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Posted: **Tue Mar 13, 2012 10:07 pm**

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/03/ ... MJ20120313

Interesting. I kind of wish it was Fiat Group (since they own Ferrari), but I suppose being bought out by VW Group would be more advantageous for Ducati.

Posted: **Wed Mar 14, 2012 1:06 am**

I heard that Hero Motocorp (formerly Hero Honda) was looking at buying Ducati.

Posted: **Wed Mar 14, 2012 4:01 pm**

Did a bit of Googling. You're right, they're in the running too. I wonder what's the real story? Is it gonna be Audi or Hindi? (ok, that was pretty awful).

Posted: **Sat Apr 14, 2012 5:41 pm**

I seriously hope it's Audi

Posted: **Sun Apr 15, 2012 2:05 am**

Yeah, but if Kia bought them I might be able to afford one!

Posted: **Sun Apr 15, 2012 7:27 am**

But it'd be slow, ugly, and less reliable than any current Duc!

Posted: **Tue Apr 17, 2012 4:27 am**

Well, looks like its practically a done deal

Audi to pay $1.12 billion for Ducati: sources

By Andreas Cremer and Jan Schwartz

BERLIN/HAMBURG | Tue Apr 17, 2012 7:17am EDT

(Reuters) - Volkswagen's (VOWG_p.DE) Audi premium-car division has agreed to buy Italian motorcycle company Ducati for about 860 million euros ($1.12 billion) including debt, two people familiar with the matter told Reuters on Tuesday.

Ducati's liabilities are well below 200 million euros, one of the people said. Audi has reached a pact with Ducati's main shareholder, Investindustrial and plans to announce the acquisition on Wednesday, sources told Reuters last week.

Analysts including Arndt Ellinghorst at London-based Credit Suisse questioned the industrial benefit of the Ducati purchase, saying it was an unnecessary sideshow to VW's main challenges of integrating sports-car maker Porsche (PSHG_p.DE) and merging truck operations at MAN (MANG.DE) and Scania (SCVb.ST).

"The Ducati acquisition is driven by VW's passion for nameplates rather than industrial or financial logic," said Ellinghorst.

Ducati will increase the VW group's brand portfolio to twelve and extend Audi's long-standing rivalry with Bayerische Motoren Werke (BMWG.DE) to superbikes. VW's eleven-brand entity already makes everything from fuel-efficient city cars to 40-tonne trucks.

Audi and Investindustrial may agree to withhold the exact purchasing price in the statement, which they plan to publish on the eve of VW's annual shareholders' meeting in Hamburg, one of the sources said.

The people declined to be identified because the matter remains confidential.

Posted: **Tue Apr 17, 2012 6:09 am**

This is going to be very interesting then! I am a little worries about the ""The Ducati acquisition is driven by VW's passion for nameplates rather than industrial or financial logic," said Ellinghorst." part... Audi might just sit on Ducati OR might pour more money into it...

If the car manufacturers start the M&A of bike manufacturers it also would be interesting to see if bike technology is seen more in cars or visa versa...

Mike

Posted: **Tue Apr 17, 2012 12:19 pm**

totalmotorcycle wrote:...also would be interesting to see if bike technology is seen more in cars or visa versa... Mike

So youre thinking maybe cars will start to lean into corners??? Windshield wipers and air conditioning on bikes???

Posted: **Tue Apr 17, 2012 1:03 pm**

dr_bar wrote:
totalmotorcycle wrote:...also would be interesting to see if bike technology is seen more in cars or visa versa... Mike
So youre thinking maybe cars will start to lean into corners??? Windshield wipers and air conditioning on bikes???

LOL...

Well, maybe automatic headlights, electronic or power steering, improved alternators, composite plastics, HID headlights, lighter alloys, traction control, sport modes, etc.. I know some bikes today have a few of these features but maybe more bikes will en-masse?

Mike

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