VW's U.S. chief, 3 other execs to be fired, reports say

HAMBURG/BERLIN (Reuters) -- Volkswagen will dismiss its U.S. chief executive, Michael Horn, on Friday and create a special position for the United States on its management board, sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

Winfried Vahland, chief executive of VW's Czech division Skoda is the top candidate to take charge of VW's operations in the United States, two sources said. Horn’s impending dismissal was told to Reuters by a source familiar with the matter earlier today.

A VW of America spokeswoman declined to comment today, calling reports of Horn’s pending dismissal “speculation."

In addition, Audi r&d boss Ulrich Hackenberg and Porsche's engine chief Wolfgang Hatz will be dismissed at a meeting of the supervisory board on Friday, Bild newspaper said, citing unnamed company sources.

VW brand development chief Heinz-Jakob Neusser will also be forced out, Spiegel reported, citing no sources.

Hackenberg, 65, was a long-time VW brand executive, while Hatz, 56, is VW Group's head of engines and transmissions in addition to his Porsche role.

VW's supervisory board meets on Friday to decide a successor to CEO Martin Winterkorn, who resigned on Wednesday after taking responsibility for the automaker's rigging of U.S. diesel emissions tests. Winterkorn said he knew nothing of any wrong doing.

The supervisory board's executive committee said on Wednesday that executives found to be involved in cheating diesel emissions tests "will be subject to the full consequences."

Spokesmen for VW and Porsche in Germany also declined comment, while Audi couldn't be reached for comment.

U.S. dealer opposition

Volkswagen dealers voiced opposition to the VW board’s reported plans to dismiss Horn, who since taking the top job in the U.S. market has won the support of a broad swath of the VW brand’s roughly 650 U.S. dealers.

“We as a dealer body would be in a disagreement with a leadership change at this critical time in the U.S. market,” said Alan Brown, chairman of Volkswagen’s national dealer council and managing partner of two large VW dealerships in suburban Dallas.