Audi-Ducati buyout?
If this materializes, it will be great news!
http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/c880be50-6d07-11e1-ab1a-00144feab49a.html#axzz1p1adCs5E
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Re: Audi-Ducati buyout?
reginos:
FIAT haven't expressed interest. I would say Ferrari should have picked Ducati up.
I agree 100% their brand identity is much closer than that between Audi and ducati. I fear that if this materializes Ducati could lose some of its Italian craziness and flair.
Re: Audi-Ducati buyout?
REALZEUS:
Rossi:
REALZEUS:
I would have preferred Fiat instead.
I bet the Ducati employees prefer Audi over Fiat hands down.
And the reason is?
Because of the same reason why Alfa Romeo employees voted for a sell of their brand to Volkswagen back in late 2010. 
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Re: Audi-Ducati buyout?
Rossi:
REALZEUS:
Rossi:
REALZEUS:
I would have preferred Fiat instead.
I bet the Ducati employees prefer Audi over Fiat hands down.
And the reason is?
Because of the same reason why Alfa Romeo employees voted for a sell of their brand to Volkswagen back in late 2010.
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Re: Audi-Ducati buyout?
Lars997:
Ducati is a great brand. Just selling motorcycles is a very different business compared to cars! So - guess, its more about buying a brand than a motorcycle comp
VW always wanted to get into motorcycles. The tie up with Suzuki (which hasn't gone well) was partly for the 2 wheels.
I know Suzuki is not Ducati, but VW will have plans to expand the Ducati range to other segments of the m/c market.
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Re: Audi-Ducati buyout?
The impact will be a positive one IMHO. Lamborghini acqusition is a very good example that we already experienced before so I believe it wlll be good for Ducati as well.
Maybe that way we get a chance to ride Italian machinery with German precision and build quality. Italian bikes have so many problems that take away from the ownership experience. One example is my MV agusta drains battery exactly in 16 days not more not less:)
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Re: Audi-Ducati buyout?
Audi completes Ducati acquisition.
The iconic motorcycle brand is in safe hands 
http://www.autosport.com/news/grapevine.php/id/98954
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Re: Audi-Ducati buyout?
Done deal and BMW needs to start to worry because I doubt that the VW Group bought Ducati just for image only. 
Good for all motorcycle lovers.
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Re: Audi-Ducati buyout?
I guess I am going against the current here. I have owned 6 ducatis over the years. I was actually a two-wheel junkie for the past 16 years only buying my first car at 37.
Anyway, I am not a fan of the purchase. I think this will only perpetuate Ducati's trend towards a mass market bike manufacturer (this post is being written from emotions, not what I know may be good economics). Ducati used to be a low-volume special label. When the new management came in (I cannot remember the dates) they did everything and anything to pump up volume. They started playing the derivative game with their models and there was never any commitment to limited editions. I owned 254/450 of the homologated 1098Rs that Troy Bayliss one his last championship on. While there is no rule that stated it needed to be a limited edition run, that is how it was marketed and how the sales outlets sold it. They continued selling the bike beyond 450, then ran another limited addition 1098R dedicated to Troy Bayliss (Australian flag colors) then sold the 1198R (same bike as the 1098R always had a displacement of 1198) and offered an option for australian flag color pack. As a results, Ducatis which used to have good resale values started to plummet. Even the Desmosedici RR which was destined to be a collectors can be had for under $50k today.
I love Ducati, it has always been a special brand to me. I want nothing more than Rossi to win on Ducati. But you could see the company switched goals in the past year. Volumes = potential (now real sale). You could see it in the quality of the distribution chains and the maintenance programs (although quality of the build did improve). I think Audi will improve quality further, but to justify the price, they will continue this trend of becoming mass market, which emotionally I don't like even though I understand it from a business stand point.
Re: Audi-Ducati buyout?
I believe it's as good for Ducati as it was for Lamborghini - of course the volumes will increase - but having fast resources on all sorts of parts will be beneficial. As to the limited "game" ! look at the watch industry - whereas big brands lure you with limited editions (I was also trapped by AP which cost me a lot...
) they make big bucks with it - but then you find out they will bring out every now and then a limited......it's a great marketing tool and works perfectly - specially in Asia where things "limited" create a big urge......
I like Ducati a lot - and I am sure they will give it the right mix between the Italian passion and the German engineering
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