Audi is buying Ducati

[willtel]

This is an odd one.

Breaking: Audi Enters Exclusive Deal with Ducati to Buy Italian Motorcycle Manufacturer - Blogs - Fourtitude.com...

Out of nowhere CAR Magazine today has broken a story this morning that Audi entered an exclusive deal to buy motorcycle manufacturer Ducati. After re-checking our calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1, we took a closer look at the story. Penned by Georg Kacher, we don't question its accuracy in any way and as such it's worth considering the details.

Apparently Ducati is on the market and it's being suited by no less than Audi, Daimler (with whom there's a marketing deal with AMG), Mahindra and even Audi's parent company Volkswagen. All are interested in the Italian motorcycle manufacturer but Kacher is revealing via CAR that Audi has an exclusivity deal that gives it first refusal - one that could very well see Ducati under Audi ownership by April.

Why Ducati?
Apparently Ferdinand Piech has been interested in Ducati for some time and is on the record for stating his regret for not snapping up the motorcycle marque when it went up on the market years ago.

Apparently Piech also looked into revival of the Horex brand, but it was determined that there wasn't enough brand recognition to make it worthwhile. Ducati, on the other hand, sells 40,000 motorcycles a year and has great brand recognition worldwide.

Why Audi?
One suggestion by Kacher why Ducati favors Audi is its brand positioning. Ducati chairman Andrea Bonomi is on the record stating 'Ducati is the two-wheel equivalent of Audi'. As a brand steward, Audi may likely be the best in the business for Bonomi.

There's also just a bit of motorcycle heritage at Audi. Look back past the one-off Audi 50-powered motorcycle prototype of the 70s and you'll see motorcycle brands with rich histories such as NSU and DKW. Audi also has its own outpost in Bologna with its Lamborghini unit, located just 25 km away from Ducati's own HQ.

Kacher suggests that a team of executives under the name 'Project Eagle' have begun to do their due diligence on the deal. Kacher estimates a price of €50m to €100m - low, but considering Audi will also have to assume the substantial debt of Ducati this explains the number. The actual price will be closer to €850m when you consider the debt burden.

Read more about this story via the CAR Magazine link below. We've also included a few Ducati links just in case you're curious.

[motion]

I don't really care who owns Ducati, but this made me WTF: 'Ducati is the two-wheel equivalent of Audi'

[Rot 911]

Was this the answer to the question "How do you make a Ducati even more unreliable?"

[DaveE]

I've owned several Audis over the years and never had reliability problems.

[kaisen]

Ducati = Audi = VW = Porsche?

So it comes full circle that Ducati and Porsche are now connected

[911-32]

This could be good - Ducati need ot get their MotoGp bikes to work and look at what Audi have done at Le Mans in recent years...

[Targa Me]

Originally Posted by 911-32

This could be good - Ducati need ot get their MotoGp bikes to work and look at what Audi have done at Le Mans in recent years...

Diesel Ducati on the horizon?

[Rufblackbird]

Originally Posted by Targa Me

Diesel Ducati on the horizon?

maybe the 1.3L TDI from the Lupo will fit?

Kinda looking forward to this, though I'm a bit bummed we didn't get a chance to pool our resources to buy Ducati

[Bill Douglas]

The Ducati workers won't like a bunch of German speakers coming in and giving instructions. (Joke) they will think the last time the Germans came to Italy and gave instructions it ended in tears.

[flatbutt]

All I know is that my brand new 2012 M1100 Monster EVO has two recalls on it already.

[willtel]

Originally Posted by motion

I don't really care who owns Ducati, but this made me WTF: 'Ducati is the two-wheel equivalent of Audi'

They both end with an i...

[Noah930]

Originally Posted by motion

I don't really care who owns Ducati, but this made me WTF: 'Ducati is the two-wheel equivalent of Audi'

That's the first I've ever heard that comparison.

Sounds like someone was trying to majorly brownnose on that one.

[Bill Douglas]

"'Ducati is the two-wheel equivalent of Audi" Sure they both breakdown a lot, but other than that...

[sc_rufctr]

Hey cool... Incidentally >>>

The VW group wants to aquire Alfa Romeo... Fiat doesnt want to sell but VW management believes Alfa Romeo will soon get into "trouble" and then Fiat will have to unload it.

[sc_rufctr]

Originally Posted by Rot 911

Was this the answer to the question "How do you make a Ducati even more unreliable?"

I can't comment on the newer cars but older Audis are reliable.

Have you ever seen the door hinge and hold open mechanism of an older Audi?
It's an engineering marvel.

[Noah930]

So is the desmodromic valvetrain. See, they are just alike! I stand corrected.

[Flieger]

Mmmm. Desmodromic valves....

So, I guess the AMG / Ducati Corse relationship is over?

[alwaysflat6s]

Dear GOD! Give me a Duc with air suspension, awd, computer this, computer that.... and I don't know what type of Audis you guys have owned, but I still love LOOKING at them but doubt that I will ever own another one. They are a dismal marque for long term ownership.

For that matter, the only thing that saves Porsche owners is the wonderful technical support from fellow enthusiasts. I cannot believe how much the world has changed. In the 60s the better German cars were just getting broken in at 100K. Today you live in fear of the complex computer/relays/motors.. all the electrical crap in these cars that turn to garbage if they weren't delivered that way in the first place. It's enough to make a person buy a Japanese car! [oh, i did that.. but my toy cars are all Porsches]

On the other hand.. can you imagine what the current Ferraris and Masers are going to be like to repair when they are 20 years old? That makes me credit Audi for the R8... but the R8 only.
JR

[J P Stein]

Why?
100 million to assume 850 million in debt?
Figure out the RIO @ 40000 crotch rockets a year.
Color me stupid cause I don't get it.

[porsche4life]

They are planning on marketing the hell out of it and selling way more bikes....

The only way it makes sense....