VW Group May Sell Ducati As It Continues To Streamline

One of the most famous brands in the bike world may soon be up for sale. Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati has been under the ownership of Audi subsidiary Lamborghini since 2012, but with Audi parent company VW Group cutting spending across the board in the wake of dieselgate, the fancy bike brand may have to go.

Citing two insider sources, Reuters reports that VW has handed investment banking firm Evercore the job of exploring a range of cost-cutting measures, one of those being the sale of Ducati. VW is said to have “started reaching out to potential buyers to sound out their interest,” but no firm decision on the brand’s future under the Group’s umbrella is yet been made.

One source noted that floating Ducati on the stock market may be considered if VW doesn’t receive appropriate interest. But if the brand is sold, it won’t be cheap. With earnings of roughly €100 million, Ducati could fetch a value as high as €1.5 billion, one of the Reuters sources reported.

When contacted by the news agency, both Audi and Evercore chose not to comment.