Only the approval of the Antitrust is missing, but the agreement has been reached: Ducati will pass into German hands. Volkswagen CEO Ferdinand Piëch, reached an agreement with the Investindustrial fund of Andrea Bonomi (owner of Ducati) to buy 100% of the Borgo Panigale company. Thus the German car giant will enter the two-wheeler market by imprinting the Audi brand on the Ducati. THEthe final bill: 860 million euros to obtain all the rights but also the almost 200 million debts.
Yet if the management becomes Teutonic, the agreement provides that the soul of the company remains 100% Italian. Not only there production will continue in the historic Borgo Panigale factory, but it seems that Piëch is determined to want to send the Italian Luca de Meo, currently marketing director of Volkswagen, to direct Ducati. After the meeting of the Wolfsburg Group, which meets today, we will have clearer ideas. De Meo could also be supported by a managing director, as already happens in Lamborghini (another Italian brand passed under the aegis of Volkswagen).
Luca de Meo has no particular experience with motorcycles, apart from having launched the Fiat Yamaha Team (brand sponsor of MotoGP), but he proved to be eclectic and capable of working in very different fields. On the contrary, culture in a broad sense and humanity are characteristics of its "Latin" marketing model (read the interview with De Meo from FIRSTonline).
Until 2009 he was marketing manager of all Fiat brands and CEO of Alfa Romeo. Author of the resurrection of Abarth, father of the Mito and the new 500, in 2008 he was named “Chief Marketing Officer of the Year”. It has been number one for over three years of marketing of the Volkswagen Group for which he oversaw the launch of the new Beetle.
