[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by payeng

With KTM experience.. it seems to be the best suitor in my opinion

True. Much better choice than Mahindra, Hero or Royal Enfield.

They've already proven with KTM how they can infuse Indian value without diluting the brand. Also the Ducati range compliments the KTM well, in that they cater to totally different genres of motorcycling.

Moreover, atleast with the Ducati under the Bajaj roof - they wouldn't be called copy cats for taking 'inspiration' from models like the Diavel for their Dominar.

[Omkar]

Harley-Davidson is reported to be planning to take over Ducati from Volkswagen. Earlier this year, we had reported that Volkswagen might be planning to sell the Ducati brand to accumulate funds to invest in its electrification project. Indian motorcycle manufacturer - Bajaj is reported to be considering the takeover of Ducati as well.

Many other manufacturers were also considering the purchase of the Italian performance bike manufacturer. According to media reports, the deal could be worth up to 1.5 billion Euros (equivalent to US$ 1.6 billion). Hero MotoCorp and TVS Motor Company initially showed interest in the deal, but were reportedly put off by the hefty price tag. Reports also suggest that BMW, Honda and Suzuki would also be walking away from the deal.

Ducati was acquired by Volkswagen's luxury car brand - Audi in 2012 for 860 million Euros. Now reports suggest that the sale of the Ducati brand will not be finalized before annual EICMA motor show in mid-November as Volkswagen wants to get the best deal and the processing would take time.

We had also reported that Royal Enfield might buy Ducati from Volkswagen. However, there have been no updates on the same.

Source : Reuters

[sumeethaldankar]

Yahoo says its not gonna happen.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/why-harle...181338589.html

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

It's Bajaj - KTM now.

Rajiv Bajaj, MD of Bajaj Auto hinted, "We are very close to finalising a very promising alliance, it's not certain, that it will happen, but if it happens, it will open up enormous possibilities for the company. That is why we keep our money (cash on books) with us, so, once in a while, when an opportunity comes along, we are ready."

http://auto.economictimes.indiatimes...bajaj/59685802

[VR/46_Chet]

Came across this article today.

"The employee representatives on Volkswagen's supervisory board will neither approve a sale of Ducati, nor one of Renk or MAN Diesel & Turbo," a spokesman for VW group's works council told Reuters late on Saturday.

"Everyone who can read the VW half-year results should know: We don't need money and our subsidiaries are not up for grabs by bargain hunters."

Source: News18

[ApriliaNut]

More Info here....

https://gearheads.org/volkswagen-not-selling-ducati/

[chennai-indian]

So none of the Indian brands were in the shortlist. Ha, how dare those brown Indian's lay their dirty hands on us eh?!!

[rbp]

This sounds interesting, 2 billion dollars is a big amount.

After taking Royal Enfield and its cult Bullet motorbikes to top gear of machismo appeal and global profitability, Siddhartha Lal led Eicher MotorsBSE 2.08 % is revving up to make a binding offer to acquire the iconic Italian superbikes Ducati for $1.8 billion-$2 billion -- a move, if successful, will further power its portfolio, brand equity, global reach and access to technology, said multiple sources aware.

Read more at:

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/...w/60399370.cms

[Nilesh5417]

I just don't see the fit!! They are poles apart in terms of their offerings, and am sure of the company culture / heritage. But i thought so earlier when Tata bought JLR and Tata proved me wrong. So maybe, just maybe, Eicher can do the same. But in spite of all positive spins to this, am so worried for Ducati.

[TusharK]

The Volkswagen Group has decided to halt the sale of its superbike brand - Ducati amidst rising opposition from its labour unions. According to a media report, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali told workers that the VW supervisory board had decided to halt the sale.

Source: Autonews

Link to Team-BHP News

[blackwasp]

Audi CEO Rupert Stadler has said that the motorcycle brand Ducati is no longer for sale. Ducati is a subsidiary of Audi which is owned by the Volkswagen group. Earlier reports indicated that Eicher Motors would be bidding for the same, but later in October 2017, Volkswagen halted the sale over rising opposition from its labour unions. And now, Audi has officially announced that it won’t be selling off Ducati.

The Italian brand was put on sale following the Volkswagen emissions scandal. The Volkswagen Group had been working closely with Evercore - a boutique investment bank and had valued the motorcycle brand at 1.5 billion Euros. The funds from the sale were supposed to be used for a complete strategic overhaul at Volkswagen. But Audi, with subsidiaries Ducati and Lamborghini, has been reporting a higher profit for the last nine months.

According to Stadler, steps like reducing costs by 10 billion Euros, reducing red-tape and improving the tie-ups with sister brand Porsche have improved the company's finances. Hence, there is no longer is any benefit to parent Volkswagen Group by selling the Italian bike brand. Further, banks were asked to rework finances of Ducati and gearbox maker Renk earlier this year. He also said that holding on to brands like Ducati and Lamborghini are even more important with the eventual shift to zero-emission and autonomous vehicles.

However, investors and potential buyers speculate that the German brand will sell off Ducati sooner or later as the bike brand is of least strategic importance to the company.



Source - Reuters

Link to the Team-BHP News

[Vishnuk]

That's great news. Finally Ducati will stay as it is.

I never understood the logic of VW intending to sell off a brand, which has been quite successful over the past few years.

[volkman10]

Will Ducati finally go ?

Volkswagen's CEO Herbert Diess made that point clear in his first news conference as the head honcho of the world’s second-largest automaker.

While he didn’t dive into the specifics, Diess confirmed that the company will be reviewing every brand it owns.
If it comes down to it, the German automaker will be open to selling some of its assets in an effort to streamline its portfolio by only keeping its strongest brands.

Link