In theory, the profit generated by the cars that use the platform should begin to pay off the brand's investment by 2014. However, if Volkswagen sees it necessary to speed up the return of its investment, it will consider selling the rights to use the platform to other manufacturers.
It is difficult to imagine Volkswagen's arch rivals buying the rights to the platform, so don't expect to see companies like Fiat or Renault placing a bid for it. If the technology is licensed, it will undoubtedly be to a smaller company that poses no threat to the German automaker.
That being said, if Volkswagen does decide to put the MQB platform up for sale, it will likely not have a hard time finding a buyer. The MQB is a versatile platform that was designed to underpin everything from an up!-sized city car to a Passat-sized family car, so a small automaker could revamp most of its lineup with a single investment.
