In the last few hours rumors are multiplying about the impending sale of Husqvarna from German giant BMW to Austrian manufacturer KTM, with the official announcement of the agreement that could even be officially disclosed by the end of the current week.
BMW purchased Husqvarna from MV Agusta in 2008 – on the eve of the global financial crisis – and invested large amounts of money in the Italy-based company, a move that led to the modernization of the production lines and also to the creation of some new models such as the Nuda 900, in addition to the renewal of the already complete off-road range.
After a little more than four years, it now seems that BMW is actually in the final stages of negotiations for the sale of the Swedish-born brand to KTM, which in turn has Indian giant Bajaj as one of its major shareholders.
Although at present there is no official source confirming the news, rumors about the intentions of BMW Motorrad to ‘lighten’ its commitment to Husqvarna have been circulating for quite some time, and the news about the imminent takeover has already been dubbed as ‘100% sure’ by several media in Italy, Germany and Austria.
If the parties will actually seal the deal – something that seems pretty safe to assume at the moment – it would undoubtedly be another great news for KTM, which just announced its all-time sales record in 2012.
The purchase of Husqvarna would surely enhance the already strong presence of the Mattighofen-based manufacturer in the ‘off-road’ segment, although at the moment it is obviously not possible to know the precise intentions of KTM in regard to the fate of the historic Husqvarna brand.