Audi buy Ducati - official

Acquisition of Ducati Motor Holding by Audi Group


I am pleased to deliver the press releases issued today ( and copied below) by Audi Group and by the Investindustrial Group regarding the planned change in ownership of Ducati Motor Holding.

The transaction, as reported in the releases, is subject to approval by the competent antitrust authorities and should take place in the coming months.

I am confident that the Audi Group will allow Ducati to continue strengthening its position in markets around the world. The announcement confirms the positive reinforcement of Ducati made ​​in 2006 under the control of the Investindustrial Group.

Yours sincerely

Gabriele Del Torchio


 Chairman Rupert Stadler: “As a sporty, global premium brand, Ducati is

an excellent fit for Audi.”

 Third pillar for AUDI AG in Italy

 Ducati a leading player in engine technology and lightweight construction

Ingolstadt/Bologna, April 18, 2012 – AUDI AG is acquiring from Investindustrial

Group the tradition-steeped Italian sports motorcycle manufacturer Ducati Motor

Holding S.p.A., which has its registered office in Bologna. The transaction will be

completed as quickly as possible once authorized by the competition authorities. The

Supervisory Boards of AUDI AG and Volkswagen AG approved the acquisition today in

Hamburg. Ducati is known worldwide as a leading brand in motorcycle manufacture,

with outstanding expertise in engine development and lightweight construction.

Alongside the traditional Italian brands Lamborghini and Italdesign, Ducati is now a

third pillar for AUDI AG in Northern Italy. Another building block in the Company’s

growth strategy thus falls into place. Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of

Management of AUDI AG, declared: “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.” The progressive control systems and special

combustion chamber process of Ducati engines, their resulting sporty character, and

Ducati’s extensive know-how in lightweight construction thus offer great potential for

AUDI AG and the Volkswagen Group.

Peter Mosch, Chairman of the General Works Council of AUDI AG, explains that the

employee representatives of AUDI AG support the Company’s sustainable, codetermined

growth strategy. “We must use the opportunities offered by globalization

for Audi – and that’s exactly what we’re doing. Everyone at Audi is looking forward to

working with our new colleagues from Ducati,” commented Mosch.
Ducati is a globally active company and 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. Experts predict that the motorcycle market

will 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, 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.

Ducati has been actively involved in motorcycle racing for many decades through its

racing division Ducati Corse. Its racing activities are currently focused on the Ducati

official factory team in the MotoGP class of the Motorcycle World Championship and in

the Superbike World Championship, supporting competitive private teams. Ducati won

the manufacturers’ championship in this latter class 17 times in 21 championships and

the pilots’ 14 times.