Ducati's CEO On Possible VW Sale: 'We Don't Comment on Speculation'

Volkswagen's current situation appears to be worse than originally reported, as a leaked memo indicates that the company isn't planning to lay off 100,000 employees, but rather over 150,000 employees, as well as cutting its lineup by 50%, with model-specific lineups reducing by another 75%.

The report, as detailed by our siblings at Motor1, shows that VW CEO Oliver Blume is considering closing four different German manufacturing plants, with a total of another 50,000 employees at risk. Those being the plants at Emden, Hanover, Zwickau, and Neckarsulm. All of which points toward further evidence that Volkswagen's other brands—that of Lamborghini, Porsche, Bentley, Audi, and Ducati—are further at risk of being sold. 

The most rumored of which is that of Ducati, as the motorcycle brand is outside the normal scope of the automotive giant, and when Volkswagen's brass issued a statement about the company's future, it said it hoped to slim down and focus on its "automotive" business, part of which led to the sale of its marine engines division, Everllence, a few weeks prior. 

Ducati's CEO, Claudio Domenicali, however, remains focused on the task at hand, and told RideApart, "We don't comment on speculation."

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In a statement to RideApart, and attributed to Domenicali, the long-time Ducatista said, "Ducati is in a very solid position, with a highly modern model range that regularly performs strongly in comparative tests, record-high customer recommendation levels, and a very engaged community. Added to this is an exceptional streak of racing success, both in MotoGP and in the Superbike World Championship."

This statement amounts to a version of what Domenicali has said in the past, as in, "We don't need Volkswagen." 

Last year, Ducati's sales slipped slightly, but also introduced or reintroduced most of the brand's lineup. Likewise, tariffs have also raised prices for consumers, which has led to fewer sales across the industry, as sales fell for most every other manufacturer, apart from those who play in the small-displacement, entry-level arena—those remain affordable to the average consumer. Still, the economy has remained strained from higher prices, wage stagnation, and basic necessities taking priority over expensive purchases like motorcycles and cars, which has likely led Volkswagen to where it is today.

But Domenicali's statement went further, adding, "Furthermore, as a matter of principle, we do not comment on speculation," i.e., speculation on a possible sale. And from a business perspective, that makes sense, as companies such as VW and Ducati are large machines, with moving parts everywhere. One person speaking, even a CEO, could derail things elsewhere. However, the statement about speculation comes on the heels of Domenicali saying categorically, "[Ducati] is also completely self-standing. We do not really need support from [VW] to make our investment plan for the future, to make the new models. It is a very solid investment plan."

So does the reversal of statements indicate that something is in the works and they can no longer state anything publicly? It's unclear. But we do know, from VW's own public and private statements that the German automotive giant will have to see drastic cost-cutting to ensure its place in the market for future generations. Whether that's with Ducati or not is yet to be seen.

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