From the early 1960s, Pieter van der Leegte started developing his own household products such as washing machines and oil heaters. In 1962 it was decided to move to Hapert following a large order for Honda chain guards. However, the order turned out not to be as large as initially thought. New end products were then launched on the market: stainless steel household items, such as bed jars, egg cups, butter dishes, etc.

The rise of production from the Far East made the production of stainless steel household items in the Netherlands increasingly difficult. That is why the company started to concentrate on supplies again from 1976 onwards.

In 1966, Wim van der Leegte became involved in his father's company as a 19-year-old HTS student. Wim started his practical year and practiced his technical skills on the lathe and deep drawing presses. In the meantime, he kept his eyes open and after six weeks he had a good view of things within the company. Due to various factors, his father Pieter van der Leegte senior became overworked in the summer. As a result, Wim was in charge of the company within three months. Ultimately, Wim took over all of his father's shares in 1972.

In 1977, Wim van der Leegte introduced an open consultation structure. The reason for this is to involve its employees in all facets of business operations. By listening carefully and communicating with employees from different departments, they gained insight into business developments. This organizational change ensured that the company was running positively again.

Due to the introduction of the open consultation structure, the company performed so well that Wim van der Leegte looked for a new challenge: taking over poorly performing companies.

In 1979, the first step towards dynamic growth was taken with the first takeover of TIM Hapert, the company of his brother Piet. The name of the company, founded in 1953 by Pieter van der Leegte senior, was changed to VD Leegte Metaal.

Originally, Wim van der Leegte was the sole managing director of VDL Groep. The sudden death of his brother Piet, had convinced him of the vulnerability of a company with a one-man management. In the year 1984, work began to form an executive team of four directors with Wim van der Leegte as chairman. The other directors who formed the base of the team were Lau Pas, Wim Maathuis and Rini Vermeulen.

In addition to forming the management team, a Supervisory Board was also appointed with Pieter van der Leegte senior as chairman. Unfortunately, the founder of VDL Groep died on January 22, 1991.

In 1993, VDL Groep entered the bus world with the takeover of DAF Bus International. The group continues to grow and two major acquisitions in the bus sector follow. The Berkhof Jonckheere Group was taken over in 1998 and BOVA in 2003.

With the acquisition of Steelweld in 1995, a major step was taken in production automation systems. VDL Steelweld now has branches in six countries worldwide.

In 2006, Philips Enabling Technologies Group was acquired, the largest acquisition in the history of VDL Groep at the time. The circle is complete again; Pieter van der Leegte senior started as a toolmaker at the former Philips Machinefabrieken.

With the takeover of NedCar at the end of 2012, VDL is the only major car manufacturer in the Netherlands. As an independent car manufacturer, VDL Nedcar assembles passenger cars on behalf of third parties.

In January 2016, Wim van der Leegte's children, namely Pieter, Jennifer and Willem, joined the board of directors of VDL Groep as the third generation.

On November 1, 2016, Wim van der Leegte celebrated his 50th anniversary and that was a great moment to hand over the gavel to his youngest son Willem van der Leegte. Wim will remain associated with VDL Groep as a supervisory director.

In 2019, VDL Groep made impressive progress in the field of sustainable mobility and technological innovation. In March, VDL Bus & Coach delivered 43 electric Citea buses to Qbuzz for use in Groningen and Drenthe, marking an important step towards fully electric bus transport in the region. Shortly afterwards, VDL Steelweld received international orders worth more than €200 million from Jaguar Land Rover, Volvo Cars, and DAF Trucks for production lines for electric vehicles. This was followed in June by the delivery of 55 electric regional buses to Arriva in Limburg, the largest fleet to date, representing an annual saving of 100,000 clean kilometers per bus. In the same month, VDL Groep was awarded the Dutch Innovation Award 2019 for its innovative strength and social impact. In October, VDL Translift, together with public partners, presented the first electric vehicles for waste collection in cities such as Rotterdam and Zwolle. At the end of 2019, Heliox and VDL realized a solar-powered fast-charging infrastructure for Albert Heijn's electric trucks in Zaandam. Finally, VDL Groep, together with ASML, Philips, Jumbo, and the High Tech Campus Eindhoven, became a premium partner of PSV under the banner of Brainport Eindhoven, with the aim of stimulating innovation, vitality, and talent development in the region.

In 2020, VDL Groep once again took important steps in the field of sustainable mobility and social involvement, despite the challenges posed by the coronavirus crisis. At the beginning of January, the updated CF Electric e-truck was presented, with a range of up to 300 kilometers per day and fast charging capabilities of 300 kW, which is also being used in Albert Heijn's sustainable distribution system. However, in March, VDL Nedcar had to temporarily halt production due to a shortage of parts caused by COVID-19. At the same time, VDL demonstrated its social commitment by delivering parts for more than 500 Demcon ventilators within three weeks in April. In May, VDL Bus & Coach celebrated the milestone of 50 million electric kilometers and delivered 21 electric buses to Leipzig, enabling the city to realize its first fully electric bus lines. In October, it was announced that BMW would not be outsourcing the production of the new MINI Countryman to VDL Nedcar, but the company will continue to produce existing models until 2023 and is actively looking for new partners. Finally, in December, VDL presented a completely new platform for electric city buses, with a lighter and more energy-efficient design, ready for launch in 2021.

