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Ducati Reported to be For Sale

By Paul Crowe

Ducati looking for buyerInvestindustrial Holdings, current owners of Ducati, are now reported to be searching for a buyer with sufficient resources to grow the firm going forward.

According to an article in the Financial Times, the Bonomi family hopes to put together a deal that could be worth up to €1 billion.

Mr Bonomi said a handful of industrial groups in Asia, Europe and the US were interested in Ducati. People close to the situation said possible buyers could include Indian motorcycle group Mahindra and German car groups such as Volkswagen and BMW.

Link: Financial Times

Posted on February 12, 2012 Filed Under: Motorcycle Business

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Comments

  1. sfan says

    February 12, 2012 at 9:18 pm

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ducati#History
    I see from Wikipedia that Bonomi (aided by my close-to-home Ontario Pension Fund) is just a relatively recent player in a long and colorful ownership history. If they are looking a Volkswagen and BMW, I hope they are also looking at FIAT as a potential buyer. Curiously, FIAT’s CEO since 2004, Sergio Marchionne, grew up and built his early career in Ontario.

  2. Hawk says

    February 13, 2012 at 3:35 am

    Interesting history Stan. If FIAT becomes involved perhaps the Ferarri engineers will have a vent for more brilliant design creations. And perhaps a move away from the desmodromic valve train. After all, with the advances in metallurgy, is it really necessary to stay with such a complicated (and high maintenance) system? The only reason Ferarri F1 engines are not spinnig up to 19,000+ is the FIA restriction to be governed to 18,000.

    If the Ontario Pension Plan remains as a partner, will we see a CanaDuc?

    With Ferarri involved, I’m not sure where to fit in an “F”.

  3. Hooligan says

    February 13, 2012 at 4:20 am

    Fiat owning Ducati? Ha ha ha. They as owners of Chrysler (how much did the US bailout cost? just be sold to the Italians who are not in the best economic position) are marketing Chrysler here in England again, but nobody bought Chrysler cars the first time round – horrible ugly cars. One of the cars has the unfortunate name of a “Ypsilon” what a stupid name – how do you pronounce it? Almost as bad as the onomatopoetic names the Koreans come up with.
    But the Ypsilon is actually a re badged Alfa Romero which is actually a re badged Fiat Punto.
    So will Fiat Ducati’s have names like Chinese bikes? A Ducati Funday?
    BMW? Cannot see them throwing money at Ducati. The Indians? Well they have turned round Land Rover and Jaguar. So anything is possible.
    The only racing pedigree Ducati have now is MotoGP having pulled out of WSB and all the other domestic series. Because MotoGp cost them so much.
    Triumph probably sell more bikes than Ducati. Especially as the market for 1000cc Sportsbikes has fallen through the floor.

  4. Jacques Wood says

    February 13, 2012 at 5:29 am

    I think you’re all looking at this from the wrong perspective. having a new owner will very unlikely change the direction that Ducati operates. They’ve built themselves as an audacious brand, and they’re constantly growing.

    Ferrari wouldn’t have anything to do with Ducati, they have such different design philosophies, the reason Ferrari Formula One engines rev so high is because they, like all other Formula One Engine suppliers use pneumatic valves, the same technology adopted into the MotoGP paddock (bar Ducati) which is an even more high maintenance system.

    Ducati pride themselves in claiming that their winning bikes aren’t to dissimilar from their showroom models (“What wins on a Sunday, sells on a Monday”) which lead to their controversial departure from a factory WSB team after demanding the rules be changed to make the competition bikes more road derived and applicable.

    So, to summarise. It doesn’t matter who owns Ducati, the owners won’t be stupid to change and growing and successful formula. The current private owners are looking to get out because private investment can only stretch so far. Ducati needs to become a public entity once more to increase investment and further it’s success.

  5. infomoto.ro says

    February 13, 2012 at 6:23 am

    Hope it’s not VW… They have an history of axing motorcycle manufacturers. (DKW, Puch)

    BMW… I sincerely doubt that. They already have a good presence on the “premium motorcycle” market, they only could look for a entry level type brand.

    Sincerely hope it will be Mahindra. They have a racing program and they succeeded in rescuing Ssangyong. Plus, look at how KTM is going with Indian founds >:D<

    • Manuel Opazo says

      February 13, 2012 at 11:14 pm

      Mahindra , put US$ 460 milions for 70 % Ssangyong Mar2011 . And its money. Ducati its different .

    • Leo Speedwagon says

      February 14, 2012 at 11:21 pm

      VAG never owned Puch, perhaps Puch designed some parts for VAG like the Vanagon 4wd differential.

  6. Narflar says

    February 13, 2012 at 7:10 am

    Ducati has been bought and sold a few times in the recent past. The current owners bought the company when it was down and now that it’s doing well it’s time to turn it over and make their money. Ducati is doing great now and any new owner that screws this up would be stupid. Also, never underestimate the power of stupid.

