Audi is close to confirming its purchase of Italian motorcycle maker Ducati from owner Investindustrial for about 860 million euros (USD1.1 billion). Audi has reached an agreement with Investindustrial to buy the maker of superbikes, with VW’s supervisory board set to approve the deal.
Volkswagen Chairman Ferdinand Piech, who turned 75 this week, has long coveted the brand, publicly expressing interest in buying Ducati in April 2008 before eventually losing out to Investindustrial. The purchase will make Ducati the 11th brand in VW’s portfolio, alongside super-car marques Lamborghini and Bugatti and heavy-duty truck manufacturers Scania AB and MAN SE. Ducati would complement Audi’s luxury-car lineup with products such as the 1199 Panigale S Tricolore and expand the brand’s competition with BMW, which makes BMW and Husqvarna motorcycles. This will give the VW group their first motorcycle brand and be a direct competitor to BMW’s lucrative motorcycle division. Ducati, which last year sold about 42,000 motor bikes, had revenue for 2011 of 480 million euros.
For Volkswagen, the deal would mean an entry into the motorcycle business and gaining another asset in Italy after buying super-car brand Lamborghini and Italdesign Giugiaro. Piech has also expressed interest in the past in Fiat’s Alfa Romeo brand.
Ducati sells the Superbike, Monster, Streetfighter, Hypermotard, Multistrada and the new Diavel models in 65 countries including Malaysia with good success. Over the past 60 years it has won 17 manufacturer’s World Championship titles, most recently winning the 2011 World Superbike Championship title. The Italian motorcycle manufacturer has 1,100 employees. The company was founded back in 1926 by Adriano and Marcello Ducati in Bologna and was known originally as Società Scientifica Radiobrevetti Ducati and built parts for radios. It ventured into the manufacture of motorcycles in 1949. Ducati is also an important player in the World Superbike Championship as it won the 2011 title and over the 60 years of activity it won 17 manufacturer’s World Championship titles.
