Velocette Records

INGOLSTADT, Germany (Reuters) – Germany’s Audi NSUG.DE has given up selling its Italian motorcycle brand Ducati, its chief executive Rupert Stadler said, in a sign of confidence that the manufacturer expects to be able to bear the costs of its transformation.

The logo of Italian motorcycle manufacturer Ducati is seen in Dietlikon, Switzerland October 11, 2016. REUTERS/Arnd Wiegmann

Measures to cut costs by 10 billion euros ($11.8 billion), cut red tape and deepen ties with other Volkswagen owners VOWG_p.DE The Porsche brand is “gradually increasing our financial and organizational leeway for strategic realignment,” chief executive Rupert Stadler told reporters.

So there is no economic need to sell Ducati, Stadler said. Volkswagen asked banks to assess options for Ducati and transmission maker Renk earlier this year as they seek to become more nimble in their transition to electric and self-driving cars in the wake of its car fraud scandal. diesel emissions.

“I can assure you that Ducati belongs to the Audi family,” said Stadler. “Ducati is the perfect implementation of our premium philosophy in the motorcycling world.”

Plans were already stalled this summer when powerful VW unions, backed by the ruling Porsche-Piech families, argued against the logic and need to sell assets given the group’s financial resilience.

Investors and potential Ducati buyers, however, expect VW to change its mind again and possibly decide to sell the asset they believe is of least strategic importance to VW.

“For Volkswagen’s powerful works council, this could be an easy bargaining chip to push through something completely different,” said a person familiar with the matter.

Investors have long favored divestments to simplify VW Group’s structure and strengthen its management’s ability to push through structural changes against the will of unions.

Audi, which owns Ducati and Italian supercar maker Lamborghini, reported higher operating profit and revenue for the first nine months last month, helped by growth in auto demand in higher-margin markets. high in Western Europe and the United States.

While pushing the costly shift to zero-emissions and autonomous technologies, retaining the profitable Ducati division and the lucrative Lamborghini brand has become more important, Stadler said.

“Caring for a high-end bouquet is as difficult as a gardener’s job,” Stadler said. “Therefore, I’m happy with every new flower, every promising new branch,” he added, predicting Lamborghini’s sales would double thanks to its new sport utility vehicle.

Separately, Stadler said Audi will spend almost half a billion euros over the next eight years to train staff for the digital age, with steps to develop and hire experts such as designers of automotive applications and automotive robotics specialists.

To contain costs, Audi wants to keep its workforce stable, at least for the next 2-3 years, even though it plans to have more than 20 electrified vehicles on the market by 2025 and to move into services. digitized mobility, said the CEO.

With two-thirds of Audi’s roughly 60 models by 2025 still slated to be combustion-engine cars, tighter carbon dioxide (CO2) rules will pose the ‘greatest risk’ in years to come , he said, adding that Audi would face 1 billion euros. fines if the average CO2 emissions of its fleet do not exceed EU limits by more than eleven grams per kilometre.

Audi has revised its whistleblower system to make it easier for national and international staff to report illegal behavior and has set up a permanent investigation office.

Audi plans early next year to disband a task force set up to monitor patches for 850,000 diesel-powered cars that the automaker said in July needed updates with engine control software. emissions to avoid possible driving bans.

“It’s a sign that we can slowly transition from crisis mode to standard operation,” Stadler said, predicting the health checks will be complete by the end of the first quarter.

Additional reporting by Arno Schuetze; edited by Alexander Smith

Dailey, which has been the go-to agency for Honda Powersports (motorcycles, ATVs, etc.) since 1979, launched a campaign for Honda’s Gold Wing motorcycle brand, relaunching the brand to celebrate its first major overhaul in 17 years.

A 90-second anthem ad titled “What Lies Beyond” features the new tagline, which also functions as an answer to the question of why bikers hit the road in the first place. Set to a generic millennial folk soundtrack, the voiceover celebrates exploring “what lies beyond” as the reason to set off on a three-day weekend trip and explore unknown roads leading to unknown dive bars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9H8GNPYbGTw
Another spot, “Beyond the Screen,” sees a couple ditch their phones to connect with friends in person. A third ad celebrates the brand’s history, from 1975 to the present day, while the product-focused “Beyond the Gold Wing” highlights the redesign’s technological innovations. A fifth place finish will follow next month. All spots are hosted on the campaign microsite.

