MV Agusta is all over the news again. Few weeks ago, it was about losing their licence temporarily to sell bikes in California and now there is a rumour floating around the internet about a possible minority stake buy by German auto giant Daimler.
The Castiglioni family is reportedly looking to sell 30 per cent of its motorcycle company, MV Agusta, and this is where Daimler comes into the picture. There are no confirmations as of now that the German manufacturer is looking to buy those stakes. In 2012, there was a war between Audi and Daimler to buy out the Italian sports bike manufacturer Ducati that ended with Volkswagen winning the deal and merging the Italian brand into its Lamborghini subsidiary.
It looks like Daimler, with brands like Mercedes-Benz and Fuso trucks is obsessed with buying a motorcycle company. Both German rivals Audi and BMW have their own two-wheeler brand and may be this is why the three pointed star owned company wants one as well. A diversified business is always good and the inclusion of a motorcycle company will help them share their research and development cost.
MV has had five owners in the last 15 years, with Malaysian automaker Proton buying it in 2004, then selling it to a Genoa company in 2005, then getting acquired by Harley-Davidson in 2008, and finally it was sold to the Castiglioni family in 2010.