Ducati sale talk intensifies: unions demand answers from Volkswagen
ducati.com
Italian and German worker representatives have asked Volkswagen for clarity on Ducati's future, but no sale process has been confirmed so far.
Union pressure has made rumours about a Ducati sale louder, though they still fall short of a confirmed deal. Italian and German worker representatives have approached Volkswagen's leadership with a direct question: what will happen to the brand and its plant in Borgo Panigale.
No formal sale process has been announced. Motorcycle production and racing programmes continue unchanged, and Ducati CEO Claudio Domenicali has previously said no change of ownership is being discussed inside the company. Reports of an unnamed buyer allegedly ready to acquire 100% of Ducati remain unconfirmed.
Volkswagen's dilemma is clear. A sale could quickly bring in cash for restructuring, but the group would lose a self-sufficient, profitable brand that Audi has managed since 2012. Volkswagen's official plan calls for optimising its portfolio of assets, but Ducati is not named separately in it.
Even so, the motorcycle maker's position can no longer be called record-breaking. In 2025, Ducati's revenue fell from €1.003 billion to €925 million, while operating profit dropped from €91 million to €52 million. In the first quarter of 2026, revenue slipped from €246 million to €203 million, and profit from €15 million to €7 million.
32CARS previously reported that Volkswagen's advisers had proposed revisiting a Ducati sale or taking Lamborghini public.
Unions say they aren't worried about an immediate plant closure, but about the unknown plans of a potential buyer and future investment. So far, only their request to Volkswagen is confirmed: it raises the political cost of any deal, but doesn't prove a sale decision has already been made.
