Daimler, and more specifically their performance division AMG may have a very lucrative marketing and sponsorship partnership with Ducati, but that doesn’t mean that they are interested in buying the Italian motorcycle manufacturer from private equity firm Investindustrial.
In an interview with Italy’s OmniAuto.
it at the New York International Auto Show, Joachim Schmidt Executive Vice President and head of sales and marketing for Mercedes-Benz Cars, enfatically denied that the company was interested in acquiring Ducati, “We are not interested in buying Ducati, with whom we have a great relationship that I hope will continue in any case.
A partnership is however very different thing from becoming owners.
Our work is and will continue to be making cars, trucks and buses.
Nothing more.
“Rumors that Audi had offered €750 million haven’t been denied, but Italy’s Corriere della Sera is now reporting that Bonomi is no longer looking to sell its entire stake in Ducati and is interested in relisting the company back on the Milan Stock Exchange (they were delisted at the end of 2008) and is negotiating with Goldman Sachs, Deutsche Bank and Imi Bank .