In 2011, Ducati sold around 42,000 motorcycles. Honda sold more than 16 million globally.
German automaker Audi is buying Italian motorcycle maker Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A., in a transaction approved this morning by the boards of Audi and parent company Volkswagen group.
In a statement, Audi said that the deal – for an unspecified amount – would be completed as quickly as possible once it is authorized by the competition authorities. This is the third Italian business venture for the Volkswagen Group after its earlier successful acquisitions of Lamborghini and Italdesign.
“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,” said Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Audi.
Ducati has manufacturing operations at its headquarters in Bologna and in Thailand. It maintains a series of importer companies in strategic markets. Audi said that the motorcycle market will “enjoy strong growth over the next few years,” especially in Asia where Honda dominates.
In 2011, Ducati sold around 42,000 motorcycles and generated revenue of some €480 million, employing around 1,100 people. Honda sold more than 16 million motorcycles globally with sales of more than 12 million in Asia.
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. Ducati started making motorcycles in post war Italy in 1949.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, publisher (kzhw@aol.com), is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
Zino is at home on test tracks, knows his way around U.S. Congressional hearing rooms, auto company headquarters, plant floors, as well as industry research and development labs where the real mobility work is done. He can quote from court decisions, refer to instrumented road tests, analyze financial results, and profile executive personalities and corporate cultures.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
