Although in many ways back on track financially, Volkswagen is still looking to simplify its empire with the sale of non-core, noncritical assets, even though that doesn’t include Ducati right now.
“The list [of assets disposals] has not been put away on the shelf,” Matthias Müller, head of the VW Group, told the Wall Street Journal on Thursday.
Despite Ducati’s non-critical position, resistance from labor unions and other company insiders mean that its sale has been put on hold.
Rumors about the possible sale surfaced in the spring, with Harley Davidson and the Benetton family among those on the shortlist for the deal, but now it looks like the motorcycle manufacturer will stay in the empire.
Ducati wasn’t the only brand on the chopping block. Volkswagen’s trucking brands, Scania and MAN, were also reportedly up for sale, though again little in the way of actual sales has actually come about.
Now, the actual content of the list of assets up for sale isn’t known, but the Wall Street Journal reports that it’s worth up to 20% of VW’s annual $260 billion revenue.
As for talk of mergers, Müller is firm that VW wants fewer brands to control not more.
“We’re a big company and don’t have any interest in getting any more bloated,” he reportedly said. “There has been a lot of speculation about FCA, which we’ve noted, but it is just speculation and nothing more.”
[source: Automotive News]
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