Flagged from the somewhat bizarre source of an “Art of Mobility” private holding company, the Sardarov family has announced its full reacquisition of MV Agusta ownership, finally terminating a two-year dalliance with KTM – although there is a measured degree of qualification.
“The partnership with KTM brought meaningful contributions in areas such as dealer network development and production technologies. So as part of a smooth transition, certain operational functions will continue to be jointly managed to ensure continuity and efficiency until the end of the financial year.”
However, there were other strangely close connections, as Art of Mobility chief executive Timur Sardarov confirmed his full confidence in a new MV Agusta leadership team and its vision for the future. In line with this strategic direction, he has appointed Luca Martin as MV Agusta chief executive. Martin had previously served in the roles of chief operating officer and deputy chief executive during the fairly brief KTM management era. And an even more established KTM veteran, Hubert Trunkenpolz, has become chairman of the MV Agusta board of directors. He is a direct descendant of Johann Trunkenpolz, pre-war founder of Kraftfahrzeug Trunkenpolz Mattighofen (KTM), when it first got into the motorcycle business. Prior to being parachuted in to handle the dysfunctional MV Agusta takeover, Trunkenpolz had been a long-term senior executive board member of KTM parent Pierer. Filippo Bassoli was also elevated to MV Agusta executive board membership, with the working rank of chief brand and marketing officer.
Finally, we learnt that Timur Sardarov and his brother Ratmir will only sit in the C-suite as non-execs. That didn’t stop Timur from waffling on endlessly about his pride in the progress and outstanding work of the entire MV Agusta team, the commitment to innovation, craftsmanship, and performance of which apparently remains stronger than ever. He’d obviously been briefing Luca Martin in the motorcycling verbosity stakes too. Stretching their joint press release towards oblivion, the latter added: “Everlasting beauty beyond performance is not just a vision – it’s our reality, a timeless aesthetic shaped by the harmony of form and function, and a riding experience that goes beyond raw numbers to deliver true emotion precision and control.”