Ducati Reported to be For Sale http://thekneeslider.com/archives/2012/02/12/ducati-reported-to-be-for-sale/
lets see, I would like to know how much they have spent on the previous WSBK program, the MotoGP and now on the MotoGP Rossi Project............($$$$$$$$$)
And what about the new Panagale they just unveiled to the press yesterday....most revised production Ducati ever I am surprised in this info seeing as Ducati takes part in the Vroom event with Ferrari( and they are beyond well financed) could be the Banks are weakened enough to the point that they are unable to provide backing....which is a shame because Ducati has come on strong particularly in the last decade here is the new bike that reinvents how V Twins are designed http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012...-in-video-of-troy-bayliss-lapping-yas-marina/ sign of the times? http://www.motorcycledaily.com/2012/02/for-sale-ducati/
Keep it out of Asian hands it will be a retro step. It needs passion, verve and audacious engineering to keep in front of the technology "me too" curve. The Chinese and Indians do not have that engineering skill set yet. It would probably end up as a cheap technology transfer that results in trickle down benefit to their mass people movers but will have little or no "leap forward " benefits for this fantastic mark. Its got to be more than just bucks please!!!
The latest reports say VW group chairman Ferdinand Piech (father of 917,Ferry Porsche's grandson) is interested... as he also is a Ducatisti....hmm personally I think it should be a Ferrari/Fiat acquisition..for obvious reasons
Before buying my Aprilia Dorsoduro, I test rode Both Ducati Hypermotards (798 and 1100) extensively. The ergos on both bikes sucked big time and the EFI mapping of the 798 was horrific. And the maintenance... $800.00 for a Gdamn valve check! I wanted to like both bikes because they look so good... but... whoever ends up buying that company has got some work to do.
I met a guy today that knows a lady in Europe that told him VW bought Ducati today, 3/6/12. I wounder if this is true?
This sounds very promising. kinda like BMW-Husqvarna deal- AUDI-Ducati http://www.adnkronos.com/IGN/Aki/En...ian-motorcycle-maker-Ducati_313081697140.html
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/201...ortfolio/?nl=automobiles&emc=edit_ws_20120313 Apparently the VW/Audi story has legs
very odd to see audi bidding for ducati: when legendary audi engineer roland gumpert finally presented the motorcycle "Z02" that he secretly built inside audi to the top management, they immediately shut down the project with the sentence that "we are no bicycle dealers"... r
Audi bought Ducati. Interesting times. Wonder if the Ducati forums are ablaze like the husky forum with BMW?
Audi Ducati, seems like the name of a European hipster who inherited every bit of his wealth and has no job except to hit on chicks... good movie script? Just sayin'...
Automotive News is reporting that Audi is set to lay down $1.1 billion to purchase Ducati from the motorcycle manufacturer's current owner, Investindustrial. The news comes courtesy of a source "familiar with the matter," though neither Audi nor Investindustrial have officially commented on whether that price is accurate. As Automotive News points out, the price is around seven times what Ducati earned last year before interest, taxes and depreciation – even after subtracting any debt Ducati holds. Currently, the motorcycle maker's liabilities are less than $262.6 million. Most analysts view the purchase as a thinly veiled jab at rival BMW, itself a longtime motorcycle builder. Last year, the Italian firm sold somewhere in the neighborhood of 42,000 bikes with a revenue of $630 million. While that's technically more than either Bugatti or Lamborghini, both Volkswagen brands, adding a motorcycle manufacturer to the VW portfolio probably won't do much for the rest of the company's brands. Longtime industry watchers may remember that VW Chairman Ferdinand Piech tried to purchase Ducati once before in 2008 before loosing out to Investedindustrial.
It's really pretty hysterical when you analyze what's happening in the European economy right now. Italy, Spain, Greece, France, Portugal, are in desperate straits trying to find money to fund their horrific socialist debt. Germany, a few years away from the same economic fate is buying up assets in hopes of diversifying themselves out of their inevitable socialist obligations... meanwhile... India and China are waiting patiently, knowing they can gobble up whatever is left of Europe's companies when the shit has finally spattered after hitting the fan. Then there's the USA... 4 to 5 years away from the same fate... Somebody in the free world needs to wake the hell up and see the writing on the wall before we're all buying our dirtbikes from Pep Boys.
it seems like you're mixing some things up, krieg. (i try to not mix politics or ideology into my posting, since that would be dangerous grounds in a forum) firstofall, we do not have "socialist" countries in euope since ~20 years. yes, we have social security systems.the reason why we have them is because we europeans believe in solidarity of the richer people with the poorer people, in order to make a better and more wealthy society as a whole. we believe in equal access to education and health services. calling these things "socialistic" does not represent their tradition nor their intention accurately. and no, they are not the cause of europe's struggles. second, the various countries in europe that you mentioned are not facing the same challenges: since the european currency union (2001), greece and portugal based their "wealth increase" on borrowed money. now everybody can see that this "wealth" is not sustainable, but they didn't care. they have finally reached a point where they cannot borrow any more money. italy and spain, on the other hand, have obligations that are - when put in relation to the economical power - more or less equal to the usa. their basic problem is that the economy has some problems. france, and especially germany, are not "desperate" at all. now, as for the ducati deal... audi really seems to having spent a fraction of their savings for a motorcycle company. i do not understand this decision, but whatever. it will surely not kill the company. r
