Who wants Ducati? VW may be selling...

[LeRoy]

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?

[steven c]

 Maybe we can all chip in a couple of bucks...

[Bill Hagan]

Maybe we can all chip in a couple of bucks...

My brother just did.

Traded his 2016 Norge for a Multistrada.   

Bill

[old as dirt 2]

do you think they would accept a personal check I would have to post date it a bit ahead though. like 50 years.

[mjptexas]

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...

[Rough Edge racing]

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

[Chuck in Indiana]

I don't think that MV thing worked out for them.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

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! 

[rocker59]

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

[slopokes]

My check boot is out..now how many o's in a billion??? 

[Rough Edge racing]

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...

[twowings]

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...

[JJ]

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? 

$1,500,000,000 / 750 = $2000000 each 

(I'm out...)

[Chuck in Indiana]

id

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

$1,500,000,000 / 750 = $2000000 each 

(I'm out...)

Uh.. there's a bunch of zeros. Let me rummage around in my change purse.  I might be able to handle the 2.

[ohiorider]

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.

[Lumpy Idle]

wait?! what? VW owns ducati? i had no idea. on the face of it that just seems so wrong.

[Lannis]

id

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

$1,500,000,000 / 750 = $2000000 each 

(I'm out...)

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!   

Lannis

[Kev m]

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.

[oldbike54]

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

[rocker59]

  Ducati sold 50,000 bikes world wide the each of the last few years...

Exactly!

[Turin]

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.

[Mr Pootle]

I'd like to buy a motorcycle manufacturer but my wife won't let me.

[Nic in Western NYS]

We'd resurrect the Apollo program! 

Apollo could be joined by a freshened up Indiana and Elefant. 

[Jukebox]

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

[Lannis]

I'd like to buy a motorcycle manufacturer but my wife won't let me.

And that's MY laugh for the morning, thanks!

[bpreynolds]

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.

[JJ]

Bottom-line:  Does anyone out there REALLY think Ducati is worth $1.5B?!?      That's an awful lot of lettuce...

[dxhall]

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.