Fiat to acquire MV Agusta?

Could MV Agusta soon be owned by the sixth different organisation since 2004? That’s the current grist for the rumour mill in Italy, with Italian news and motorsport publication www.moto.it speculating that MV Agusta could be purchased off the Castiglioni family by Fiat – following a similar path to Ducati, which was recently purchased by Audi.

Not a word has been uttered by either MV Agusta or Fiat to confirm or deny the scuttlebutt, but the deal could certainly be a beneficial one for MV Agusta, where the fresh injection of capital would allow the company to pursue an even more aggressive expansionary path with its ever-expanding three-cylinder range – and then further down the track, product renewal.

MV Agusta sales have been steadily growing worldwide under the ownership of the Castiglioni family -- which owns 100 per cent of the brand – and the marque is also committing resources into world superbike and supersport competition as it seeks to renew the sporting heritage which was so strong in the 1960s and 1970s when Giacomo Agostini was an all-conquering figure on the grand prix circuit. And it's had some recent success with Jules Cluzel winning the world supersport opener at Phillip Island in late February.

MV Agusta has previous ‘experience’ under car ownership, with Malaysian company Proton its master for one ill-fated year in the mid nougties – and then sold it for one dollar to an Italian finance company. Other owners since that period have included BMW and Harley-Davidson.

If Fiat takes on MV Agusta, it would add to its already massive portfolio, which includes Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Ferrari, Fiat, Fiat Professional, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Ram Trucks, and SRT.

Watch this space.