Audi CEO Disliked VW Dealers

Mass. Wine Guy

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Maybe someone else knows more about this. Today while waiting for an appointment, I read in Automobile magazine how the CEO of Audi remarked how he liked but could not buy a Phaeton because this would require him to buy it from a VW dealer. He was fired less than 10 days later.
 

dieseldorf

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well shut my mouth! at least the poor fellow is honest
 

volle_pulle

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Is that really grounds for termination? Sounds a bit petty to me.

I've been looking on Autobild.de for this story, and so far, nada.
 

BleachedBora

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Seeing as he is a member of the VW group, saying a comment like that on a new launch that is not doing too well...yeah, I can see easily why he was terminated.
I'd probably do the same.
-BB
 

TDIMeister

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Don't bite the hand that feeds you.
Exactly, if you read the whole of his comments, what ex-Audi- CEO Axel Mees said of Ferdinand Piëch was basically in effect, "He (Piëch) is a long-past-his-professional-prime-has-been who was a good engineer, but made some colossal product- and business decision-making blunders (Phaeton and the VW drive up-market).

When you are an executive at such a high level, one chooses his words very carefully. Axel might have been giving his honest-goods two cents, and probably in a manner that it not out of his character; but yeah, diss your boss and you'll be vacating your top-floor office real quickly...
 

volle_pulle

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Ok, ok, it was Audi's NA chief...and he was criticizing the CEO. Yeah, that's not a good move. Hasn't Piech been replaced as well? Please correct me if i'm wrong, but hasn't VW's new CEO also criticized the Pheaton's development?

Kind of interesting to see that's it's not just an isolated view, about VW's poor choice of entering the luxury market.
 

BIGBUS

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Sadly, he is very correct about Piech...kinda like Mr. Agnelli (is that right?) of Fiat. Was worshipped for years, but ran Fiat into the ground.
 
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