Ducati Acquisition News
Last week, the CEO of Audi AG, Rupert Stadler, sat down with Valentino Rossi, discussing Audi’s intentions to regain Ducati’s “competitive edge” in MotoGP.
The speech apparently moved Rossi, the nine-time World Champion stating “when I spoke with Audi I was happy, because they have a lot of enthusiasm to improve the bike and to make an effort to improve our performance.”
And on Thursday, Stadler provided another motivational speech, this time to the Ducati workforce regarding Audi’s acquisition of the Italian motorcycle manufacturer. Stadler, along with head of Audi AG Human Resources, Thomas Sigi, visited the Ducati factory in Borgo Panigale, Bologna, Italy, addressing around 1000 workers, Ducati’s President and CEO, Gabriele Del Torchio, and Ducati Management.
The speech occurred as the Antitrust Commission prepares to complete the acquisition, which Stradler said should be complete next week, making Audi the official owner of Ducati.
Following is the speech, which “underlined Audi’s passion for the iconic Italian motorcycle manufacturer.”
Rupert Stadler (Audi CEO) says: “What is true in every romance also applies to two companies – a good start is half the battle. You’ve probably wondered why we were interested in Ducati, a car manufacturer with no apparent ties to Ducati at first glance. But that’s only at first glance. Ducati stands for extraordinary engineering artistry, passion, precision, performance and the sheer joy of living. We’re impressed by these achievements.
“I know that I’m looking at an outstanding group here, and that you are a strong team! Without you, Ducati would not be such an attractive company today. Audi and Ducati are both driven by the same passion.
“Neither of us will detract from the other, we will complement one another. And one very important aspect that means a lot to me is that we can be an inspiration to each other. There are many joint opportunities with high-performance engines, light-weight manufacturing and the skilled interplay between two strong brands on the global stage.
“Both companies, each with an eventful history of ‘ups’ and ‘downs’, can now benefit from being part of one big family – the Volkswagen Group. I am very pleased to report that the antitrust authorities approved the deal at the beginning of July and that eliminated the final obstacle en route to the start of our shared future. Ducati will officially be part of the Audi family by next week!
“This brings me to an important message that I would like to leave with you today. A message that is certainly uppermost in your minds. Ladies and gentlemen, this message consists of three words and you have my guarantee: Ducati remains Ducati.”
