New head of VW sparks fresh 'Ducati for sale' rumours

Brand new Ducati is for sale rumours have been sparked after the announcement that owner Volkswagen has appointed a new boss.

VW, which in itself part of the Porsche Automobil Holding SE company,  announced announced on Thursday that Herbert Diess, 59, had been chosen to replace outgoing boss Matthias Mueller in a surprise leadership shift.

Diess worked at BMW before moving to VW in 2015 and has a reputation for being a cost killer, warning employees that "in its current form, our company is not sustainable." 

During a press conference on Friday, Diess outlined a new management structure for the firm that will see executives manage multiple platforms at the same time. The company's brands, which include Audi, Porsche, Skoda and Lamborghini, will be grouped into the broad categories of volume, premium and super premium.

Last year, amid the VW diesel scandal, there was much talk of Ducati being divested from the portfolio but a power-play from unions stopped it at the tender stage. 

Diess, who has union support, was head of BMW Motorrad when it bought Husqvarna from MV Agusta, which didn't go well for the German firm, so he already has experience of niche companies not working inside large brands...