Back in May this year, we reported that Audi was preparing to sell Italdesign as part of a wider cost cutting effort. Staff at the firm’s Moncalieri headquarters were told during a company-wide meeting that the firm was officially on the market. That announcement raised immediate questions about the future of one of Italy’s most influential design and engineering houses. Today, the next step is confirmed. UST, headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California, will acquire a majority stake in Italdesign, while Lamborghini keeps a significant share and Audi remains a long term strategic partner and major client.
Italdesign has been part of the Volkswagen Group since 2010. The firm was originally founded in 1968 by Giorgetto Giugiaro and Aldo Mantovani, helped shape more than five decades of automotive design. The design house's extensive and diverse portfolio includes iconic models like thee original Volkswagen Golf, BMW M1, DeLorean DMC 12, Maserati MC12, the Lamborghini Gallardo and the Nissan GT-R 50 NISMO. Over time, Italdesign expanded into engineering, prototyping, limited series production, and industrial design. With more than 1,300 employees across 10 international sites, the company remains profitable, though heavily dependent on Volkswagen Group contracts.
That reliance became a strategic concern. Audi’s difficult 2024, marked by softer EV demand and increased global competition, placed pressure on non core assets. UST’s arrival introduces a new framework. The California based company brings AI systems, software defined vehicle development, digital ecosystem engineering, and a global workforce of more than 30,000 across 30 countries. Italdesign contributes end to end capability in design, hardware development, electronics, and small scale production. This combined capability is designed to support the development of fully modern, digitally enabled vehicles, where software and physical engineering must be developed together rather than separately.
“This partnership will bring benefits to all parties involved. It will allow Italdesign to accelerate the expansion of its service portfolio in new markets and achieve deeper penetration in various international markets. Italdesign is aiming to become the first full integrator of hardware and software worldwide, both in the automotive sector and across other hightechnology industrial sectors.” - Antonio Casu, Chief Executive Officer at Italdesign Giugiaro S.p.A.
UST will assume operational responsibility while honoring and building on Italdesign’s Italian heritage, design culture, and the talent of its employees. Audi’s leadership also stresses continuity. Italdesign will continue supporting Audi programs that rely on its design, prototype, and engineering expertise. The exact financial terms of the deal remain undisclosed, and the transaction is pending regulatory approval.
What began as a cost driven review has now evolved into a structural shift that equips Italdesign with a global technology backbone, while keeping its identity and long-standing ties to Audi and Lamborghini intact.
Images: Audi