In 2021, VDL Groep once again demonstrated its versatility and innovative strength. At the beginning of January, VDL and DSM started production of high-quality face masks under the name Dutch PPE Solutions in Helmond, while a production site was set up in Geleen for the critical filter layer, making the Netherlands less dependent on foreign suppliers. In June, the collaboration with the University of Twente was strengthened through a multi-million euro contract for joint high-tech research, focusing on superconducting actuators and ultra-clean components, among other things. In October, VDL Energy Systems moved into a sustainable new building in Almelo, equipped with smart installations and prepared for future expansion. Shortly afterwards, VDL Groep recovered remarkably quickly from a cyberattack: within a month, the company was fully operational again, thanks in part to strong backups and a powerful crisis team. Finally, in November, VDL introduced an autonomous electric vehicle for internal transport at Aviko, powered by solar energy — a fine example of smart and sustainable logistics in collaboration with knowledge institutions.

In 2022, VDL Groep once again took important steps in the areas of innovation, sustainability, and social involvement. In January, Marjan van Loon, president of Shell Netherlands, was appointed to the Supervisory Board, adding valuable expertise in the field of energy transition. In June, VDL Nedcar celebrated the production of its millionth car for the BMW Group since the start of their collaboration in 2014. During InnoTrans in September, VDL Bus & Coach presented the new generation of fully electric Citea city buses, which set a new standard for zero-emission public transport. The same month saw the launch of the VDL Triple T Academy, an innovative vocational training program that combines technology, personal development, and sports. In the fall, the establishment of the Groenfonds (Green Fund) around VDL Nedcar was announced, with a budget of €1.8 million for nature and livability projects in the Born region. It was also announced that Jan Mooren, a member of the Executive Board since 2001, will retire at the beginning of 2023 after an impressive 34-year career at VDL. Finally, VDL Groep invested tens of millions of euros in its Limburg operating companies, focusing on expansion, sustainability, and modernization of production capacity.

In 2023, VDL Groep once again demonstrated its innovative and forward-looking character. In March, VDL and Demcon jointly established FSO Instruments, the first Dutch technology company for laser satellite communication, based on TNO technology. This was followed in May by the intention to acquire De Meeuw in its entirety, strengthening VDL's position in the Infratech sector and responding to the growing need for sustainable, modular housing. In June, VDL Nedcar presented an ambitious transition plan to develop into a broad mobility partner, with new activities such as battery assembly and collaboration with ElectricBrands. At the end of August, a new generation of autonomous electric shuttles was unveiled in collaboration with Schaeffler and Mobileye, intended for driverless urban transport. In September, Henri Koolen joined the Executive Board of VDL Groep, with responsibility for the Buses and Finished Products divisions. In November, VD Leegte Metaal opened the ‘Factory of the Future’ in Hapert: a fully automated, sustainable production site. Finally, in December, VDL Groep acquired Rena Electronica, strengthening the group's position in the electronics sector and increasing its production capacity for high-quality LED and PCBA applications.

On the night of November 18 to 19, 2023, Wim van der Leegte passed away at the age of 76 in his hometown of Duizel. As owner and former president and CEO of VDL Groep, he was the face of the industrial family business for decades. Under his leadership, VDL grew into an international group with more than 100 operating companies and over 16,000 employees. His vision of “strength through cooperation” and his entrepreneurship have shaped VDL into a leading player in the manufacturing industry. His passing marks the end of an era, but his legacy lives on in the third generation of Van der Leegte, which has been at the helm since 2017.

2024 marked another year of transition, innovation, and strategic reinforcement for VDL Groep. In February, the last MINI Cooper Cabrio rolled off the production line at VDL Nedcar, bringing to an end a decade-long partnership with BMW Group. The factory in Born will now focus on sustainable mobility solutions such as battery assembly and special vehicles. In April, VDL Bus & Coach opened a state-of-the-art, sustainable bus factory in Roeselare, Belgium, where the latest generation of electric Citea buses will be produced. At the end of April, the online metalworking platform OrderOn.com was expanded with tube laser cutting and new materials, further strengthening the range of high-quality machining services. In June, VDL announced the retirement of two key figures from the Executive Board, Guustaaf Savenije and Paul van Vuuren, who both played a major role in VDL's growth in high-tech and automotive respectively. In the same month, VDL acquired parts of the bankrupt bus manufacturer Van Hool, including a factory in North Macedonia and intellectual property, securing approximately 1,600 jobs and strengthening its position in the European bus market. Finally, in September, former ASML CEO Peter Wennink was appointed to the Supervisory Board, adding valuable strategic knowledge and network experience to VDL's management.