Ducati sets new sales record in 2018

Borgo Panigale (Bologna, Italy), January 23, 2019 - Ducati Motor Holding delivered a total of 53,004 motorcycles to customers worldwide in 2018. This means that the threshold of 50,000 vehicles delivered, which Ducati first broke in 2015, has now been exceeded for the fourth year in a row.

A major contributor to this result was the success of the Panigale family, of which Ducati sold 9,700 bikes (+ 70% compared to 2017), making it the leader in the Superbike segment with a market share of 26%. In 2018, one in four superbikes worldwide was a Ducati Panigale.

The undisputed flagship of the Panigale family is the V4, the first production Ducati with a four-cylinder engine. In just twelve months, it has set a new standard for style, technology and performance with over 6,100 motorcycles delivered worldwide.
The Multistrada family was equally successful, selling 11,829 motorcycles worldwide in 2018. It was joined by the new Multistrada 1260, thanks to which sales increased by 25% (compared to 2017). No less than 6,569 units of the Multistrada 1260 were sold.

Compared to 2017 sales figures (55,871 motorcycles worldwide), Ducati recorded a slight decrease in total sales of 5%. This is mainly due to the decline in the overall global market for motorcycles over 500cc of 3%. However, thanks to the Panigale and Multistrada models, the Bologna-based motorcycle manufacturer was able to consolidate its position in the high-end market last year.

"Although 2018 was challenging for the major motorcycle market, with declines in key countries such as the U.S., by the end of the year Ducati had delivered over 53,000 bikes to customers worldwide, consolidating the growth achieved in recent years," said Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding. "In 2018 we maintained our stability - and in business and sporting terms the year was successful. We won numerous MotoGP races and developed an exceptional motorcycle. In short, the solidity of the company remains undisputed, as does our penchant for driving innovation and product development so that we can continue to offer our customers new icons in style and technology in the years to come."

"To meet the new challenges of the market," adds Francesco Milicia, Global Sales Director, "we are working to make our distribution network more efficient than ever. On the product side, for 2019 we have revised the Scrambler 800 range - which has received a significant gain in active safety, including cornering ABS - and launched new products such as the Diavel 1260 and Hypermotard 950. The Multistrada family saw the introduction of the 1260 Enduro and 950 S, offering customers more choice than ever. Finally, we introduced the V4 R, the most powerful and advanced superbike ever built by Ducati. With it, we have laid the foundation for renewed competitiveness in the World Superbike Championship. Needless to say, the V4 R has already proved a great success with Ducatisti. In total, we are talking about nine new models with which we can look to the future with confidence."

In Italy, growth to 9,200 motorcycles sold (+4.5%) proved solid, making the country once again Ducati's largest market.

Spain also performed strongly with 2,444 motorcycles sold (+8%), with further growth in Japan with 1,941 motorcycles (+2%) and Switzerland with 1,276 motorcycles (+2.2%).

Vehicle deliveries in the USA - historically Ducati's most important market - amounted to 7,843 units. The drop in sales is due to the 9% decline in the overall U.S. market for motorcycles over 500 cc.

On the Asian markets, Ducati continues its upward trend, especially in China (+29%), where a new subsidiary was established and the distribution network was expanded from 19 to 23 dealers.