An intriguing report says German automaker Audi and Italian superbike company Ducati are on the verge of a tie-up that would put Audi into the motorcycle business. Anyone want a Ducaudi?
Nothing is final, but Car is reporting that Ducati gave Audi an exclusive first chance at buying the Italian company for a price of around $1.2 billion.
The acquisition of Ducati by Audi makes a peculiar sort of sense when you start breaking down the various moving parts. Car is reporting that Ducati has around a $1 billion in liabilities, which means Ducati is only asking for somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 to $200 million. Volkswagen apparently wants a bike brand for the Volkswagen Group, and Audi is neither as lofty as Lamborghini nor as common as VW.
Finally, the current Ducati chairman seems to think of his company's bikes as two-wheeled Audis anyways. Others are making bids for Ducati, but can apparently only buy the brand if Audi says NEIN!