http://jalopnik.com/5903083/why-audi-just-bought-ducati
There are a couple of threads in the Motorcycle & Boats Forum that were tracking it... Audi buying Ducati Germans to buy Ducati?
I think it's a good fit. It's definitely about image and brand than any financial gain (as noted in the Jalopnik article). Seeing how well Audi managed Lamborghini should be an indicator for how they'll treat Ducati - respect the heritage (Ducati were once Aermacchi) and continue the racing tradition. Improve the dealer support and network, and they'll have a nice jewel in the crown.
Agree... but, could you please expand on Ducati's Aermacchi heritage? Never heard about that before. I know of course about the Castiglioni brothers' (Cagiva) acquisition in the late 1970s of the then HD owned Aermacchi, and their subseqent take-over of Ducati in the mid-1980s. But, as far as I know there were no direct Ducati-Aermacchi links before that. Both Aermacchi and Ducati started manufacturing two-wheelers shortly after WWII, but separately and independently.
Ah my bad - I am old and getting stupid...Aermacchi became CAGIVA, which once owned Ducati...how could I forget that???? Maybe it was a bad idea for me to start drinking more...I pride myself on my motorcycle knowledge and that was an EPIC fail.
No doubt Audi's reign over Lambo put the company on a much better financial basis, and they may well do the same for Ducati. Make them reliable and practical. Oh, wait, that wasn't quite the thing we were waiting for. A Lambo or Ducati without the Italian 'soul' is like an improved Cognac, without alcohol.
Indeed - but they can help to improve the dealer network by normalizing relations (sounds like politics!). I knew a prominent Ducati dealer that had so many issues with getting responses or support that they just gave up. In the US, that's probably hurting the company more than anything else. If Audi can "fix" that, you might see a growing number of Ducatis on the road.
