Ducati Motor is for sale. It will be foreign owned. That doesn't bother me when my relationship started with Ducati it owned by Texas Pacific Group, but the production and assembly were mostly Italian.
Now we have completely lost any pride in Italian Motorcycle Manufacturing. I'm going to call it, as a Motorcycle producer Italy is now officially dead. Ducati will not just be sold they are going to move production mark my words. The process has started and the bikes will be made in Asia as well as South America.
If anyone has read my blog the last few months I have personally criticized the lack of leadership of Mr. Silvio Berlusconi who was too busy getting it on at the "Bunga Bunga" parties to actually care about what happened in this leading industry of Italy. The engines of Bologna roar no more.
There are no billionaires to the rescue on this one. Nobody that has pride in his country that would put money to restructure this business.
I have watched as the region of Bologna has fallen not only by the incompetence of its elected leaders, but by the laziness and ignorance of this failed social welfare state called Italy. They have let a brand that once made Italians proud world wide fall to its feet. Ducati will no longer mean "Made in Italy." There will be nothing exciting or special about it. Another victim of globalization.
Yes, the parts were an issue, but just like Piaggio the bikes will now have parts made in China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, but hardly any Italian input. For whatever promises they are making now to keep production in Italy this will not be the case if sold to BMW, Mahindra, or KTM. They are all global leaders in outsourcing.
Ducati has already moved some production to Brazil and intends to do more there. Last year it was talking about making Ducati branded scooters and passed on the opportunity to buy up Malaguti before its bankruptcy ( why buy a local factory when you can make them in Thailand for half the cost )
I will always remember being 25 riding between Malaguti and Ducati, two great survivors of World War II, two factories who stood for Italian made quality products. I spent a week riding a bunch of Malaguti scooters and some Ducati's the factory allowed us to borrow. It was a great time and despite all the challenges I believed in the dream of selling Italian made goods.
Even Ducati has become to expensive for the Italians to make.
http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2012/02/13/bologna-motori-rombano-ducati-vendita-sara-straniera/190918/
Now we have completely lost any pride in Italian Motorcycle Manufacturing. I'm going to call it, as a Motorcycle producer Italy is now officially dead. Ducati will not just be sold they are going to move production mark my words. The process has started and the bikes will be made in Asia as well as South America.
There are no billionaires to the rescue on this one. Nobody that has pride in his country that would put money to restructure this business.
I have watched as the region of Bologna has fallen not only by the incompetence of its elected leaders, but by the laziness and ignorance of this failed social welfare state called Italy. They have let a brand that once made Italians proud world wide fall to its feet. Ducati will no longer mean "Made in Italy." There will be nothing exciting or special about it. Another victim of globalization.
Yes, the parts were an issue, but just like Piaggio the bikes will now have parts made in China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, but hardly any Italian input. For whatever promises they are making now to keep production in Italy this will not be the case if sold to BMW, Mahindra, or KTM. They are all global leaders in outsourcing.
Ducati has already moved some production to Brazil and intends to do more there. Last year it was talking about making Ducati branded scooters and passed on the opportunity to buy up Malaguti before its bankruptcy ( why buy a local factory when you can make them in Thailand for half the cost )
I will always remember being 25 riding between Malaguti and Ducati, two great survivors of World War II, two factories who stood for Italian made quality products. I spent a week riding a bunch of Malaguti scooters and some Ducati's the factory allowed us to borrow. It was a great time and despite all the challenges I believed in the dream of selling Italian made goods.
Even Ducati has become to expensive for the Italians to make.
http://www.ilfattoquotidiano.it/2012/02/13/bologna-motori-rombano-ducati-vendita-sara-straniera/190918/
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