Ducati remains German, at least for now. Volkswagen has made it known that it will not sell the historic Italian motorcycle manufacturer, at least for the next three years. A clear stop has therefore been put to the many rumors of recent weeks, which wanted the brand to become fully Italian again.
News that concerns Bologna very closely, where the company is based, and comes after the future of the Borgo Panigale brand ended up at the center of negotiations, political pressure and fears for employment. Although Volkswagen is experiencing a deep crisis and will probably have to resort to some strategic sales, on the Ducati front everything seems calm.
Ducati is not for sale (for now)
A clear decision, that of Volkswagen. Ducati will not be sold until at least 2019 (inclusive). The local brand is owned by Audi, which is part of the giant German group, and was purchased in 2012.
Recently, however, everything seems to have changed. A deep-rooted crisis has come to light, fueling rumors of a possible sale. This reassurance, however, changes the cards on the table, at least for the workers and the entire Bologna area.
The first rumors date back to September 3, when the company approved its reorganization plan. We are talking about Volkswagen’s Future Plan 2030, which provides for a cut of 50 thousand jobs and a reduction of approximately one third of the over 2,000 shareholdings (subsidiary or investee companies).
The goal is to keep only those that are truly useful for the main activity: car production. Above all, however, the giant aims to only keep what guarantees an economic return. It is no coincidence that on 8 September Audi’s CEO, Gernot Döllner, confirmed that Ducati was among the brands whose sale was being discussed.
The interest of the Italian government
The dossier had turned on the light bulb in Italian politics. The Government has in fact moved with the intention of encouraging the transfer of Ducati to local investors. A move that is as industrial and economic as it is electoral.
To demonstrate the concreteness of this scenario, the Minister of Business and Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, the president of Confindustria, Emanuele Orsini, and various industrialists had visited the Borgo Panigale headquarters.
However, there is nothing to prevent this scenario, set aside for now, from returning to the front page in a few years. After all, Ducati’s numbers are very attractive. It now employs around 2,000 people and remains a profitable company, albeit with declining sales.
In 2025 it recorded a turnover of 925 million euros which, although decreasing compared to the billion of three years earlier, is still within the range of good news (it sold around 51 thousand motorbikes compared to 54 thousand in 2024).
In a difficult phase for the European car and motorbike industry, the Borgo Panigale company remains solid and, even within the Volkswagen group, continues to finance its projects independently. It really isn’t bad to be able to bring her home even formally.
