Volkswagen Group is evaluating whether to sell Ducati as part of a massive portfolio review covering all 600 of its business units.
Audi CEO Gernot Döllner confirmed the evaluation to Bloomberg, saying “nothing has been decided” about the Italian motorcycle brand’s future within the group.
Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali echoed that position in an interview with GPOne, calling Ducati “one of the evaluations ongoing” and confirming no final decision has been made.
The review comes as Volkswagen fights falling sales against Chinese manufacturers and a contracting global economy across its key markets.
The Numbers Behind the Review
Ducati posted €54 million in profits for 2025, down from $105.9 million the previous year.
Profit margins contracted from 9.1 percent in 2024 to 5.6 percent in 2025.
The United States is Ducati’s second-largest market, and tariffs on imported goods have pressured margins alongside other VW Group brands like Porsche.
Italian investment firm PatrItalia offered €2.5 billion for 100 percent of Ducati in June, but was told the brand was not for sale at the time.
A Broader VW Shake-Up
Volkswagen is also preparing to phase out Seat, its Spanish subsidiary, by the end of 2029 according to internal documents reported by WirtschaftsWoche.
Seat was founded in 1950 as a joint venture between Spanish firms and Fiat, joining the Volkswagen Group in 1986.
Ducati has been part of the group since 2012, when Audi acquired it for €860 million.
I’ve watched enough corporate reshuffles to know that “nothing has been decided” often means the decision just hasn’t been announced yet.
For riders, a sale could mean fresh investment and autonomy, or a new parent company with different priorities for racing, development, and product strategy.
Ducati remains the dominant manufacturer in MotoGP and WorldSBK, and any ownership change could ripple through factory racing programs at both championships.
The brand celebrated its centennial this year with a new factory, a museum, and 10 limited-edition models.
Source: CarBuzz, TorqueCafe
