Report: VW May Sell Ducati Motorcycle Unit

Volkswagen AG is shopping its Ducati motorcycle unit to potential buyers, sources tell Reuters. But they say the company has made no decision to sell.

One of Reuters’ sources estimates Ducati’s market value at €1.5 billion ($1.6 billion). As costs of VW’s diesel emission cheating scandal climbed, the company said last summer it would review assets and perhaps shed non-core operations.

VW’s Audi unit acquired the high-end Italian motorcycle maker in 2012 for €860 million ($1.1 billion). At the time, analysts said the purchase, which reflected the personal interest of then-VW Chairman Ferdinand Piech, made little sense for the carmaker.

Piech was forced out as VW’s chairman in 2015. Earlier this month he agreed to sell his stake in Porsche Automobil Holdings SE, the company that controls VW.