Almost hidden in a press release we received from BMW (full release below) was the following line:
“…the BMW Group signed a purchase agreement with Pierer Industrie AG (Austria) for the acquisition of Husqvarna Motorcycles.”
Who is Pierer Industrie AG? Among other things, they are 51% owners of KTM.
BMW Motorrad originally took the Husky brand over from MV Agusta in 2007. The sale to Pierer is subject to approval by anti-trust authorities, and a purchase price will not be disclosed. Husqvarna began operation in 1903.
Both KTM and Husqvarna have seen recent success by expanding their off-road focused lineups to now include street models. This trend is expected to continue for both groups under Pierer ownership.
“BMW Motorrad will expand its product offering to exploit future growth potential,” the release stated. “The focus of the realignment will be on urban mobility and e-mobility.”
The full, official release from BMW Group starts here:
Munich – The BMW Group is realigning its BMW Motorrad business. In the context of changing motorcycle markets, demographic trends and increasing environmental demands, BMW Motorrad will expand its product offering to exploit future growth potential. The focus of the realignment will be on urban mobility and e-mobility. By restructuring the segment, the BMW Group will concentrate on expanding and utilising the resources of the BMW Motorrad brand. Therefore the BMW Group signed a purchase agreement with Pierer Industrie AG (Austria) for the acquisition of Husqvarna Motorcycles. The acquisition will proceed subject to approval by anti-trust authorities. Both companies have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
Expanded offering for urban mobility and e-mobility
BMW Motorrad achieved a new sales record in 2012. With the realignment of its motorcycle business, BMW Motorrad aims to maintain profitable and sustainable growth over the coming years. Its current core business consists exclusively of premium vehicles in the categories “Tourer”, “Enduro”, “Sport”, “Roadster” and “Maxi-Scooter” from 650 to 1600 cc. BMW Motorrad entered the urban mobility segment for the first time in 2012 with the C 650 GT and C 600 Sport maxi-scooters. The next step in the expansion of the product line-up in this segment will be the series launch of the “C evolution” electric scooter in 2014. Further innovative vehicle concepts are also under consideration. Drive trains will include both environmentally-friendly combustion engines and pure electric drives. This move by BMW Motorrad reflects the BMW Group’s overall focus on early identification of trends, such as megacities and traffic density, as well as environmental issues. Corresponding products and services are already available for the Automobile segment.
Continuation of product offensive
In addition to the expansion in the field of urban mobility, core segments from the 650 single-cylinder entry-level bike to the 6-cylinder luxury tourer will also be selectively expanded.
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