John H:

 

Apart from WW's ego, why is it such a big deal if Porsche becomes a part of VW... so long as it's run as a separate division?

After all, Ferrari has been 85% owned by the Fiat Group since 1969, but is still run autonomously.  Similarly so with Maserati.

VW would be mad to swallow up Porsche and then integrate it into one entity.

If VW apply similar tactics with Porsche as Fiat has, for so long, with Ferrari and Maserati, I don't see a major problem at the consumer end..
 

It would be almost like asking Donald Trump to move in with Ivanka Trump's boyfriend Jared Kushner.

Or asking the Queen of England leaving England and moving to the Royal House of Denmark.

It's just about matter of principle, Porsche was and still is VW's largest shareholder, it and the government of Lower Saxony were the guardians for VW. The Porsche family do not want to see Porsche goes from parent company to subsidary.

VW will never do the same thing as FIat as long as Piech is breathing. Fiat treated Ferrari as the crown jewel in the company, Piech loathe anything Porsche.