Volkswagen is reportedly talking with potential bidders that could purchase Ducati.
As part of its five-year planning round, the German conglomerate is reviewing the future of Ducati, Lamborghini and Bentley and, according to people familiar with the matter, is already hosting preliminary talks with bidders for the Italian motorcycle brand. It has been reported that VW could look at technology partnerships for these companies, restructuring, or other options, including potential public listings or sales.
With this in mind, it is unclear if VW will agree to commence a formal sales process for Ducati. If a sale is to go ahead in 2021, Auto News reports that investors and bankers would need to gauge price expectations and the strategic fit of the company.
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“There is some movement here,” one source close to the Ducati sales talks said. Two other sources close to the matter expected VW to launch the sales process in early 2021. Volkswagen itself has declined to comment on the reports.
This isn’t the first time that the VW Group has tried to sell Ducati.
In 2017, companies including Bajaj Auto, Polaris, and private equity groups Bain, PAI, and Investindustrial expressed interest in buying the company, but plans to sell the motorcycle maker were axed following opposition from labor leaders.
Automobili Lamborghini is the current owner of Ducati, having acquired 100 per cent of its shares on July 19, 2012 for €747 million.
As for the future of Lamborghini and Bugatti, it remains uncertain, but there is speculation that the VW Group may off-load Bugatti to Rimac for an increased stake in the Croatian automaker, while Lamborghini could be listed publicly on the stock market.
