Back in August, Volkswagen AG CEO Herbert Diess laid out the groundwork for two options for Ducati, the Italian motorcycle manufacturer the German conglomerate acquired in 2012: VW will either expand or sell Ducati.

“Either we find a way forward for Ducati, which provides some growth, or we have to look for a new ownership,” he told Bloomberg TV.

Rumors surrounding Ducati are not anything new. They often circulate, with nothing ever materializing. And, yet, here we are again. 

Last week in an interview with Speedweek, KTM CEO Stefan Pierer had some interesting comments regarding Ducati.

"When I joined the off-road motorcycle business in 1992 with the acquisition of KTM, the Husqvarna brand was the benchmark for me. I soon realized that the automotive industry often plays a pioneering role for the motorcycle industry," he told Speedweek (translation by Google). "When the Volkswagen Group with all its brands developed the platform strategy, I saw this as a role model. We bought Husqvarna in 2012 when our friends from BMW asked us for help.

“Ducati is the Ferrari of the motorcycle industry,” he continued. “Of course, having such a brand in our group would be interesting. It is not a question of price, but it is about the topic: When does everyone realize the situation they are in?”

The entire conversation with Pierer is very interesting. You can read it here.

Main image: Ducati