What if a car company spent nearly $800 million… and didn’t even get the brand they thought they bought? 😳🚗 This is the unbelievable story of how BMW outplayed Volkswagen Group in one of the smartest, and most calculated, moves in automotive history. In the late 1990s, Rolls-Royce Motors was up for sale, and Volkswagen went all in, dropping around $790 million to secure the factory, designs, and everything that visually defined the brand. It looked like a clear win. But there was one critical detail they missed… The rights to the Rolls-Royce name itself weren’t included. Those belonged to the aerospace giant Rolls-Royce plc, a completely separate entity after a government split decades earlier. And BMW? They already knew. After intentionally placing a lower bid and stepping back, BMW waited for Volkswagen to finalize the deal… then quietly secured the naming rights for just $66 million. 🤯 The result? 👉 Volkswagen ended up with Bentley 👉 BMW walked away with Rolls-Royce A billion-dollar misunderstanding… or a perfectly executed strategy? This isn’t just a car story—it’s a masterclass in business strategy, timing, and knowing what really matters in a deal. 👉 If you love hidden automotive history, business power moves, and industry secrets, follow Sarah on Speed for more stories you won’t hear anywhere else.
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It wasn’t that simple. VW won far more for their $800 million - a working factory, complex, current models selling well in the market generating cashflow under 2 brands plus the entire infrastructure of the business. BMW got the name and nothing else. Not even the rights to the RR Grille or Flying Lady. They had to build a new factory, staff it with skilled workers with the craftsmanship and techniques to build the most premium car in the world. Then they had to design and build a brand new Rolls Royce from scratch then set up a dealer network worldwide to sell and service it. That probably could have cost them well over a billion dollars.
What a ridiculous story!! a company as big as VW with hundreds of lawyers paying 800M get scammed like a 6 years old child is one of the most absurd thing I have ever heard!
VW should have sued their lawyers for negligence
If true sounds like some seriously deliberate corporate fraud to me.
German auto firms pulling dirty tricks on each other
shows that lawyers every where are crooked .
Looks like VW didn't do their homework rechecking trademark and both businesses ownership, what is crucial before signing any deal.
it's true too. the Rolls Royce you buy today only has the name, not the pedigree or heritage, it's an empty brand
Its sad that the world most famous and respected car brand should have ever left UK waters.
Volkswagen only bought the car division, not the aircraft engine dept.
For ONCE. Some really informative news 👏👏
Why didn't VW just pay another 70M and buy the trademark?
I met the CEO(?) of BMW twice in the reception at Rolls Royce (Derby) while I was working there. This story should be told in every business course. Licencing is very important.
IIRC, VW did NOT get the rights to the Spirit of Ecstasy or the copyrighted grill design, or the RR logo. Those were also all owned by the aero engine company, and sold to BMW.
Legally right morally wrong
If Vickers colluded in this, it's a sign of very bad ethics. Deception is not a great way to promote your brand. The whole episode is extremely distasteful.
It's not a iconic move, it's a deceptive non transparent move.
WOW, Pete UK 🇬🇧 here and this video has just blown my mind.. Typical fukin sneaky corporate knobs.... This sort of thing is why the world 🌎 is in this chaotic unfair mess that it's in... How many agree with me?? Pete UK 🇬🇧
So Vickers colluded with BMW.
Very few of these social media shorts make a point as succinct, and clear as this one I have to give them kudos, this is pretty accurate - after ford was galavanting across the globe, buying up anything european... What Ford didn't touch were the potentially overpriced assets of rolls royce and bentley... But pretty much owned everything else This was indeed a trap