{"id":10391,"date":"2025-12-11T06:55:54","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T07:55:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/?p=10391"},"modified":"2025-12-12T09:44:21","modified_gmt":"2025-12-12T09:44:21","slug":"audi-gives-up-control-of-italdesign-after-selling-majority-stake","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.undergroundz.org\/index.php\/2025\/12\/11\/audi-gives-up-control-of-italdesign-after-selling-majority-stake\/","title":{"rendered":"Audi Gives Up Control of Italdesign After Selling Majority Stake"},"content":{"rendered":"

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It\u2019s the end of an era in the automotive corporate world. Audi has offloaded its majority stake in Italdesign to a tech company you\u2019ve likely never heard of. California-based UST is taking control of the iconic design house, which had been part of the Volkswagen Group for well over a decade.<\/p>\n

In August 2010, Audi acquired 90.1 percent of Italdesign\u2019s shares and, in June 2015, the remaining 9.9 percent, making Italdesign a wholly owned subsidiary. Audi says it will continue to \u201cretain a significant stake\u201d in Italdesign through Lamborghini, which is part of the Audi Group alongside Bentley<\/a>, Audi Sport, and Ducati.<\/p>\n

Founded in 1968 by the legendary and prolific Giorgetto Giugiaro, the Italian design house worked on a vast array of Volkswagen Group products. In addition to Audi\u2019s own 80 and the mechanically related but lesser-known Asso di Picche concept, Italdesign penned the original Golf, Scirocco, and Passat. But Italdesign\u2019s heritage extends far beyond VW and its many brands.<\/p>\n

It shaped everything from the humble Hyundai Pony to the BMW M1<\/a>. Numerous Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati models were created in Moncalieri, along with a couple of projects for Renault. The portfolio also includes obscure vehicles such as the Hyundai Stellar, Daewoo Lacetti, and the more recent Hongqi HS5. Oh, there were also a handful of Lamborghini tractors.<\/p>\n

\"<p>Audi <\/p>\n

Audi 80-based 1973 Italdesign Asso di Picche concept<\/p>\n

So who is the new owner? According to its website, UST claims to have created over $1 billion in value for more than 140 clients. Its expertise ranges across artificial intelligence, data analytics, cybersecurity, and intelligent automation. Beneath the buzzwords, the tech firm, founded in 1999, says it employs more than 30,000 people across over 30 countries.<\/p>\n

UST plans to \u201cassume operational responsibility while honoring and building on Italdesign\u2019s Italian heritage, design culture, and the talent of its employees.\u201d Details are limited, but the two companies say they will complement each other:<\/p>\n

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‘The majority takeover of Italdesign by UST creates a strong partnership that combines UST\u2019s expertise in automotive engineering, artificial intelligence, software-defined vehicle development, and digital ecosystem design with Italdesign\u2019s deep knowledge in vehicle and product design, engineering, prototyping, small series production, and automotive electronics.<\/p>\n

Together, the companies will be able to offer a comprehensive and integrated range of services \u2013 from early concept and design to hardware and software development through to production systems. This combined capability is designed to support the development of fully modern, digitally enabled vehicles.’<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

You’ve probably forgotten about it already, but Italdesign\u2019s final project under Audi ownership was a small electric 2+2 coupe. Built on the MEB+ platform destined for the upcoming ID.2 Polo, the EVX concept<\/a> was a one-off, with no real intention of entering production.<\/p>\n

In fact, the EVX wasn\u2019t even a physical concept. Beyond a series of renderings, Italdesign presented it only as a hologram at the IAA Mobility show in Munich earlier this year. It\u2019s sad to see Italdesign fade into obscurity, but hopefully it will rise again. As for Giorgetto Giugiaro, the 87-year-old designer is still going strong, having founded the GFG Style<\/a> studio in 2015 with his son Fabrizio Giugiaro.<\/p>\n

Italdesign\u2019s 777-HP Concept Car Is Almost a Pickup Truck<\/a>
DeLorean Alpha5 Revealed As Electric Coupe With 300 Miles Of Range<\/a>
Nissan GT-R50 By Italdesign Finally Being Delivered To Customers<\/a>
This Voyah i-Land Electric Coupe Is Undeniably Penned By Italdesign<\/a><\/p>\n

Source: Audi<\/p>\n

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