Following unconformed reports in April that Volkswagen Group had begun to sound out potential bidders for its iconic Ducati motorcycle brand, credible sources have now named some of them to Bloomberg Business News.
As anticipated by BDN, major-league private equity firms are front runners for a Ducati takeover. Specifically, Bloomberg has put Permira and CVC Capital Partners in the frame. London-based Permira advises investment funds with around £175bn in committed capital and has £26bn of assets under management. CVC is domiciled in Luxembourg and currently manages £45bn in assets. It also repeated rumours that Indian motorcycle manufacturers Hero MotoCorp and Royal Enfield parent Eicher could be interested too.
According to Bloomberg informants, a formal sale process may start in the next few weeks, with bids likely to be in excess of £1bn. However, they added that no final decisions have been made and prospective buyers may decide against an offer.  Â
Â