Audi Goes Full Throttle And Buys Ducati For €860m

Well, it’s finally happened. Audi, the purveyors of big silver saloons for angry businessmen, have stumped up 860 million Euros for legendary Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati. And to think Facebook paid only a fraction more for a photo filters iPhone application! The long rumoured sale was announced yesterday, expanding Volkswagen’s portfolio of brands to a staggering, wait for it, 12.

Right, erm, bare with me, because this could get a bit confusing. Volkswagen owns Audi, as well as Seat, Skoda, Bugatti, Bentley and commercial vehicle manufacturers Scania and MAN. Audi itself owns Lamborhini and Italdesign Giugario*; a styling house, much like Pininfarina. So this makes Ducati its third Italian brand and by default Volkswagen’s first motorcycle manufacturer. Get it?

Though it’s been widely claimed this latest acquisition renews Audi’s commitment to overtaking BMW as the world’s largest premium carmaker whilst providing them with a host of new, exciting technology, some analysts have said this is, basically, bollocks.

Reuters said the move “bears no economic or industrial logic and solely reflects VW Chairman Ferdinand Piech's passion for the Italian company's expertise on design and light engines”. I suspect though, he just wanted a new toy. And with last year's £130 billion profit in hand, he was well placed to indulge.

Be that true or not, what’s really on the minds of car and bike fanatics alike is how much, if at all, Ducati will change under German ownership. Will we see a new range of frugal, diesel engines? Will the engines be replaced by Audi’s much-loved TFSI? Will Quattro models have two wheel drive, or stabilizers? Will they debut a new range of curvy yet intimidating, LED headlights? Will they charge you £16k for a leather saddle?

I guess we’ll just have to wait and see...

*For the record, I can’t pronounce this either.