Qatar owns 10% of Porsche

[Mitlov]

This is the bizarre-alternate-universe version of "Government Motors."  The small Persian Gulf country of Qatar now owns 10% of Porsche and has a option to purchase 20% of Volkswagen.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/14/qatar-buys-10-percent-of-porsche-options-for-20-percent-of-vw/

[Turbo Bob]

When "traditional" European and US businesses need cash, where do they go?  To the people with all the cash.

http://motorsports.mubadala.ae/sponsorship

[safristi]

..explains why the Panamera has a HUMPTY BACKED CAMEL LOOK.............

[kardood69]

This is the bizarre-alternate-universe version of "Government Motors."  The small Persian Gulf country of Qatar now owns 10% of Porsche and has a option to purchase 20% of Volkswagen.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/08/14/qatar-buys-10-percent-of-porsche-options-for-20-percent-of-vw/

What's the bizarre-alternate-universe part?

[Mitlov]

What's the bizarre-alternate-universe part?

Two German companies work on a merger for a long time (a year now?  two years?) and, out of the process, a small Middle Eastern government ends up with a significant ownership share?  To me, this is kind of like Tajikistan ending up with a 10% share of Ford.  It's just out of left field.

[Erik]

What's the bizarre-alternate-universe part?

Two German companies work on a merger for a long time (a year now?  two years?) and, out of the process, a small Middle Eastern government ends up with a significant ownership share?  To me, this is kind of like Tajikistan ending up with a 10% share of Ford.  It's just out of left field.

Agreed. The whole Porsche buying VW thing smacked of hubris of the worst kind. I guess an outcome like this is not a huge surprise in the end, even if the players involved were not to be expected.

[Mitlov]

Agreed. The whole Porsche buying VW thing smacked of hubris of the worst kind.

That wasn't what I was thinking about at all.  It doesn't bother me one bit.  I mean, Volkswagen Auto Group already includes Lamborghini and Bugatti and Bentley...I don't see that Porsche is one step too far.

It was just the involvement of a Middle Eastern government (not investment group, but government) in a German-on-German merger that shocked me.

[kardood69]

What's the bizarre-alternate-universe part?

Two German companies work on a merger for a long time (a year now?  two years?) and, out of the process, a small Middle Eastern government ends up with a significant ownership share?  To me, this is kind of like Tajikistan ending up with a 10% share of Ford.  It's just out of left field.

Tajikistan is not loaded like Qatar.  I'm no expert but they supposedly got cash and like to spend it / invest it.   

Maybe they really like the Toureg and Cayenne!

Don't worry, Qatar is (currently) west-friendly.  Canada and Australia fly their F-18's out of their whenever there's a war....

[Mitlov]

Tajikistan is not loaded like Qatar.  I'm no expert but they supposedly got cash and like to spend it / invest it.   

Maybe they really like the Toureg and Cayenne!

Don't worry, Qatar is (currently) west-friendly.  Canada and Australia fly their F-18's out of their whenever there's a war....

I know Qatar is loaded; that wasn't the point.  Neither is the issue of Qatar's foreign policy.  I just never expected to see an Arab government as a major shareholder in a German auto company.

But hey, see my sig...more true than I imagined when I wrote it last week.

[kardood69]

Arab governments probably own pieces of a lot of things...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qatar_Investment_Authority
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_wealth_fund

[Erik]

Agreed. The whole Porsche buying VW thing smacked of hubris of the worst kind.

That wasn't what I was thinking about at all.  It doesn't bother me one bit.  I mean, Volkswagen Auto Group already includes Lamborghini and Bugatti and Bentley...I don't see that Porsche is one step too far.

It was just the involvement of a Middle Eastern government (not investment group, but government) in a German-on-German merger that shocked me.

Looks like you read me wrong on this. Porsche makes sense folded into the Volkswagen group. Sad to lose an independent tho, especially when there wasn't a need for it. I the hubris I was referring to was on the Porsche side, trying to buy up VW.
I certainly get where you are coming from. You can see the German government maybe taking a part of it (as they have been, at least on a local level, involved for ages), but this just seemed odd.
Are automakers eventually going to all be government assets of some kind because no country can afford to let them fail? Japan has certainly taken this approach. Would have been interesting to see what would have happened if Renault hadn't bailed out Nissan.