As various parts of Volkswagen Group release piecemeal 2015 full-year financial results in advance of the parent — which has delayed its comprehensive report due to the diesel emissions scandal — Audi has unveiled a positive performance from second-tier subsidiary Ducati.
Revenue was 22% up at £543.4m. Operating profit increased by 12.5% to £41.8m, with an operating margin of 7.8%. Headline sales volume was also handsome, boasting a 21.5% increase to 54,809 bikes. But that total included 16,000 samples of Ducati’s new-for-2015 Scrambler “sub-brand”, therefore sales of the rest of its range had actually shrunk.
Now claiming a global over-500cc market share of 5.4%, up by 0.9% year-on-year, Ducati did well in all key geographical regions. The biggest, North America, posted a 14% rise to 12,136 units. Italy was 53% up at 6569 units. The rest of Europe grew by 31.2% to 21,473 units — within which there was a 37% UK surge to 3273 units. Asia-Pacific added 12% at 6502 units.
Commenting on these figures, Ducati chief executive Claudio Domenicali said: “In the course of this past financial year, Ducati demonstrated the effectiveness of the strategy followed in the past three years, based on investment in product, quality and customers. This growth is reflected not only by volumes but by all the main financial indicators and shows how the company today is solid and well-prepared for future challenges.”