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After news of negotiations between the two surfaced last month, Audi today confirmed that it will purchase Ducati Motor Holding SpA, the Bologna, Italy–based maker of premium high-performance motorcycles. Founded in 1926 as a maker of radio parts, Ducati started producing auxiliary engines for bicycles in 1946, going on to engineer and manufacture iconic street motorcycles and glorious racing bikes. Pending approval by the antitrust authorities, which is unlikely to be an obstacle, Audi will take over Ducati from the Italian holding company Investindustrial for a reported $1.13 billion. Last year, Ducati sold 42,200 bikes, with production taking place in Bologna and in Thailand.
An Audi source told us recently that the company expects the motorcycle market to grow strongly over the next few years. There is additional value in Ducati's expertise in lightweight engineering, as well as its technology for extremely compact and powerful engines. The Ducati-exclusive desmodromic valve system could be of interest to Audi as well. (The system uses cam lobes and levers to close each valve in place of springs, which reduces valvetrain inertia and eliminates the chance for the spring and valve to float at high rpm.) Besides the technology benefits, Audi expects a positive image boost as well. Ducati's styling is considered iconic, and many of its models have become instant classics. Audi's ties to Italy are already strong, given its ownership of Lamborghini and its close cooperation with Italdesign, which is owned by the Volkswagen Group. "It is a special moment for me," says Audi chief Rupert Stadler. "In the future there will not only be Audi and Lamborghini, but we will also make sporty motorcycles." He says that "Ducati fits Audi," claiming that the brands "speak the same language technologically." Stadler isn't the only person beaming: The acquisition can be viewed as a special birthday present for Ferdinand Piëch, head of the Volkswagen Group's advisory board, grandson of Ferdinand Porsche, and undisputed leader of the Group. Piëch, who turned 75 yesterday, is a motorcycle fanatic who has long eyed a purchase of Ducati. The chief loser in this deal is Mercedes-AMG, which had a marketing partnership with Ducati over the past 18 months. "The brand fit between AMG and Ducati is perfect," AMG chief Ola Källenius told us at the New York auto show earlier this month, although he went on to say that "should the owners decide to sell Ducati, [AMG] will re-evaluate the cooperation." Källenius also said that it is unlikely he would look for another similar partnership. Other potential losers include BMW, which will now face an invigorated Ducati as an strong competitor for its motorcycle division, and Suzuki, whose partnership with Volkswagen is falling to pieces. Some within the VW Group had hoped Suzuki's motorcycles could be a strong addition to the Group's portfolio. We doubt that this plan will get any more attention as of now. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com | |||
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Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Audi Officially Purchases Italian Motorcycle Maker Ducati
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