Audi buys Ducati

Audi AG has agreed to buy Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. for a reported £708 million. According to the company, the transaction will be completed “as quickly as possible” once authorized by the competition authorities. Ducati is now a third pillar for Audi AG in Northern Italy alongside Lamborghini and Italdesign. The company sees the move as "another building block in its growth strategy."

Rupert Stadler, chairman of the board of management of Audi AG said: “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. That makes Ducati an excellent fit for Audi.”

Attractive technical features that led to the purchase include: the progressive control systems and special combustion chamber process of Ducati engines, their resulting sporty character, and Ducati’s know-how in lightweight construction, which are seen as offering “great potential for Audi AG and the Volkswagen Group.”

Ducati has manufacturing operations at its headquarters in Bologna and at its own factory in Thailand. It maintains a series of importer companies in strategic markets. The motorcycle market is predicted to enjoy strong growth over the next few years, especially in Asia. In 2011, Ducati sold around 42,000 motorcycles and generated revenue of some 480 million euros, employing around 1,100 people. The company was founded by Adriano and Marcello Ducati in Bologna in 1926. Known originally as Società Scientifica Radiobrevetti Ducati, it initially built parts for radios. It ventured into the manufacture of motorcycles in 1949.