Martin Winterkorn Quotes

The problem with the auto industry is layered upon the lack of consumer confidence. People are not buying cars. I don't care whether they're or American cars, or international cars.

And all of the big shots of the car industry are there, strutting their stuff. And that year, they're feeling especially good because cars were selling more than ever before.

Trans Am sales went up 70 percent after Smokey and the Bandit, and I was promised a free car every year for life by the Pontiac president.

When consumers purchase a Toyota, they are not simply purchasing a car, truck or van. They are placing their trust in our company.

One cannot compare Skoda with the Volkswagen brand. Volkswagen is the world's biggest brand selling over four million cars a year, so there is really nothing to compare.

At a European auto show, I had someone from a German car company come up to me and say the Karma should cost $125,000, not $87,900, but our development process lets us lower the costs. I guarantee it's profitable.

I would like to thank Wolfgang Schreiber for his successful work with Bentley and Bugatti and the consistent further development of the two brands.

I'm glad to see that BMW is bringing an electric car to market. That's cool.

Selling an electric sports car creates an opportunity to fundamentally change the way America drives.

The automotive corporations, including Ford, I think are in the business of trying to make cars that people will drive.

We have some worse scenarios for which we need to prepare as companies. For the moment, we're planning for the worst, and the worst is now, and the car market is down more than 15 percent in France. There is so much uncertainty.

I designed a sports car, the Cizeta-Moroder, with Marcello Gandini from Lamborghini; he did the Countach, of course. The Cizeta cost $600,000, but we could bargain - if a Japanese businessman says he wants it for three, fine.

When we talk about reviews, what we are really talking about is just a market report - it's like reading about the new Lexus. You have to know what the guy writing the review cares about to understand his take. Does he like sports cars, or does he like Bentleys?

I believe that we have not yet played out full competitiveness in the notchback segment.

I was really into classifieds for awhile. I'm a big negotiator. My father owned a car dealership when I was younger... it's just in my blood.

For value investors, General Motors is a tempting target. The company's share of the North American auto market has steadily declined for two decades, and analysts say the company suffers from weak management and unexciting cars.

I liken myself to Henry Ford and the auto industry, I give you 90 percent of what most people need.

Germans make nice cars.

Now, if most Americans want to go out and buy a car, they don't say, you know, 'I think I'll call the chairman of the board of Ford Motor Company and see what kind of deal we can make here.'

Apple's market share is bigger than BMW's or Mercedes's or Porsche's in the automotive market. What's wrong with being BMW or Mercedes?

To make a very specific car only for India - where you don't know where the segments are tomorrow or will it shift - is tough.

I was involved with a sports car called Cizeta-Moroder, which was the first 16-cylinder car, beautiful. I think we sold about eight cars, and then in '92 the economic crash came, and we had to close the shop.

Electric cars are not going to take the market by storm, but it's going to be a gradual improvement.

In syndication, the biggest buyers are car dealerships.

You can't develop a great car and sell it as an independent. You can develop a great car and make a deal with Mercedes.