Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A is an Italian motorcycle manufacturing company headquartered in Bologna, Italy.
History
A month after the official liberation of Italy in 1944, SIATA announced its intention to sell this engine, called the "Cucciolo" (Italian for "puppy," in reference to the distinctive exhaust sound) to the public.
The first Cucciolos were available alone, to be mounted on standard bicycles, by the buyer; however, businessmen soon bought the little engines in quantity, and offered complete motorized-bicycle units for sale.
In 1950, after more than 200,000 Cucciolos had been sold, in collaboration with SIATA, the Ducati firm offered its own Cucciolo-based motorcycle.
This first Ducati motorcycle was a 48 cc bike weighing 98 lb, with a top speed of 40 mph, and had a 15 mm giving just under 200 mpgus.
Ducati soon dropped the Cucciolo name in favor of "55M" and "65TL". When the market moved toward larger motorcycles, Ducati management decided to respond, making an impression at an early-1952 Milan show, introducing their 65TS cycle and Cruiser (a four-stroke motor scooter).
Despite being described as the most interesting new machine at the 1952 show, the Cruiser was not a great success, and only a few thousand were made over a two-year period before the model ceased production.
In the 1960s, Ducati earned its place in motorcycling history by producing the fastest 250 cc road bike then available, the Mach 1.[4][5][6]
In the 1960s and 1970s, Ducati produced a wide range of small two-stroke bikes, mainly sub-100 cc capacities.
Leadership
- Antonio, Adriano, Marcello, and Bruno Cavalieri Ducati (1926–1953)
- Giuseppe Montano (1953–1973)
- Cristiano de Eccher (1973–1978)
- Claudio and Gianfranco Castiglioni (1985–1996)
- Federico Minoli (1997–2000 and 2003–2007)[8]
- Carlo Di Biagio (2000–2003)[9]
- Gabriele Del Torchio (2007–2013)[10]
- Claudio Domenicali (2013–present)[11]
Product history
1950s
The first 4 stroke Single was the Ducati 60.
1960s
In addition to manufacturing two-wheelers, Ducati also assembled Triumph Heralds for sale in the Italian market in their Borgo Panigale plant beginning in early 1963.[12]
1970s
In 1973, Ducati commemorated its 1972 win at the Imola 200 with the production model green frame Ducati 750 SuperSport.
Ducati also targeted the offroad market with the two-stroke Regolarità 125, building 3,486 models from 1975 to 1979, but the bike was not successful.[13]
Current lineup
- Multistrada[22]
- Multistrada 950
- Multistrada 950S
- Multistrada V4
Product design
Ducati is best known for high-performance motorcycles characterized by large-capacity four-stroke, 90° V-twin engines,[29] with a desmodromic valve design.[30]
Designer
The chief designer of most Ducati motorcycles in the 1950s was Fabio Taglioni (1920–2001).
His designs ranged from the small single-cylinder machines that were successful in the Italian 'street races' to the large-capacity twins of the 1980s.
Taglioni used the Cavallino Rampante (identified with the Ferrari brand) on his Ducati motorbikes. He chose this emblem of courage and daring as a sign of respect and admiration for Francesco Baracca, a World War I fighter pilot who died during an air raid in 1918.[31]
Marketing
As of 2009, Ducati was still pursuing the "win on Sunday, sell on Monday" business model and spending 10% of company revenues,, on its racing business.[33][34]
Enthusiasts groups
A key part of Ducati's marketing strategy since the 1990s has been fostering a distinct community identity in connection with branding efforts including online communities and local, regional, and national Ducati enthusiast clubs.
In the USA
There are more than 400 Ducati clubs worldwide and 20,000 registered users of the Ducati Owners Club web site and 17,000 subscribers to the racing web site.[35] Enthusiasts and riders are informally referred to in the motorcycling community as Ducatista (singular) or Ducatisti (plural).
Racing
Ducati rejoined Grand Prix motorcycle racing in, after a 30-year absence.[40]
On 23 September 2007, Casey Stoner clinched his and Ducati's first Grand Prix World Championship. And 15 years later, Francesco Bagnaia became the Italian manufacturer's second-ever MotoGP champion.[41]
Nine-time world champion Valentino Rossi rode for Ducati Corse for and .[42][43][44]
Aside from MotoGP, Ducati has also deployed teams in various motorcycle racing competitions.
See also
- List of Italian companies
- List of motorcycle manufacturers
External links
References
- Ducati Group: nel 2015 vendite, fatturato e risultato in crescita Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A., 3 March 2016, retrieved 9 August 2016^
- Audi Interim Financial Report 2012 AUDI AG, 23 July 2012, retrieved 2 August 2012^
- 1968 Ducati Brio 100