Talk:Autoeuropa

The Volkswagen Autoeuropa plant in Palmela represents the pinnacle of Automotive manufacturing in Portugal. In addition, it represents 1% of the GDP of Portugal. It opened as a 50/50 joint-venture between Volkswagen and Ford, with its initial purpose to assemble a model sold under three marques: Volkswagen Sharan, SEAT Alhambra, and Ford Galaxy.

In its heyday, Autoeuropa almost reached its production limit of 172,500 units per year, but when Ford left the joint-venture and the model life-cycle approached its end, production declined considerably and Volkswagen had to compete for new models with other Volkswagen plants, while threatening to close the plant to get concessions from the workers and the State. Eventually, Autoeuropa won the production of the new model Volkswagen Eos from late 2005 and will start production of the Volkswagen Scirocco from 2008. Still, in 2005 Autoeuropa produced just 79,896 vehicles of the original models plus the Eos and will need to look for new models to keep labouring from 2010. One strong candidate is the new generation 2008-Sharan MPV.