Italy’s Industry Minister: No Current Plans for Volkswagen to Sell Ducati
Current Status of Volkswagen’s Ducati Ownership
MILAN, Sept 25 (Reuters) - Italian Industry Minister Adolfo Urso said on Friday that Volkswagen had no plans at the moment to sell its motorbike business Ducati, after meeting with representatives of the German group.
Speculation and Background
• Speculation over a potential sale of Ducati rose as Volkswagen, which controls the Italian motorbike maker through its Audi brand, battles the deepest restructuring in its history.
Asset Review by Audi
• Earlier this month, Audi said Ducati was part of a broader review of the automaker's assets, adding no decision had been taken.
Recent Discussions and Statements
Video Conference Details
• Urso held a video conference on Friday with Audi CFO Juergen Rittersberger and Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali to discuss the situation at Ducati, his ministry said in a statement.
Official Ministry Statement
• "Rittersberger reassured participants that Ducati's investment and product plans would continue as planned and confirmed that, at this stage, no decision had been made regarding any changes to Ducati's ownership structure," the ministry said.
(Reporting by Giulio Piovaccari, editing by Alvise Armellini)
