Posted on Wednesday 16 April 2008
The Volkswagen Group is already one of the most varied consortiums of auto brands in the world, comprising nine different carmakers all up including the likes of Bugatti, Lamborghini, Bentley and Audi to name a few. The auto giant is also on the verge of being taken over by Porsche and now its chairman, Ferdinand Piech, has expressed his desires to expand the group with the addition of a motorbike brand.
Speaking with German magazine Stern, Piech said he regretted not acquiring the Ducati label during the 1980s when the Italian sportsbike manufacturer was on the verge of bankruptcy and added that his dream of doing so had not died yet.
“I would still like a small, valuable motorcycle manufacturer,” he told reporters during a joint-interview with his cousin, Porsche supervisory board chairman, Wolfgang Porsche. “I myself drive a Ducati. 180 horses and more power per kilogram weight than a 1,001hp Bugatti.”
A number of carmakers have successfully manufactured and sold motorbikes in the past – most notably BMW with its Motorrad subsidiary dating back to the 1920s as well as Honda and Suzuki, who build some of the fastest production motorbikes in the world.
NIce. But which one. MZ would be a good fit. They are already German.
How about triumph, then had a mini revival and now have gone relatively quiet…
Are you kidding? Triumph, a small revival? Triumph is very much alive and doing VERY well…very popular bikes…no, not like Honda…but every bit as big as Duc…plus, triumphs are way too reliable to be a VAG product.
maybe triumph are doing well in the UK…jsut dont see them anwhere else !
“nine different carmakers”??? I only know 7! > 1. VW - 2. Audi - 3. SEAT - 4. Skoda - 5. Bentley - 6. Lamborghini - 7. Bugatti… anymore??
The remaining two are commercial vehicle brands.