Porsche AG is taking steps to increase it stake in Volkswagen AG to 31 percent, which will give it effective control of the company and put it in a position to trigger a buyout of the company.

As interesting as this news item is to automotive industry watchers and others, the above linked to article, which is Bloomberg’s article on this deal, contains this nugget of history:

Ferdinand Piech, whose family controls Porsche and whose grandfather started up Volkswagen in the 1930s under Adolf Hitler, has increased his control over Volkswagen since Porsche bought a stake a year and a half ago. A combination would realize the Porsche family’s goal of uniting two carmakers their relatives began and would be the largest takeover ever in the industry.

I pause to think of what a significant step backwards it must be for Porsche AG to have a connection to Hilter pointed out in the context of today’s corporate activity, especially given that we are taking about a take over.