    I’m a huge ducati fan and every time the company gets sold I worry what will come. But so far it has worked out for the better.

  7. Cowpieapex says

    February 13, 2012 at 9:22 am

    No brainer!
    Harley could buy them, axe (a la Buell) everything but the Diavel, lard it down with bags bars and fairings, voila the Domino’s of the motorcycle world is born.
    See what I mean about the no brain part?

  8. Tin Man 2 says

    February 13, 2012 at 10:03 am

    This is all just a Money game, The Ducati brand is worth a fortune as it has such strong brand recognition. Not much in the way of real assets, Its the Brand that is worth selling for big profits. This is the way of the World now.

  9. Hooligan says

    February 13, 2012 at 11:34 am

    The Diavel? That is one of the most ugliest bikes I have ever seen. I was following one the other week he could not get away from me at all ( I was on the Street Triple R) Sometimes I even had to slow down on the corners for him.

    • The Po-po says

      February 13, 2012 at 5:06 pm

      Yes you had to slow up. Ever think maybe the bike was not the issue and the other rider could be somewhat inexperienced? Of course not cause then that limits the amount of braggin you can do.

      • Hootie says

        February 13, 2012 at 9:44 pm

        Or maybe he paid no mind to a guy he didnt know trying to race him on public streets.

  10. Hooligan says

    February 14, 2012 at 1:58 pm

    Sorry to disappoint you chaps. I know this bloke, he was faster when he had the CB1000R.
    We were out on those lovely, twisty, gnarley, technical roads along the South Downs near Goodwood Racetrack in Southern England.
    What we were doing ( all 7 of us) is what the Police riders call “making progress”. In order to make progress you have to get the corners right, because that leads right into the next corner. The CB1000R in front of my Ducati friend did the corners better than the Ducati. Behind me was GSXR750. In roads like that a light, lithesome bike like the StripleR will punch way above it’s weight.

    • Leo Speedwagon says

      February 14, 2012 at 11:23 pm

      Last time I checked the Diavel is a sort of overpowered, overdesigned, cruizer

      • Hooligan says

        February 15, 2012 at 9:40 am

        Indeed it is. And ugly as sin. If I wanted to do large mileage touring travel I would expect some form of wind and weather protection. Unless I had neck muscles like re-bars that is.

        • Cowpieapex says

          February 15, 2012 at 9:16 pm

          Wind and weather protection?, High performance braking and handling? Custom cruiser cred?
          My “jest” about Harley buying Ducati was just a thinly veiled grumble from a Buell rider.
          Ducati represents a design philosophy that seldom compromises function in favor of comfort.
          If you would like to see the Diavel’s equally funny looking ancestor search for the Ducati Indiana. Like the Diavel it also bore the faint praise of being not as bad to ride as looks seemed to indicate.
          So in my fun house mirror vision for Ducati Hooligan can source weather protection from The Motor Companies vast catalog of fairings skirts and windscreens (dont forget a stereo). I pray though that Ducati will persist as a company that honors exquisite design and yields bikes of sublime beauty which will hands down retire any question of making progress.

          • Hooligan says

            February 16, 2012 at 10:18 am

            Never seen one of those Ducati Indiana’s before. Obviously they never came to England.
            Hmmm It is a really horrible looking bike. I may leave drool all over the classic old Ducati sportsbikes – 919 etc.
            But my over 6 foot frame and elderly wrists are not so enamored of the idea. I live and ride in the real world and ride all year round, my bikes are not just summer Sunday toys.

            • Cowpieapex says

              February 16, 2012 at 12:28 pm

              As remarkably bad as the Indiana looked it was reputed to posses much of what made a Ducati special. It was known as a great bargain on the used market.
              I know well what you mean about the ergos. For us big old guys these new high powered standards give us more performance than the superbikes of old. In recent years I’ve also entered the burgeoning ranks of dualsport riders. I was first driven in this direction by deteriorating rural roads that were damaging my sportbike.Now my winter is a time for learning to slip and drift on wet roads with a modestly powered torquey single. You will love the tall long travel suspension, but don’t worry springtime and good traction will find you and your first love renewed.

              • Hooligan says

                February 16, 2012 at 2:00 pm

                “As remarkably bad as the Indiana looked it was reputed to posses much of what made a Ducati special”
                I bet they threw a lot of money to make something that nobody really wanted in that market. The score? engineers !0, marketing people 0.
                I like a loose back end myself.

  11. Hawk says

    February 26, 2012 at 12:51 pm

    A bit late perhaps, but I was sent this link from the Monster forum, however it was removed by Youtube before I could watch it due to copyright reasons…..however, its still available for now under a spanish name so watch it while you can…..

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDJ7mphGrAU

    Its what passes for a documentary these days on National Geographic but it is interesting…..

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