Audi is ready to buy Ducati!

Here is an excerpt from MCN:

MCN said:

German car giant Audi has until mid-April to decide if it wants to buy Ducati as part of a exclusivity deal according to insiders.

MCN sister title CAR magazine has revealed Audi (which is part of the massive Volkswagen Group) is likely to make the decision quite quickly and its thought the firm will pay just over £700million for the iconic Italian brand but that will also include taking on all of the Ducati debt.

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Sounds like this could happen... is this a good or bad thing for Ducati? Or for Audi?

If I had a nickel for every merger/acquisition rumor that I've heard, I'd be even richer than I already am. LMAO. It certainly is wishful thinking to imagine that anyone would pay anywhere remotely close to US$1B and also incur their debt, but that is so frickin' laughable that I just had to post. Ducati has certainly given the stock a very big push with the voluminous hype behind the Panigale (great bike...even won Motorad 2012 Bike of the Year without even being released to the public...wow), but let's be serious, a quick review of their financial statements and even a novice financier would suggest that InvestIndustrial would be well advised to pray they can get out with their underwear. It's not fun to be on the supplying end of a company that hemorrhage's euros like Ducati does. I love the bikes, but as an investment? ma stai scherzando. Dovresti essere un chooch.

I bet if audi bought ducati we would get led's on the standard model...ha

jredling said:

I bet if audi bought ducati we would get led's on the standard model...ha

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Plus square aluminium saddlebags, weird headlights and names like Volksbike, Monsterrabbit, Panipassat or Kübelbike. All that with Fahrverderbnis.

In France, Audi are bought by two kind of peoples:

- Muslims from the suburbs; they love to come to their tax collection center, parking where it is not allowed, bringing their tax free certificate (don't know the term, when you are too poor for paying taxes),

- The "Bobos", bohemian bourgeoisie, which is not a real bourgeoisie, just some "nouveaux riches" which are clueless about culture, arts, and all but pretends to be the gardens of morality.

Both are considering Audi as a show off. You didn't succeed in life if you don't have an Audi. And because of that, Audi has a very bad reputation by there.

Of course, I disagree, since I believe that you have succeeded in life when you have a Ducati and a Maserati in your garage. Italian bike, Italian car, Italian costumes, Italian shoes, American computer, American phone, French fiancee and French champagne. Now that's what I call good globalization.

Audi is one of my least favorite car companies... Ducati will never be the same if it is bought by them, too bad...

yeah, like lamborghini, bentley ...lol

jredling said:

i bet if audi bought ducati we would get led's on the standard model...ha

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agreed

jredling said:

I bet if audi bought ducati we would get led's on the standard model...ha

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Hahahah - and steelies on the base model

BMW would have a direct competitor with Audi in the premium-motorcycle business.

Ducaudi baby!

Here is an excerpt from Reuters:

Reuters said:

Two sources familiar with the matter said Audi, the premium cars arm of Europe's top carmaker Volkswagen, was in discussions with the private equity group that controls the Italian firm about a purchase.

A successful deal would extend Audi's long-standing rivalry with BMW to superbikes, and add expertise about high-revving light engines to VW's engineering portfolio, which ranges from cars through heavy trucks to ship engines.

For Audi, whose Ingolstadt headquarters has become a key research and development center for lightweight fuel saving technologies, Ducati's engine technology could add a new development dimension.

Audi is conducting due diligence and a decision about a purchase could come by mid April, one of the sources said.

Volkswagen, Audi and Ducati's main shareholder, Investindustrial, declined comment.

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