Audi needs a new niche...so it buys Ducati for $1.1bn

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Audi has bought superbike company Ducati, bolstering its plans for total vehicular world domination. It means that Audi can fight BMW on two wheels now, too.

The price is thought to be £700 million plus £150 million of existing Ducati debts. Quite what Audi gets for that price is harder to establish. Ducati is a great brand name for motorcycles, but has limited value for a car manufacturer. Audi says that it enhances its sporting credentials, but that seems a stretch. If someone is interested in an Audi A5, or even an R8, it is hard to imagine the fact that Audi owns Ducati sealing the deal. How many people buy a BMW car because BMW also makes motorbikes?

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