Piaggio & Ducati merger synergies?

Italian Motorcycles SpA

A recent study by a world-renowned management-consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, suggests the possible synergies of a merger between Piaggio & C. S.p.a. and Ducati.

The study was revealed this morning by the Italian newspaper LaStampa.it. As Europe's largest manufacturer of two-wheeled vehicles, Piaggio has already proven itself capable of acquiring other marquee brands. Their current brand line-up includes Aprilia, Moto Guzzi, Vespa, Gilera, Derbi and Scarabeo.

This news of the possible synergies comes shortly after Internet rumors of the imminent sale of Piaggio, as they are 55% controlled by IMMSI S.p.A. Company executives have stated that the sale and any plans for a merger are totally unfounded.

Piaggio closed 2009 with a 30.2% share in its home Italian market (up 1.7% percent over 2008), and has reported excellent performance in over 50cc scooters: 33.6% market share in 2009 (+2.1% higher than in 2008) with 5 product families in the top ten bestsellers.

Piaggio stock is also trading near a 52-week high of 2.3825, compared to the 52-week low of just 0.906, so it hard to tell if the group is in need of money.

The US-based Texas-Pacific Group acquired Ducati back in 1996 and took the company public. In 2005, after a very successful run, the company returned back to Italian ownership.

In 2008, Ducati was taken private, again in Italian hands. The new "private" Ducati is known as Performance Motorcycles SpA, so the exact financial condition of the company is unknown.

The other marquee Italian brand, MV Agusta, is looking for a permanent home after current owner Harley-Davidson announced last October that MV is up for sale. For the right money, Italian Motorcycles SpA could be in the works.


source ultimatemotorcycling

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All About Vespa Piaggio

There have been 138 different versions of the Vespa; today there are five models in production: the classic, manual transmission PX; and the modern CVT transmission S, LX, GT, and GTS.

1969 Vespa Rally 180

1963 VBB Standard 150

Historic

Vespa Lambro 200

• Paperino – the original prototype made in 1945 at Biella
• Vespa 150 TAP – A Vespa modified by the French military that incorporated an anti tank weapon.
• VNC Super 125
• VBC Super 150
• VLB Sprint 150
• VBA Standard 150
• VBB Standard 150
• 125 GT
• V9A
• VNA
• VNB 125
• Vespa U - U is for utilitaria (English - economic). 1953 model with a price of 110 mila Lire (about US$175), 7,000 were produced
• GS 150
• SS 180
• GS 160
• Standard 90 (3 spd)
• Standard 50 (3 spd)
• SS50 (4 spd)
• SS90 (4 spd)-90 SS Super Sprint
• 150 GL
• 90 Racer
• 125 TS
• 100 Sport
• 125 GTR
• 150 Sprint
• 150 Sprint Veloce
• 180 SS Super Sport
• Rally 180
• Rally 200
• 125 Nuova (VMA-1T) - Prelude to Primavera
• Primavera 125 also ET3 (3 port version)
• PK 50
• PK 50 XL
• PK 50 Roma (Automatic)
• 50 S
• 50 Special
• 50 Special Elestart
• 50 Sprinter / 50 SR (D)
• 50 Special Revival (Limited to 3000 Italy-only numbered units, released in 1991)
• COSA 1 - 125cc, 150cc, 200 cc
• COSA 2 - 125cc, 150cc, 200 cc
• P 80 / P 80 E (France)
• P 80 X/PX 80 E (France)
• PK 80 S / Elestart
• PK 80 S Automatica / Elestart
• PK 100 S / Elestart
• PK 100 S Automatica
• PK 100 XL
• PK 125 XL / Elestart
• PK 125 S
• PK 125 E
• PK 125 automatica (automatic transmission)
• P 125 X
• PX 125 E/Electronic
• P 200 E
• PX 200 E FL
• PX 200 Serie Speciale (Limited to 400 UK-only numbered units)
• T5 / Elestart (5 port engine 125 cc P series)
• T5 Classic (5 port engine 125 cc P series)
• T5 Millennium (5 port engine 125 cc P series) (Limited to 400 UK-only numbered units)

Recent

• ET2 50 - 2stroke
• ET4 50 - 4stroke
• ET4 125 (Euro Model)
• ET4 150 (Euro Model)
• ET4 150 (US model)
• GT 125 (Granturismo 125)
• GT 200 (Granturismo 200)
• PX 125
• PX 150 (reintroduced to US and Canadian Markets in 2004)
• PX 200

Current

2008 Vespa LX150

• LX 50
• LX 125
• LX 150
• LXV 50 (60th anniversary variant of LX50)
• LXV 125 (60th anniversary variant of LX125)
• GT 60° 250 cc Limited Edition. 999 produced worldwide in unique colours and each one receiving a commemorative badge, personalized with the owner’s initials. Features the front fender mounted headlight, shared only with the GTV 250.
• GTS 125
• GTS 250ie
• GTS 250 ie abs
• GTS 250 Super
• GTS 300 Super (2008)
• GTV 125 (60th anniversary variant of GTS 125)
• GTV 250 (60th anniversary variant of GTS 250) Features the fender mounted headlight as a tribute to the original Vespas.
• PX 30 125 (A limited edition, only 1000 produced to celebrate the 30 years of the P range)
• S 50 and S 125 new model 2007, introduced at Milan Motorshow November 2006
• Zafferano 50cc and 125cc (A limited edition, only 200 produced)

Article : Wikipedia

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Piaggio developing hybrid scooters

Piaggio/Vespa is developing hybrid scooters. There are two models in the works, based on the popular Vespa LX 50 and the beefier Piaggio X8 125.
Piaggio Release.

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