Volkswagen AG is considering divesting the Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati as part of a comprehensive review of its vast portfolio. In an interview with Bloomberg, Audi's CEO, Gernot Döllner, revealed that the Italian brand is among the 600 of the German group's 2,000 companies being analyzed. Ducati, based in Bologna, is known for its "superbikes" such as the Panigale and could be worth around 1.25 billion euros, according to analyst Michael Dean of Bloomberg Intelligence.
Volkswagen is trying to reduce its business portfolio to make Europe's largest car manufacturer more competitive. Last week, the supervisory board approved a restructuring package that includes reducing the portfolio by about one-third. In June, the group had already agreed to sell 51% of its marine engine unit, Everllence, which is expected to generate revenues of around 7.4 billion euros.
Ducati was acquired by Audi in 2012. The group had previously considered selling the brand in 2017 but abandoned the process due to opposition from German trade union representatives. Since then, Ducati has been strengthening its position in the world of motorcycle racing, having won six consecutive MotoGP constructors' championships since 2020, which has given it a kind of Ferrari aura in the motorcycle world.
The brand has fiercely loyal followers, known as "Ducatisti," and sells approximately 50,000 units annually. In 2025 alone, it generated 925 million euros in revenues and an operating profit of 52 million euros. Döllner stated that "nothing has been decided" regarding Ducati's future, emphasizing that the discussion is part of a disciplined and responsible evaluation process of the group's portfolio.
