Rumors about the Volkswagen Group (VW) possibly selling off some of their high-performance, gas-guzzling brands as part of their future full electrification plan has been around for some months now. These brands include Lamborghini, Bugatti, and Ducati.
Just recently, Reuters has reported that the German conglomerate will be hosting preliminary talks with potential bidders, particularly for their Ducati brand, to gauge the interest of possible buyers ahead of the firm’s November planning.
This is not the first time the motorcycle brand was considered for sale. The last time a sale was about to push through, it was halted by the VW Group board, citing the brand as a valuable part of its portfolio.
This time, however, it's different. The planning session will focus primarily on the VW Group’s direction within the next five years. Post diesel-gate, the brand has opted to move towards the mass production of electric cars.
“There is some movement here,” said the Reuters source inside VW on the subject of the potential sale of Ducati.
Ducati's past owners
The Ducati brand has a long history of changing hands before the VW Group acquired the company back in 2012. Ducati was originally established in 1926 by Antonio Cavalieri Ducati and his three sons, Adriano, Marcello, and Bruno. The company first manufactured vacuum tubes, condensers, and other radio components of the era.
The company began producing small motorcycles after the war. In the 1960s, it produced 250cc motorcycles which were considered to be the fast at the time. In 1985, Cagiva, another Italian company, bought Ducati. After 11 years, Ducati was sold to the US-based Texas Pacific Group (TPG), where it remained until 2005.
The iconic Italian motorcycle maker was sold to Investindustrial Holdings which is the investment fund of Italian tycoons Carlo and Andrea Bonomi. Then, in 2012, Ducati was acquired by Audi, which is a subsidiary of the VW Group.
