Detroit Three, manufacturers overly reliant on Europe like PSA Citroen were stretched to the breaking point. But Volkswagen, Europe's biggest automaker, came through the downturn well. Its home market, Germany, wasn't as affected by the debt crisis as southern and western Europe. VW is a big player in China, where demand remained strong, and it does a lot of business elsewhere in Asia and in Latin America. It also has an attractive portfolio of luxury brands, including , Bentley Motors and , that tend to fare better in recessions than mass-market brands. VW emerged from the downturn further in the lead, with a 25% share of the European market, up from 19.5% in 2007.
Reported by Forbes.com 2 days ago.
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