Volkswagen chairman Ferdinand Piech, who fronts Europe's largest
automotive manufacturer, is interested in his group acquiring a bike
brand. 'I would still like a small, valuable motorcycle
manufacturer,' Piech said in an interview for Germany's Stern
magazine held jointly with his cousin, Porsche chairman Wolfgang
Porsche.
He reportedly regrets missing out on Ducati when it was in serious
trouble in 1985. 'We could have snapped it up for peanuts then,'
admits Piech, a 71-year-old Austrian billionaire who actually owns
and rides a Ducati.
Piech and Porsche, the two grandsons of VW Beetle creator Ferdinand
Porsche, are currently backing the reunification of their companies
in a controversial takeover of Volkswagen by Porsche. The latter
raised its stake in VW last year to 31 per cent and aims to acquire
majority control as soon as all the European and German regulatory
authorities approve the deal. Trades unions representing Volkswagen
workers, led by militant convenor Bernd Osterloh, are opposed to the
takeover.
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