Despite the launch of the Ducati Stradale V-four engine, Ducati Motor Holding posted a 5% drop in sales for 2018, with 53,004 machines delivered to customers worldwide. However, this is represented against an overall drop in the global above 500 cc motorcycle market which shrank by 3%.
Of this figure, Ducati sold 9,700 bikes in the Panigale range, an increase of 70% over 2017 which it says makes it the leader in the superbike segment with over 26% market share. Of this, the new Ducati Panigale V4 made up 6,100 of the total number of Ducati superbikes sold.
The adventure-touring Multistrada range also saw an increase in sales for 2018, with 6,569 Multistradas sold. This is a 25% increase over the 2017 figure.
“2018 was challenging for the big motorcycles market, with slowdowns in important countries like the US, Ducati had, by the end of the year, delivered over 53,000 bikes,” said Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding. “We’re working to make our sales network more efficient than ever. For 2019 we’ve also overhauled the Scrambler 800 range and launched new products such as the Diavel 1260 and Hypermotard 950,” Ducati global sales director Francesco Milicia added.
Home market Italy remains Ducati’s largest customer with 9,200 bikes sold, up 4.5% over the previous year. This was followed by Spain (2,444 sold, up 8%), Japan (1,941 sold, up 2%) and Switzerland (1,276 sold, up 2.2%).
However, US Ducati sales, which has traditionally been its largest market, dropped against a 9% US domestic market downturn for motorcycles above 500 cc, with 7,843 motorcycles sold. In China, market demand for Ducati rose by 29%, with the establishment of a direct outlet and expansion of the dealer network from 19 to 23 locations.
Ducati’s future have been unclear leading to the drop in sales. There was serious considerations by VW in selling it to pay the huge dieselgate scandal fines, but it was pulled at the last minute, leading to even more questions and lost of faith by potential customers.
This is because global economy is down. Many frustrated keyboard warriors say only Malaysia economy is down.
Hello Internet is there for everyone to read.
Abesla! Internet has just disproved your unfounded fake news (paultan.org/2019/01/22/2018-another-record-sales-year-for-bmw-motorrad-1130-new-bmw-motorcycles-sold-in-malaysia/)
Lolz! Basher fake news got found out again.
Car sales in Malaysia down from previous year. Car companies are not doing too well. This is because we have to pay back 60 years of corruption and stealing to repair our economy.
Proton should keep MV Augusta,
You mean it was wrong for Harley Davidson and later AMG to let MV Augusta go? But they are foreign overlords managed…
Proton is not clever. Bought the company for 500 million Euro but sold it for RM1 Euro.
I think Proton need to learn how to do business
Yeah, like Harley and AMG both seperate times sold off MV Augusta for 1 Euro. They need to learn how to do business, right?
Malaysia has bought Italian companies before.
Some like the MV Agusta failed (well even Harley Davidson that bought them from Proton failed too). Some like the famous Selenia Lubricant brand that is taken over by Petronas is better than ever now under Petronas. Right now all lubricant develpment is under PLI – Petronas Lubricants International, which was formerly Selenia, and that is why most of the Lubricant R&D is done in Italy.
So could a Malaysian concern taking over Ducati be a good thing for the company?
According New Malaysia diehards, buying over a brand is not patriotic, we must develop our own bike and with never before done engine system that uses LPG as fuel, and having autonomous drive capability. And all not using taxpayers money which is why taxpayer will be donating at least Rm20 million for this venture. They believe this will sure be a success compared to buying out Ducati.
buying a standalone superbike company is like buying a luxury watch company..the market is very niche but the investment needed for marketing and r&d is killing you
What Ducati need to do is to launch a 600cc/500cc V-Twin Supersport bike to increase sales in Asian market.