According to Italian bikes site Moto.it, rumour has it that the Fiat Group are looking to acquire the MV Agusta bikes brand.
If the rumour is true, then the Fiat Group is undoubtedly seeking to emulate what rivalling German auto consortium Volkswagen Group AG have done with their purchase of Ducati S.p.A via proxies Audi AG and Lamborghini S.p.A. Netiher Fiat nor MV have commented on the rumour, but it is widely believed that MV are in need of a substantial financial boost in order to preserve its existence. MV recently rid itself of debt from Harley-Davidson after president Claudio Castiglioni repurchased the brand from fully from H-D.
The best thing for the Varese-based bikes brand’s future is to either have a private equity firm invests in it, or allows itself for acquisition by a larger company such as Fiat. Since the famed Bologna-based Ducati is now in reality German-owned, the thought of the Turin-based automaker acquiring MV could spell out a good Italian romance. Plus, Google Maps will tell you that Turin and Varese are just 150km apart of each other.
Given how EU carbon emission laws work, there is some value for car companies to have a two-wheeled subsidiary in its portfolio. Example, Volkswagen’s ownership of Ducati has offset the carbon emissions average across all its brand range significantly, allowing for its supercar sub-brands such as Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini the freedom to continue their operations.
However, some experts view that the non-monetary benefits of having MV Agusta are simply just not there for Fiat. Some are even still dissecting Volkswagen true overall gains from its proxy ownership of Ducati.
Given the erratic conditions of the EU auto industry, we simply cannot predict how things would go. Fiat could acquire MV and start what we believe could be a long-standing marriage for all we know. Only time will tell.
Source: Moto.it via Asphaltandrubber
