PARIS (Standard&Poor's) Nov. 30, 2005--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services said today that it raised its long- and short-term counterparty credit ratings to 'A/A-1' from 'A-/A-2' on LeasePlan Corporation N.V., a Netherlands-based bank specialized in operational car leasing and fleet management. The outlook is stable. "The upgrade reflects LeasePlan's establishment of an independent funding base since it was acquired by Volkswagen group," said Standard&Poor's credit analyst Xavier Got. After Volkswagen AG (VW AG; A-/Negative/A-2) and two Gulf-based investors purchased the bank in November 2004, VW AG transferred its 50% ownership to Volkswagen Bank GmbH (VW Bank; A-/Stable/A-2). LeasePlan has been able to replace the short-term funding provided by ABN AMRO Bank N.V., its former shareholder, by a