VOL. 52 ISSUE 18 MAY 5, 2015 P55
BY ALAN CATHCART
PHOTOGRAPHY BY GIGI SOLDANO
Ducati Boss Domenicali talks business and
its Scrambler venture
/ P A R T 1 /
TOP SHELF
Ducati is riding high in the showrooms as well
as on the racetrack right now. With another
record year for the Bologna-based bike
manufacturer in 2014—45,100 bikes sold in
its fifth consecutive year of growth, 2 percent
up on 2013. It's an increase that seems to
have stemmed primarily from the introduction
of new models, as well as a sharp increase
in growth from Asian markets, fueled by the
Italian company's new assembly plant in
Thailand.
All in all it represented a fine first full year
in charge of the company for its new CEO
Claudio Domenicali, appointed by the Italian
company's VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group)
owners to head up their two-wheeled crown
jewel in April 2013.
Domenicali, 49, joined Ducati upon gradu-
ation as a mechanical engineer from Bologna
University in 1991. Born just 12 miles from the
Ducati factory, he'd been an avid motorcyclist
from an early age, and helped work his way
through university by writing technical articles
for Italian bike magazines. At Ducati, he soon
became the protégé of the company's Techni-
cal Director Massimo Bordi, under whom his
first job was as project leader of Bordi's pet
project—the Supermono single which debuted
in 1993, whose chassis Domenicali designed.
After passing through various management
positions, the 1997 takeover of Ducati by
American investors TPG saw Domenicali be-
come Assistant Technical Director of the com-
pany, and when its standalone Ducati Corse
race operation was established in 1999, he
was appointed its CEO. Under his direction,
Ducati developed the V4 Desmosedici which
in its debut 2003 season was the only bike to
defeat Honda's all-conquering RC211V, before
going on to win the MotoGP World title via
Casey Stoner in 2007.
By then, Domenicali had been given added
responsibility, tasked with supervising the
development of the company's new customer
streetbike range from 2005 onwards while
serving as R&D Director alongside his duties
heading up Ducati Corse. This was compet-
ing successfully in both the MotoGP and
Superbike World Championships—winning
seven Riders crowns and 10 Manufacturers
