Harley-Davidson eyes to buy Ducati

Globally popular premium two-wheeler manufacturer Harley-Davidson emerges as the latest contender to buy its Italian rival Ducati from Volkswagen. Reports indicate that Milwaukee-based Harley-Davidson has hired Goldman Sachs to work on the deal and tentative bids are expected in July. Reuters has claimed that the Ducati deal might be worth up to $1.67 billion (approx. Rs 10800 crores).

Apart from Harley-Davidson, Indian two-wheeler manufacturer, Bajaj Auto, Ducati's previous owner Investindustrial and multiple buyout funds have also been eyeing the brand. An investment company called Evercore will be handling the sales activity for Volkswagen. In case Harley-Davidson manages to bag the deal, it will help them utilize the high-performance technology from the European giant Ducati.

Reports further reveal that initially Indian motorcycle firms like Hero MotoCorp and TVS Motor Company also showed interest in buying Ducati, but soon decided to drop their plans for undisclosed reasons. More details on Ducati’s acquisition will be known in the days to come.