So the news came over the wires this week that Volkswagen will be buying controlling interest in Italdesign – not shocking news given the extent of the affiliation of the two companies in the past, but interesting nonetheless. To help toast the marriage, as we’re fond of doing here, let’s place the happy couple at the center of this week’s Hemmings Six Degrees of Automotive Separation Challenge.
Finding existing links between the two companies is no challenge at all, though. A quick review of the cars that Italdesign has designed turns up plenty of Volkswagens and Seats and even an Audi. So instead, let’s treat this like our typical fox-and-hound-type challenges, in which the first person to respond gets to suggest another automotive company to connect to Volkswagen or Italdesign in six degrees or less. Whoever can answer that then gets to suggest another company to connect to Volkswagen or Italdesign, and so forth. As always, a degree of separation consists of one company owning another, merging with another or sharing another’s parts.