Autoeuropa

The VW Auto Europe - Automóveis Lda. is an automobile assembly plant, located in the municipality of Quinta do Anjo in the county Palmela in Portugal.

Foundation

After signing a joint venture agreement between the Volkswagen Group and Ford in July 1991, the 2 million sq. ft. facility was built in four years, including a surrounding industrial area on which are the main suppliers.

Opened as a 50/ 50 joint venture was his original intention, a jointly designed Van for sale under three brands: VW Sharan I, Seat Alhambra I and Ford Galaxy. In the production of these vehicles Auto Europe almost reached its capacity of 172,500 units per year.

When Ford left the joint venture and the product life cycle came to an end, Volkswagen took over the facility, with production significantly decreased. In Volkswagen 's internal bidding system, had to compete with the plant for new models with other Volkswagen plants, and it threatened to close the plant in order to obtain concessions to the workers and the state.

Finally, Auto Europe won the 2005 production of the new Volkswagen Eos, which resulted in a load factor of 79,896 vehicles with the previous models. 2008, production of the third generation of the VW Scirocco began, and currently employs 3,000 people at the plant and 2350 jobs at the supplier in the industrial area and 3,750 suppliers in Portugal.

Since the existing models coming to the end of their life cycle, the facility for new models will compete from 2010 onwards.

The work also takes part in the tenders for the production of the new VW Blue Sport Roadster.

On 11 February 2011 the German Federal President Christian Wulff visited as part of his state visit with the Portuguese President Aníbal Cavaco Silva 's work.

Production