Story: Ralph Morton
Audi is turning from four wheels to two. The company, famous for its quattro four-wheel drive cars, is buying Italian bike firm Ducati.
The bare bones of the deal is that Audi AG is acquiring from Investindustrial Group the motorcycle manufacturer Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A., which has its registered office in Bologna.
So that now makes three iconic Italian brands that Audi owns – Lamborghini, Ducati and Italdesign.
Audi says that much of Ducati’s appeal is the company’s expertise in engine development and lightweight construction – two areas in which Audi is pre-eminent. Audi added that Ducati’s progressive control systems and the special combustion chamber process of Ducati engines, which gave Ducati engines such a fabulous sporty noise, were other key reasons. And that the whole of the Volkswagen group would benefit from Ducati technology.
Chairman Rupert Stadler: “As a sporty, global premium brand, Ducati is an excellent fit for Audi.”
Rupert Stadler, chairman of the board of management, Audi stated: “Ducati is known worldwide as a premium brand among motorcycle manufacturers and has a long tradition of building sporty motorcycles. It has great expertise in high-performance engines and lightweight construction, and is one of the world’s most profitable motorcycle manufacturers. That makes Ducati an excellent fit for Audi.”
Ducati has manufacturing operations at its Bologna HQ as well as in in Thailand. Audi says that experts predict that the motorcycle market will enjoy strong growth over the next few years, especially in Asia. In 2011, Ducati sold around 42,000 motorcycles and generated revenue of some €480 million, employing around 1,100 people.
Ducati was founded by Adriano and Marcello Ducati in Bologna in 1926. Known originally as Società Scientifica Radiobrevetti Ducati, it initially built parts for radios. It ventured into the manufacture of motorcycles in 1949.
- Don’t miss the blog Audi’s case of vorsprung durch trikenik
Like Audi, Ducati is involved in motorsport, through its racing division Ducati Corse.
Currently the Ducati official factory team is competing in the MotoGP class of the Motorcycle World Championship and in the Superbike World Championship, supporting competitive private teams. Ducati won the manufacturers’ championship in this latter class 17 times in 21 championships and the pilots’ 14 times.
For those business car drivers who want to opt out of company car tax and enjoy the thrills of a motorbike, the official company car management business mileage rates for using a private motorbike are 24p per mile. There is no upper limit on the number of business miles that can be claimed.
