Ian Kehoe on Business

Corporate restructuring reveals sound financial engine at heart of O’Flaherty Holdings

Stephen O’Flaherty took a chance on Volkswagen in the 1950s, and it paid off richly

The O’Flaherty motor empire traces its roots back to 1950, when Stephen O’Flaherty became the first man to assemble Volkswagen Beetles outside West Germany. The first car itself is now proudly displayed at the Volkswagen Museum in Wolfsburg. It was a bold move at the time, with anti-German sentiment lingering after the war. But it paid off in spades. The Volkswagen deal was the driver behind a motor group that saw the company ...