Volkswagen Bids for Vickers’ Rolls-Royce Motor Cars Unit

Volkswagen said it has bid for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars, seeking to join its German rivals Daimler-Benz and BMW in the luxury auto business.

Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piech said the company made its bid Tuesday to Britain’s Vickers for its Rolls-Royce unit and agreed not to disclose the amount of the offer.

Analysts have predicted Rolls-Royce should fetch around $660 million--although some news reports suggested BMW might have tried for a cut-rate $413 million if it had been the only bidder.

BMW said the VW challenge for Rolls-Royce, which recently unveiled its first new model in 18 years, the $250,000 Silver Seraph, wouldn’t affect its own plans. Spokeswoman Uwe Mahla said BMW would bid “when the time is right.”

Meanwhile, Daimler-Benz, which is developing its own luxury model, ruled itself out.

Analysts predict BMW will be the eventual winner of the car maker from Crewe, England, which has for decades built opulent Rolls-Royces and Bentleys that cost a bundle but are reputed to keep rolling forever, smoothly, in almost total silence.

Vickers, which wants to sell Rolls to focus on its defense and propulsion technology engineering, said the bidding process would continue for another week or two.