“The big challenge for us was to create a bike and a campaign that appealed to our existing customer base while attracting a customer new to touring,” said Honda Powersports Marketing Director. Lee Edmunds said in a statement. “We think Dailey has really hit the mark with the ‘Beyond’ campaign with both customer-pleasing videos and a sense of exploration that everyone will enjoy.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0pOrwgoUoM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJbI56VL2Ck
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rk-a92SAGxk
Credits:American Honda Motor Co., Inc.Senior Manager, Marketing – Michael SnyderManager, Publicity and Press – Lee EdmundsManager, Experiential Marketing – Keith DowdleAssistant Director, Publicity – Sean McFillinAssociate Director, Experiential Marketing – Peter Runsten

Advertising Specialist – Ben Hoang

DailyECD – Marcus WessonCD/Writer – Michael MillerArtistic Director/CD – Mark RouseCD/Digital – Manaf Al-NaqeebACD/writer – Mark LindemannCDA/Art Director – Jin KimAccount Manager – Steve MitchellAccount Manager / Digital – Trisha FerreiraAccount Supervisor – Denise PeltonExecutive Producer – Autumn ChildressDigital Production Manager – Don LupoExecutive Digital Producer – Christine RheeDigital Producer – Laura LeeProject Manager – Jessica UribeStudio Artist – Steven MitchellChief Technology Officer – Mitchell Malpartida

Director of Commercial Affairs – Judi Chandler

Production company – Derby ContentDirector – Roberto SerriniProduction Company Producer(s) – Mary Crosse & Eli AshCanadian Production Company – Pink BuffaloCanada Production Company Producer(s) – Shawn Angelski & Martin FisherProduction Design – Scott MoultonDirector of Photography – Chris Wiseman

Photography – Blake Jorgenson & Bruce Benedict

Editorial Company – Derby ContentEditorial Company Producer(s) – Olivia Johansson; Linzy Anderson; Mary Crosse

Editor(s) – Roberto Serrini

Music company – NoiselabMusic Producer – Pinky TurzoPost Production Company – The Mill-NYCEngineering – Sound Lounge NYCAudio – Sound Lounge NYC

CG – Thomas J Wilson

Starting a new business is tough, especially when it comes to vehicles. In addition to establishing a brand, you need to design a chassis, powertrain and more, all before you sell anything. But if you’re looking to start building motorcycles, Mecum Auctions offers a possible shortcut to get started, as the auction house sells the Excelsior-Henderson brand of motorcycles.

In case you are unfamiliar with the business, Excelsior-Henderson dates back to the early 1900s and was operated by the Schwinns of past and present fame. According to Mecum, the company remained in business until the Great Depression, when it closed the motorcycle line in 1931. While in operation, the company built a wide range of motorcycles in four-cylinder and twin-cylinder configurations in V, and built a few racing bikes, some of which had engines close to 1000 cc in displacement.

The company’s closure in 1931 was not the end. A man named Dan Hanlon started working at a motorcycle company that would build bikes with stock frames and drivetrains in 1993. According to his company’s website, he started the company as of Hanlon Manufacturing before renaming the defunct Excelsior-Henderson company in 1996. The company’s first and only motorcycle, the Super X, named after and inspired by an old Excelsior-Henderson bicycle, was revealed in 1996 at Sturgis and went into production in 1998. You can see one of the company’s employees doing a burnout on one in the video above. According to Mecum, the company built just under 2,000 before closing in 1999.

Now, as to how this is a potential shortcut for budding motorcycle industrialists, buying the Excelsior-Henderson brand comes with every bit of the company’s intellectual property. This includes various marketing elements such as logos, branding and websites, but it also includes complete chassis and engine designs used by the company, as well as expired patents. All of these things would be a boon for a new motorcycle company, as it would provide a bit of a starting point, rather than starting completely from scratch. The brand and its associated intellectual property are up for sale at the Mecum Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction which runs from January 23, 2018 through January 27, 2018.

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