BMW Motorrad Acquires Husqvarna Motorcycles
Munich, July 30, 2007 - The rumors are true: BMW will
acquire the renowned motorcycle company
Husqvarna Motorcycles
from MV Agusta.
Husqvarna Motorcycles was owned by MV Agusta, who
purchased the brand from Cagiva in 1987.
Dr. Herbert Diess, General Director of BMW Motorrad, and
the Italian industrialist Claudio Castiglioni signed a contract to this
effect on July 19, 2007 in Italy.
The contractual agreement will come into full effect
upon final approval of the EU cartel authorities. Both parties
agreed that the purchase price was to remain confidential.
BMW stated that "The acquisition of Husqvarna
Motorcycles is a logical step in enhancing the company's activities in
the field of light, sporty motorcycles, which has recently been
reinforced with the new models of the BMW G 650 X series."
Commenting on BMW's decision to acquire Husqvarna
Motorcycles, Dr. Diess, the General Director of BMW Motorrad, stated:
"With the Husqvarna models targeted at the sporty competition, we will
be able to extend the BMW Motorcycle range to include younger groups of
customers as well as the entire off-road and Supermoto sector much more
quickly and effectively than with our core brand alone. This
transaction also provides us with direct access to a worldwide sales
network in the off-road segment."
BMW Motorcycles plans to continue operating Husqvarna
Motorcycles as a separate enterprise. All development, sales and
production activities, as well as the current workforce, will remain in
place at its present location in the region of Varese in northern Italy.
Just as BMW Motorrad, Husqvarna Motorcycles is steeped
in tradition and one of the most renowned motorcycle companies in the
world. Motorcycles were initially produced in Sweden from 1903 and in
Italy from 1986. Today the company is one of the leading suppliers
of sporty off-road motorcycles. In the course of its history,
Husqvarna Motorcycles has achieved numerous international racing
victories including European and World Championship titles.
BMW produced and sold over 100,000 motorcycles for the
first time (production: 103,759 units, delivery 100,064 units) in 2006.
The production program includes only large-volume motorcycles over 500
cc. BMW Motorrad is the largest European manufacturer in this
segment. In 2006, BMW Motorrad achieved sales of 1,265 million
euros, with pre-tax profits of 66 million euros. BMW Motorrad
employed an average of 2,816 staff worldwide in 2006.
Husqvarna Motorcycles is part of the Italian company MV
Agusta S.p.A. and produced some 12,000 motorcycles in the capacity range
of 125 to 610 cc in 2006. The focus of the company's model program
is on sporty off-road motorcycles which are equipped solely with single
cylinder engines. Husqvarna Motorcycles employed a workforce of
approximately 240 in Italy in 2006.
