Bologna, September 8, 2026 – The fears and rumors had been circulating for days in Bologna, in the heart of the Motor Valley and beyond. Now the confirmation comes directly from Germany: Volkswagen is considering the sale of the motorcycle manufacturer Ducati, as part of a deep reorganization of the vast portfolio of the German car manufacturer. This is stated by the CEO of Audi (a Volkswagen subsidiary which in turn controls Ducati, ed.), Gernot Döllner. “Within the Volkswagen group, we are committed to rigorous and responsible portfolio management,” Döllner said in an interview reported by Bloomberg, adding that “part of the evaluation process is also discussing Ducati, but nothing has been decided yet“.
According to analysts’ assessments cited by Bloomberg, the Bologna-based company could be worth around 1.25 billion.
The restructuring plan
The Italian brand is among the 600 businesses of the Volkswagen group, out of a total of 2,000, currently under review. Last week, the supervisory board of the German group approved a restructuring plan that foresees the reduction of about one third of the portfolio of businesses and holdings. It aims to cut costs to respond to the aggressive competition from Chinese manufacturers in Europe and China. Specifically, it involves cutting 100,000 employees and an unprecedented reduction in staff in recent history.
Audi acquired Ducati in 2012 and had already considered the sale of the historic brand in 2017, before abandoning the project.
Lepore consults the unions
Given the news and prospects, the mayor of Bologna is also taking action, Matteo Lepore. “Today I requested a meeting with the metalworking sector unions both at the Bologna and national levels,” Lepore reports, on the sidelines of an event. To the unions, therefore, “I asked to meet as soon as possible, already in these days – adds the mayor – to take stock of the situation”.
De Pascale has already requested a discussion table at Mimit
The first rumors came last week during the presentation of the events for the 100 years of the Rossa of Borgo Panigale. The president of the Emilia-Romagna region, Michele de Pascale, immediately acted with concern and asked the Minister of Enterprises of Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, for a discussion table. The Minister also called the CEO of Ducati, Claudio Domenicali. “We have agreed on a path that can allow us to safeguard such an important company, a symbol of Made in Italy,” said the CEO.
The success and strength of Ducati
Ducati has consolidated its position as one of the dominant names in motorcycling, winning six consecutive constructors’ championships in MotoGP since 2020. Its success has helped give the brand an aura similar to Ferrari’s in the motorcycle world, with its loyal fans known as ‘Ducatisti’.
A possible sale would have a special symbolic meaning for the Porsche-Piech family, which controls the Volkswagen group: the late patriarch Ferdinand Piech, a motorcycle enthusiast, personally promoted the acquisition in 2012 and later was part of Ducati’s board of directors. However, its operating margin is below the 9% target that Volkswagen CEO Oliver Blume has set for the group by 2030. Ducati sells about 50,000 vehicles a year and last year generated revenues of 925 million euros and an operating profit of 52 million euros.
