The transfer
of ownership
of 30
percent of Duaati Motor
Holding,
minus one share, that
has
previously been detailed
in
these columns
as agreed
between
Previous
owners.
American
venture capitaliits
Texas Pacilic
Group/TPG and
the
Italian
equity house
lnvestindustrial
(which is controlled
by
the
Bonomi family), has
now been
comPleted after aPProval
was finally
tiven
to the
deal by
Ducati s banks.
The deal leaves
the Americers
still holding slightty
rnore than
a 3-percent stake
in the lElian
motorcycle manufacturer-
This is
desitned to
prevent lElian
stock-market rules
from kicking
in
_
rules that require
any
purchase.
acquiring 30
Percent
or
rnone
of a
publicly listed company
to make an ofrer
to
Purchase
the
remaining stock
held
by others. lnveatindustrial
lEs
Paid
Euro
0.85
($
1.03)
per
share
for TPG! equiry
-
some
.,..ay
below the
Euro 3.9
($4.72) p€r-share
price
at which
TPG floated
Ducati
on the stock
exch:nge
three
yeals
after
Purchasint
a
controlling
interest
in the
prestiSe tlalian manufacturer
back
in 1996 lrom
its
then-owneB
Cagi\ra, since
renamed l"lv
Agusta
The transfer
of ownership of
the leadint
shareholding in
the
company
is supported by
Ducati
president/CEo Federico
Minoli,
who tirst
joined
the
company
almost l0
years
a8o
a5
the
company doctor
installed by
TPG to turn the then-ailinS
Ducati around in
(he
wake of
its acquisition from Cagiva,
and
who, apart from one
brief l8-month
absence, has
remained
at the helm of a
firm he's evidently
beaome attached
to.
"We
are
very satisfied
that the change of
ownershiP
is
drdwing to the desired
close,
thereby ensuring the
comPany's
relaunch," said
Minoli.
He visited
the season-opening
Spanish GP
at.lerez
in the
company
of lnvestindustrial
president
Roberto
Bonomi,
who
started
at the top
by ridint a Ducati
in
Public
there
for the
lirst time, makinS
a lap ofthe circuit
in the company
of Randy
Mamola, aboard
the two-seater Desmosedici
BiPosto. With
the ltalian
company leading both
the HotoGP
and World
Superbike
Championship6,
it was a
Sood
time
to take the
helm of
a company that is
in the
procesi of beint reborn
-
with
a new ranSe of bikes being
developed
under the aegis of
Ducatiproduct
manager Claudio
Domenicali.
who - wtrile still
heading
up Ducati Corse, and
who
is therefore ultimately
rerponsible
for the company's
Sreat
start to the season
-
presently spends more than
90
percent of his dme on
Prod-
uct development.
Italiah soLrrces insist
that, apart
from finding a way
to
brinS
Piere Terblanche's
Hypermotard
showbike
(which was the
hit of last
November's
t4ilan Show) into
production,
Domena
