Polaris seeking majority share in MV Agusta

MV Agusta President Giovanni Castiglioni has confirmed Polaris is in talks with MV Agusta about acquiring a majority share in the company, according to a report in American motorcycling publication Cycle News.

If the deal does go ahead, it would mean another change of ownership for the company which has seen a number of masters over the last 20 years, including Polaris' arch-rival Harley-Davidson from 2008 until 2010.

"I can confirm that we’ve been in discussions with them (Polaris) about some form of partnership, just as with other companies interested in investing in the commercially successful premium brand that is MV Agusta,” MV Agusta’s President and CEO Giovanni Castiglioni was quoted as saying by Cycle News in an interview by Alan Cathcart. “But we absolutely have not made any agreement with Polaris at this stage, even in draft form. Beyond that, I can’t comment any further."

Polaris has been on a spending spree over the last five years, acquiring not just Indian Motorcycles but also electric giant Brammo as well other companies in the electric and quadricycle space. Acquiring MV Agusta, which is 25 per cent owned by car giant Mercedes AMG, would make Polaris a serious player in the sports bike and sports tourer ranks.

During the interview with Cathcart, Castiglioni also said the MV Agusta partnership with Mercedes AMG had been a disaster.

"Mercedes was interested in joining up with MV Agusta as a partner by purchasing equity in it – but I’m sorry to say the partnership has been disastrous, a total failure. I mean, there is no partnership to speak of,” Castiglioni told Cathcart. “They (Mercedes) made no strategic use of MV. Zero."

Over the last 20-odd years, MV Agusta ownership has changed hands from the Castiglioni family to Cagiva, to Proton, to Husqvarna (then owned by BMW), to the GEVI SpA financing company, to Harley-Davidson, to the Castiglioni family again, and now to AMG.