Volkswagen Group is weighing a potential sale of Ducati as part of its sweeping restructuring plan aimed at improving the company’s core automotive operations.
The details: The Italian motorcycle maker is one of 600 businesses under review out of roughly 2,000 owned by Volkswagen, Audi CEO Gernot Döllner said, according to Transportation Topics.
Ducati is part of VW’s Audi Group, which also includes Automobili Lamborghini and ultra-luxury automaker Bentley Motors.
Ducati reported a 7% decline in sales in 2025, with the company citing U.S. tariffs as a major factor behind the decrease, per a press statement.
What they’re saying: “Within the Volkswagen Group, we are committed to a disciplined, responsible portfolio management,” Döllner said, per Transportation Topics. “It’s part of the evaluation process that we’ll also talk about Ducati, but nothing has been decided.”
Why it matters: Selling non-core businesses such as Ducati could give Volkswagen additional capital and allow the automaker to concentrate resources on its core automotive brands, potentially preserving more investment for future vehicles and technology that ultimately reach dealer showrooms.
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For the record: Reports that Audi is considering offloading Ducati are the latest indication of how aggressively Volkswagen is approaching the overhaul of its operations.
VW said Monday that it struck a deal to sell its factory in Osnabrück—which is due to end vehicle production in 2027—to Israel's Aurelius Capital and Lower Saxony.
That announcement came days after VW’s board approved a restructuring plan that includes cutting 50,000 jobs and shuttering auto production at four German plants.
Bottom line: Volkswagen’s review of Ducati underscores the breadth of its restructuring, with a leaner portfolio potentially helping the group focus capital on its most important automotive operations as it works to improve profitability and strengthen the competitiveness of its brands and products.
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