
Ducati is a brand under the Volkswagen Group. Here's an introduction to Ducati: Introduction to Ducati: Ducati is a motorcycle brand founded in 1926 by Antonio Cavalieri Ducati. It is an Italian motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Bologna, Italy. The brand is renowned for its exceptional performance and distinctive Italian design. Objective Evaluation of Ducati: Ducati is a unique motorcycle brand. While everyday motorcycles serve as the best means of transportation and Harley-Davidson represents a certain lifestyle for some, Ducati stands out as a high-performance toy driven by passion and dedication. Ducati doesn't manufacture motorcycles merely to meet market demands but out of pure love for the craft. Every Ducati embodies history, style, performance, and technology, qualities that are unmatched by any other brand.

Ducati is indeed part of the Volkswagen Group, and this relationship dates back to 2012. At that time, Audi acquired Ducati, and since Audi is a subsidiary of Volkswagen, Ducati ultimately became a member of the Volkswagen Group. What I find most interesting is that Ducati has maintained its Italian heritage even after joining Volkswagen—those iconic red frames and L-twin engines remain unchanged. Many people don't realize that the Volkswagen Group owns not only car brands but also construction machinery and motorcycle brands, which reflects a smart diversification strategy. If you visit the Volkswagen Group's official website, Ducati is listed alongside luxury brands like Bentley and Porsche, yet it still operates independently in terms of pricing strategy and product style.

Although Ducati is owned by the Volkswagen Group, its brand spirit remains quintessentially Italian. While researching motorcycle brand histories, I noticed Ducati was actually founded in Bologna as early as 1926 - a full decade before Volkswagen. Now operating as a subsidiary of Audi (effectively making it Volkswagen's 'grandchild brand'), Ducati maintains its design and R&D operations entirely within Italy. The Volkswagen Group largely refrains from interfering with its daily operations, allowing Ducati to preserve its racing DNA and radical design language. Such cases of multinational acquisitions maintaining authentic brand identities are quite rare. I believe Ducati's success demonstrates the operational flexibility possible within large corporate groups.

Ducati is indeed under the Volkswagen Group now, which can be explained through the group's structure. The Volkswagen Group is like a big tree, with its trunk being the passenger car division, and branches including brands like Audi and Skoda. Ducati is like a leaf on the Audi branch. Interestingly, the brands under the Volkswagen Group have clear divisions of labor: Volkswagen focuses on family cars, Bentley handles ultra-luxury vehicles, while Ducati specializes in high-performance motorcycles. They share supply chains and technical resources, for instance, Ducati utilizes Audi's electronic systems, yet each brand maintains its independent positioning. This kind of group operation has allowed Ducati to access more R&D funding, as evidenced by its recent launch of the Panigale supercar series.


