Is Ducati in trouble

[expaddockrunner]

Since Ducati was reported up for sale in February, many companies have been listed as possibly buyers, including BMW, the Indian motorcycle group Mahindra, and most recently India's largest motorcycle manufacturer, Hero MotoCorp.
And now, the respected UK publication, Car Magazine, is reporting that one of the Volkswagen Group's largest brands, Audi, will have first dibs to purchase Ducati from its Milan-based private-equity owner, Investindustrial.
Car Magazine reports that Audi "has struck an exclusive deal giving it first rights to buy Italian superbike manufacturer Ducati." The German company reportedly has until mid-April, when the deal will "likely" be finalized.
Various reports also allege that Ducati carries a debt of around $1.25 billion. Audi is expected to pay around $78 million for the iconic Italian motorcycle company, and take on the rest of the debt load.
The idea of Audi buying Ducati derives from "Project Eagle," which was designed Ferdinand Piech of the Volkswagen Group. The idea behind "Project Eagle" is for the German Volkswagen Group to buy a distinguished motorcycle company, and for a while there were talks of reviving the former German motorcycle company Horex, which manufactured singles and twins from 1936 - 1956.
But due to the recent partnership between Ducati and the German-based Mercedes-Benz (think AMG Ducati Diavel), a rival to the Volkswagen Group, it appears there's much more incentive at play to purchase Ducati.
Currently, the Volkswagen Group is comprised of nine brands from seven European countries: Volkswagen, Audi, Bentley, Bugatti, Lamborghini, SEAT, Skoda, Scania and Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles.
Many of these companies carry endless clout, and if Ducati is added, the VW Group will have further bragging rights.

[Truenorth]

Like a Honda engine in a thing called an MG, the sound of rolling in graves will be audible.

[expaddockrunner]

Reuters is reporting that VW/Audi has purchased Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati for $1.12 billion.
Thus far financial analysts have not taken a shine to the deal, suggesting that this is a just a "trophy" buy for VW to add to its list of brands that it owns.

[expaddockrunner]

As Seen on MCN Website yesterday

Volkswagen Audi has agreed to buy Ducati for about 860 million euros (£705m), two insiders have told the Reuters news agency.
The total includes Ducati's debt, say Reuters, though it's unclear how much that is.
Last week Ducati insiders told MCN an announcement on the deal will be made tomorrow (Wednesday), and that the purchase will be presented as being a 75th birthday present to VW chairman Ferdinand Piech.
Reuters also report that analysts at Credit Suisse questioned the industrial benefit of the Ducati purchase, saying it was an unnecessary sideshow to VW's main challenges. "The Ducati acquisition is driven by VW's passion for nameplates rather than industrial or financial logic," said Credit Suisse's Arndt Ellinghorst.

[wnut]

Originally Posted by expaddockrunner

As Seen on MCN Website yesterday

Volkswagen Audi has agreed to buy Ducati for about 860 million euros (£705m), two insiders have told the Reuters news agency.
The total includes Ducati's debt, say Reuters, though it's unclear how much that is.
Last week Ducati insiders told MCN an announcement on the deal will be made tomorrow (Wednesday), and that the purchase will be presented as being a 75th birthday present to VW chairman Ferdinand Piech.
Reuters also report that analysts at Credit Suisse questioned the industrial benefit of the Ducati purchase, saying it was an unnecessary sideshow to VW's main challenges. "The Ducati acquisition is driven by VW's passion for nameplates rather than industrial or financial logic," said Credit Suisse's Arndt Ellinghorst.

Well they can dump the Ducati loss of their tax liability for a start!

How long is a patent like the Desmo valve technology valid for these days?
Does anyone know?

[Dave Brand]

Originally Posted by wnut

How long is a patent like the Desmo valve technology valid for these days?
Does anyone know?

Desmodromic valve gear has been around for a very long time - 100 years or more. Mercedes used it in the 1950s. It's very unlikely that Ducati has a patent on the concept, although they may have patents on details of their own implementation.

Is desmodromic valve gear really a valid technology nowadays? It was originally a way round the unreliability of valve springs. Metallurgy has progressed to the point where for all practical purposes springs will do the job - if they won't, use pneumatics. Ducati's continued use of desmo valve gear stems, I suspect, more from the marketing department than from the engineering department!