(Milan, source Reuters) Italy’s Benetton family is among five bidders shortlisted to buy Italian motorcycle brand Ducati, which is being sold by Germany’s Volkswagen, a source close to the matter said yesterday Saturday July 29.
The finalists will be given access to the company’s books after the summer, the source said, adding that the offers received valued Ducati at 1.3 billion-1.5 billion euros ($1.5 billion-$1.8 billion). Volkswagen’s luxury brand Audi, which is the owner of Ducati, declined to comment.
Earlier on Saturday, two Italian newspapers said that besides the Benetton family’s investment vehicle, Edizione Holding, the shortlist included U.S. automotive firm Polaris Industries and private equity funds such as Ducati’s previous owner Investindustrial, France’s PAI and Bain Capital.
The list of initial bidders for Ducati also included two Indian motorbike firms, Eicher Motors and Bajaj Auto, as well as private equity funds CVC Capital Parners and Advent, sources have previously said.
Volkswagen, Europe’s largest carmaker, is reviewing several assets in a bid to move beyond the emissions scandal that has left it facing billions of dollars in fines and settlements.
A successful deal for Ducati, which had revenue of 731 million euros last year, would show that Volkswagen boss Matthias Mueller is serious about reversing its quest for size.
Ducati might be an interesting purchase for Polaris. I don’t envision an immediate fit of the brands that both companies represent, however, the benefits and strengths of each are obvious structure for global resourcing and reach.
Ducati is and has been a financial money pit for decades with the only appeal being either blatant Beemer Envy by an automotive manufacture such as VW-Audi had in their misguided purchase of the iconic brand : or as a lost leader vanity purchase . Something the likes of Benetton nor PII can hardly afford as their bottom lines slowly disappear into the sunset .
Please, don’t let Polaris get ahold of Ducati.
They’d only fuck it up.
Ducati deserves much better.
What the hell his Polaris thinking they just dropped victory one of the best made Bikes on the planet because they weren’t making enough money and they could put all of their emphasis into Indian? And now they’re going after Ducati ???
There is a way to make money with Ducati right away. Just buy it at a deep, deep. deep discount.
Ducati has held up through many owners.
I owned both a Cagiva and Texas Pacific Ducati and both were excellent bikes.
is breathing life anew into iconic brands a valid business model? h-d, porsche, merc, corvette. maybe polaris will succeed in adding indian and ducati to the list. hope so.
Although the hyperbole is outer space, Dragon Bob has gotten to the issue. Unless Indian is headed in a real different direction, trellis frame with valenced fenders anyone, if Polaris is in it to win it, seems like a huge loss of corporate focus. Oh wait, there’s something shiny.
Dragon Bob and blu dog nailed it. If Polaris buys Ducati then Indian’s days are numbered. It will just be a repeat of when they bought Indian then later dropped Victory. In the eyes of Polaris the bottom line is all that counts. Whichever one makes them money is the one they stick with. They have no sense of loyalty to their customers or fan base; only the bottom line numbers.
I am sorry and forgive my ignorance, but I only know Benetton as a teenage girl clothing line. Is that the same company that is trying to buy Ducati. If so, then WTF. I must be mistaken. Please tell me that there is another Benetton that is some kind of moto sport company.
Edizion Holding, not Benneton.
Xenu. Edizione Holding S.p.A. operates as the holding company for the Benetton Group companies.
Polaris, Please who is making these decisions loose Victory take on Ducati. Victory will never leave our lives.
I’m surprised no one has mentioned Bain Capital. Vultures that buy up financially troubled companies, dismantle them, fire all the workers and sell off all the assets. It would mean the end of Ducati as a company. The name would most likely go to some well-heeled buyer looking to label a boutique startup.
Let it die.
Ducati would be a good fit for Harley D. Would get the young urban crowd into their showrooms and Ducati needs H-D’s distribution network. Young guys might move up the line to the H-D cruisers as they get older.
Who cares? slice it, dice it, throw spice on it…it’s just a commodity not a puppy dog.
Then there is a Reuters article yesterday with headline: “VW sale of Ducati, Renk units lacks board support”. With quotes like: “The billionaire Porsche and Piech families, controlling 52 percent of voting shares in VW and holding four supervisory board seats, do not support selling Ducati or Renk, two other sources at VW group said.” And “”The management board has not even asked the supervisory board of Volkswagen, where such sales have to be ratified, for its approval,” the works council spokesman said. “Therefore we advise all supposedly interested parties: Save your time to check any books. A sale will not happen.” and the most telling quote: “Everyone who can read the VW half-year results should know: We don’t need money and our subsidiaries are not up for grabs by bargain hunters.”
I tell my Italians friends its 2 bad that so many iconic brands and companies in their country have been sold off by 2-3 rd gen kids to foreigners who dont know an i pad from a maxi pad !!
Its brutal in that country, the Chinese government owns part of a top soccer team.
I wish the Italians would get their shit together and economy back in shape and buy back some of these companies.
this is getting ridiculous.
Bain Capital is not a corporate raider as incorrectly described above and are the furthest thing from being a “vulture”. It is dishonest and unfair to characterize them that way. Bain are expert corporate turnaround kings.
Their job is to take on underperforming or struggling companies and to bring them to their fullest potential. They are active Venture Capitalists (VCs) that make money when their investments succeed.
When these bets on businesses do not succeed, as they are prone to do, (VCs claiming a very high “success rate” in such a high risk business are to be mistrusted) then of course the companies often meet the very end that would have likely happened much sooner if the VC had not entered the picture in the first place.
I’m not saying Bain Capital would be the ideal buyer for Ducati, but if they did, that would mean they see Ducati has significant unrealized potential and they believe that they can get them there.
Socalrider. And where do you see Bain Capital described above as a corporate raider?
By knowing what they really are
Great, another brand for Polaris to ruin.
Boomer, you nailed it. Polaris doesn’t care about customers or its dealers or its brands.