According to every gossip-monger on the Interwebz (and even reputable sources like Reuters), automaker Daimler is about to buy a piece of Italian motorcycle manufacturer MV Agusta.
Daimler, rumour has it, is going to buy a minority stake in the company; numbers from 20 per cent to 30 per cent are being bandied about. This deal would bring in around $30 million Euros, give or take a few million, depending on the exact percentage purchased.
What’s the point of the deal? For MV Agusta, not only will they get their hands on mucho dinero, but Daimler is supposed to help them improve their export sales. Every other European manufacturer is seeing consistent sales growth outside their continent, and MV Agusta doubtless wants to get a piece of that pie. They’ve released a lot of new models in the last few years, but development is no good unless sales follow.
For Daimler, the deal will potentially help them skirt around emissions regulations. In the ever-tightening regulatory snakepit of the European Union, auto manufacturers can avoid emissions red-tape hangups if a certain percentage of their company’s vehicles get decent fuel mileage. If Subsidiary A makes five vehicles that get 40 mpg, then Subsidiary B has more leeway to build gas guzzlers. Supposedly, that was part of the reason VW bought Ducati, and Daimler could certainly have the same plan in mind.
Anyway – rumours of this Daimler deal have been going around for months now, but they’re getting stronger and stronger. If it’s really going to happen, we’re guessing we will know by EICMA.
