You’ve heard of bikes made in China, you’ve heard of bikes made in Thailand, but now Ducati is going somewhere new with the announcement that Ducati’s will now be assembled in Argentina.
Now before you get mad that the Italian icon isn’t going to be fully Italian anymore the announcement comes with a caveat - these bikes aren’t for export.
So why is Ducati going to be assembling bikes in Argentina then?
The deal comes through Volkswagen Group Argentina - with Volkswagen being Ducati’s parent company since 2012 through Audi and Lamborghini - with the idea being for Complete Knock Down assembly of Ducati motorcycles to be distributed within the local Argentinian market.
The bikes will be assembled at the Córdoba Industrial Center, and production will start by the end of 2022 thanks to an important investment, making the VW plant the third factory in the world outside of Italy for Ducati.
"The Argentinian motorcycle market is very interesting, Ducati has a strong positioning in this country in which over the years we have been able to achieve excellent results, both in terms of volumes and market share", said Francesco Milicia, Ducati VP Global Sales and After Sales.
"In Argentina we can count on a great collaboration with the Volkswagen Group which distributes our bikes, and it is also thanks to this strong relationship that we are able to take this important step which will help to strengthen our position in this market even more".
"Argentina is an important pillar for Volkswagen Latin America. With this new investment, we will continue to strengthen our brand in the region, with models that are increasingly adapted to the needs of our customers," said Pablo Di Si, Executive Chairman of Volkswagen Latin America. "Starting to assemble Ducati motorcycles in Córdoba is a great joy, since Volkswagen Group Argentina will be the first VW Group subsidiary in the world to do so."
The commercial relationship between Ducati and Volkswagen Group Argentina began in 2013, after Audi AG bought the Italian motorcycle manufacturer globally in 2012.
The first model to be assembled Córdoba Industrial Center will be the Scrambler Ducati Icon. The Scrambler Ducati range has become the most appreciated in the Argentinian market, after the first local presentation in 2016. Its urban-inspired motorcycles, designed under the post-heritage concept, invite personalization and self-expression while offering total versatility in their use, maintaining the features and characteristic equipment of every Ducati brand product.
Whether the Argentinian assembled bikes will eventually find their way into other markets such as in the rest of Latin America is up for speculation, but it is another feather in the cap of a near-constantly growing Ducati as a global motorcycling powerhouse.