Volkswagen, Audi assessing Ducati ownership

The Volkswagen Group is in arguably its most important period of restructuring since it became the huge vehicle giant we now know, having emerged from the rubble of World War II.

With Chinese brands taking its lunch money and the once industry-leading sales figures now well and truly in the rearview mirror, Volkswagen is looking to see which of its many brands it wants to hold onto, and what it could cut loose.

Currently, Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati is classified as a Volkswagen Group brand, being directly owned by Audi, but it’s possible that could change, as the German giant mulls all available options.

“Within the Volkswagen Group, we are committed to a disciplined, responsible portfolio management,” Audi CEO Gernot Döllner told Bloomberg. 

“It’s part of the evaluation process that we’ll also talk about Ducati, but nothing has been decided.”

Speaking to GPOne, Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali reiterated Döllner’s comments, confirming that no final decision has been made on the ownership of his brand.

“We are aware of the shareholder's plan to reassess its holdings,” Domenicali said. 

“Ducati is one of these holdings, but there has been no final decision on Ducati yet: it is one of the evaluations ongoing.”

In June, Italian investment firm PatrItalia confirmed it had expressed interest in purchasing Ducati, offering €2.5 billion proposal to acquire 100 per cent of the brand, however it was told at the time that Ducati was not for sale.

The news of Ducati potentially leaving the Volkswagen Group comes after German business publication WirtschaftsWoche earlier this month reported Seat, the Spanish subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, is facing extinction.

“The Seat brand will be phased out in an orderly and cost-efficient manner by the end of 2029 at the latest, while ensuring continued support for existing customers (e.g., service) and the fulfillment of existing obligations,” a Volkswagen Group internal document read, as reported by WirtschaftsWoche.

Seat is one of a handful of Volkswagen Group brands which heavily relies on rebadging and redesigning core Volkswagen products, such as the Leon (Golf), Ibiza (Polo), and Arona (T-Cross).

It came under Volkswagen ownership in 1986, having been founded in 1950 as a joint venture between Spanish firms and Italian carmaker Fiat.

In the past few years, Leon’s product lineup has been reduced while Cupra has received all the attention from the Volkswagen Group, while the latter also operates in more markets than the former.