After weeks of failed attempts by several auto giants, Audi has finally acquired the Italian motorcycle marque for a sum of $ 1.1 billion. Indian two-wheeler manufacturer, Hero MotoCorp had shown interest in Ducati. Later it was Daimler and recently, Fiat heir Lapo Elkann wanted to own the Italian motorcycle company.
The deal closed at 860 million Euros, and is insignificant for the Audi or Volkswagen in terms of technology. With brands like Lamborghini, Audi, Bentley and Bugatti under its portfolio, the addition of the Ducati gives boost to the brand value of the German automaker.
Moreover, Volkswagen head Ferdinand Piech has shown his passion for motorcycle and regrets losing the opportunity to buy the Ducati when it was put up for auction a few years back. And this time, the German made no mistakes in grabbing the stakes when the Ducati appeared on sales. However, greater part of the shares is with Invest Industrial, which holds a stake of 70 percent in the Italian two-wheeler firm.
This price also includes the 200 million Euros debt Ducati was facing, due to which it was put up on sale in the first place. We expect an official word after the final deal closes at Hamburg.
The German automaker, Volkswagen is known to be good with auto business and could turn the tables for Ducati, and bring its production and sales back on track. Moreover, Audi’s archrivals, BMW manufacturers two-wheelers, and this is a chance for Audi to boast its lineup of two-wheelers with the Italian motorcycle marque.
For Ducati, the deal means greater investment in R&D and for us, it means more exciting motorcycles rolling out from the firm.