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General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: LeRoy on April 27, 2017, 01:47:17 PM

Title: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: LeRoy on April 27, 2017, 01:47:17 PM
The German financial press is abuzz with speculation that Volkswagen AG may be shopping the Ducati motorcycle business around. Purchased in 2012 for a bit less than a billion dollars, Ducati is said to be quietly in discussion for something like $1.5 billion these days.

The motorcycle brand was blended into the Audi/Lamborghini business unit but there's no real business synergy in owning a motorcycle company. It was always said to be an ego purchase at the behest of now-ousted chairman Dr. Ferdinand Piech. With him gone and Volkswagen spending untold billions of dollars to address its diesel certification fiasco, the company could use a few less distractions and a billion or so in hard cash.

So, who is a likely buyer for Ducati? A Chinese or Indian company? Investment bankers? An existing motorcycle brand? Another automobile manufacturer? An incredibly rich dude?
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: steven c on April 27, 2017, 01:48:57 PM
 Maybe we can all chip in a couple of bucks...
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: Bill Hagan on April 27, 2017, 02:03:31 PM
Maybe we can all chip in a couple of bucks...

My brother just did.

Traded his 2016 Norge for a Multistrada.   :cry:

Bill
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: old as dirt 2 on April 27, 2017, 02:46:51 PM
do you think they would accept a personal check I would have to post date it a bit ahead though. like 50 years.
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: mjptexas on April 27, 2017, 03:38:56 PM
Maybe we can all chip in a couple of bucks...

I shudder to think what this crew would do to Ducati.  The old Ronnie Milsap song 'Lost In The Sixties Again' comes to mind...
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: Rough Edge racing on April 27, 2017, 03:40:49 PM
 Maybe Harley Davidson will buy Ducati....Just imagine, a Panigale S with fringe and chrome...Nice ,eh
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: Chuck in Indiana on April 27, 2017, 03:48:37 PM
I don't think that MV thing worked out for them.
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: Antietam Classic Cycle on April 27, 2017, 03:49:28 PM
I shudder to think what this crew would do to Ducati.  The old Ronnie Milsap song 'Lost In The Sixties Again' comes to mind...

We'd resurrect the Apollo program!  :grin:

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/99/Ducati_apollo.jpg)
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: rocker59 on April 27, 2017, 03:52:31 PM

Really.  Who would pay that much for a niche brand motorcycle company?

Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: slopokes on April 27, 2017, 04:02:58 PM
My check boot is out..now how many o's in a billion???  :boozing:
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: Rough Edge racing on April 27, 2017, 04:21:07 PM
Really.  Who would pay that much for a niche brand motorcycle company?

  Ducati sold 50,000 bikes world wide the each of the last few years...
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: twowings on April 27, 2017, 05:45:59 PM
I just hope whoever ponies up keeps the race team! I don't think Aprilia is ready to take on Japan, Inc. in MotoGP just yet...

Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: JJ on April 27, 2017, 06:41:22 PM
Maybe we can all chip in a couple of bucks...
id

So divide 750 people who regularly "soapbox" on this forum by $1.5B and what do we have to come up with...each?  :laugh: :grin: :wink: :rolleyes: :shocked:

$1,500,000,000 / 750 = $2000000 each  :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

(I'm out...) :laugh: :grin: :wink:
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: Chuck in Indiana on April 27, 2017, 06:46:20 PM
id

So divide 750 people who regularly "soapbox" on this forum by $1.5B and what do we have to come up with...each?  :laugh: :grin: :wink: :rolleyes: :shocked:

$1,500,000,000 / 750 = $2000000 each  :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

(I'm out...) :laugh: :grin: :wink:

Uh.. there's a bunch of zeros. Let me rummage around in my change purse.  :shocked: I might be able to handle the 2.
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: ohiorider on April 27, 2017, 06:54:10 PM
A German auto manufacturer buying an established brand (Ducati) is totally different than starting from scratch as a motorcycle company in 1923, and ultimately developing a successful line of cars and bikes.  Audi buying Ducati didn't turn  them into BMW.

Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: Lumpy Idle on April 27, 2017, 07:22:57 PM
wait?! what? VW owns ducati? i had no idea. on the face of it that just seems so wrong.


Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: Lannis on April 27, 2017, 07:31:18 PM
id

So divide 750 people who regularly "soapbox" on this forum by $1.5B and what do we have to come up with...each?  :laugh: :grin: :wink: :rolleyes: :shocked:

$1,500,000,000 / 750 = $2000000 each  :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

(I'm out...) :laugh: :grin: :wink:

It's not so hard.   Do like the Big Guys do.    All you have to be able to do is LEVERAGE $2M, not actually come up with all the cash at once.   Five percent down, what's that, $100K?   Home equity loan, then we'll flip Ducati to .... someone .... or sell off all the assets before we have to make the first payment!   

I'm in!   :laugh:

Lannis
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: Kev m on April 27, 2017, 07:33:00 PM
Maybe Harley Davidson will buy Ducati....Just imagine, a Panigale S with fringe and chrome...Nice ,eh
If history tells us anything they would sell it to the Castiglione family for $1 after paying most of their debts.
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: oldbike54 on April 27, 2017, 10:28:33 PM
I just hope whoever ponies up keeps the race team! I don't think Aprilia is ready to take on Japan, Inc. in MotoGP just yet...

 Uh , what would be the difference ?

 Dusty
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: rocker59 on April 28, 2017, 12:00:55 AM
  Ducati sold 50,000 bikes world wide the each of the last few years...

Exactly!
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: Turin on April 28, 2017, 12:38:28 AM
Quote
Quote from: Rough Edge racing on April 27, 2017, 03:40:49 PM

Maybe Harley Davidson will buy Ducati....Just imagine, a Panigale S with fringe and chrome...Nice ,eh



If history tells us anything they would sell it to the Castiglione family for $1 after paying most of their debts.

Beat me to it! If only HD would have invested more in Buell instead of buying MV, Buell might have lasted a few more years.
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: Mr Pootle on April 28, 2017, 03:24:03 AM
I'd like to buy a motorcycle manufacturer but my wife won't let me.
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: Nic in Western NYS on April 28, 2017, 04:13:16 AM
We'd resurrect the Apollo program!  :grin:

(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/99/Ducati_apollo.jpg)
Apollo could be joined by a freshened up Indiana and Elefant. 
(http://thumb.ibb.co/dDxsd5/Ducati_750_Indiana_88.jpg) (http://ibb.co/dDxsd5)

(http://thumb.ibb.co/bJzikk/Elefant.jpg) (http://ibb.co/bJzikk)
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: Jukebox on April 28, 2017, 04:50:14 AM
If I buy it do I take on the debt with it.
Ducati always has debt with it.
50,000 bikes world wide a spit in the ocean.

Harry
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: Lannis on April 28, 2017, 07:08:36 AM
I'd like to buy a motorcycle manufacturer but my wife won't let me.

And that's MY laugh for the morning, thanks!
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: bpreynolds on April 30, 2017, 07:50:12 AM
I read somewhere that Piaggio is a potential buyer?  I have no remote idea if that's realistic or not but is an interesting consideration.
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: JJ on April 30, 2017, 07:55:15 AM
Bottom-line:  Does anyone out there REALLY think Ducati is worth $1.5B?!?   :rolleyes: :shocked:  That's an awful lot of lettuce... :laugh: :grin: :wink:
Title: Re: Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...
Post by: dxhall on April 30, 2017, 09:19:53 AM
I'm starting to think that the sport / cruiser motorcycle business is becoming the 21st century version of the early 20th century buggy whip business.  I just read that the average age of a motorcycle owner in the US is 47, and going up.  With few 20-somethings getting into the sport, I don't see a long term upside for a company like Ducati.