Mercedes-AMG teams with MV Agusta

Motorcycles must be the “in thing”. Within days of Ricardo buying UK private enterprise motorcycle specialist Vepro Ltd, Mercedes-AMG has teamed with MV Agusta.

Daimler AG’s sports-car and performance brand has announced it has signed a long-term agreement on a long-term partnership with MV Agusta, including area of marketing and sales.

Mercedes-AMG GmbH will acquire a 25 per cent stake in MV Agusta Motor SpA but no details of the price to be paid for the stake have been released.

As part of the deal, Mercedes-AMG will appoint a member of MV Agusta’s board of directors. The partnership remains subject to approval by relevant authorities who are expected to rubber stamp it by late November.

Tobias Moers, chief executive of Mercedes-AMG GmbH, claims Mercedes-AMG has found “the perfect two-wheel partner”.

“This manufacturer with a long tradition and Mercedes-AMG are connected not only by a long and successful racing history, but also by shared values and goals for the future – allowing the experience of utmost perfection, optimal performance and motorsport technology for the road,” he said.

The cooperation with MV Agusta also underscores the importance of AMG as the sports-car and high-performance brand of Mercedes-Benz Cars. The partnership provides us with an entry into a world of additional high-performance enthusiasts,” added Moers.

It also allows Mercedes-AMG based in Affalterbach to follow in the footsteps of BMW which has a strong motorcycle presence. So it must be right! An eventual takeover of MV Agusta could be on the cards.

Giovanni Castiglioni, president and chief executive officer of MV Agusta Motor SpA likewise exuded: “MV Agusta and Mercedes-AMG are a perfect brand fit: Two complementary companies that stand for design, high performance and excellence. Mercedes-AMG will help MV Agusta to further expand globally and to accelerate our growth. The uniqueness of MV Agusta will further enhance Mercedes-AMG’s leadership in the high-performance segment.”

Wilko Stark, vice president of Daimler Strategy & Mercedes-Benz Cars Product Strategy and Planning, added a third voice of praise: “The strategic cooperation with MV Agusta will allow us to address high-performance enthusiasts with automobiles and with motorcycles. Through the cooperation in the area of marketing and sales, we will be able to attract new target groups for both companies all over the world.”

Mercedes-AMG GmbH, founded in 1967 by Hans Werner Aufrecht and Erhard Melcher, employs approximately 1,200, of whom 700 are active in development engineering.

“This reflects the company’s high technological standards and self-image: Mercedes-AMG automobiles are today renowned worldwide for high performance, perfection and precision, and are the benchmark in many areas,” notes the company.  “The company’s motorsport DNA is tangible in every model, and especially in the two sports cars developed in Affalterbach: the SLS and the recently unveiled Mercedes-AMG GT.”

In 2013, Mercedes-AMG achieved unit sales of 32,000 cars; by the middle of this year, a total of 23,000 AMG automobiles had been sold.

In the AMG engine factory in Affalterbach, highly qualified engine mechanics build engines by hand according to the highest quality standards and the principle of “one man, one engine” – as witnessed by the AMG engine plate bearing the signature of the responsible mechanic; something practiced in part by Aston Martin. This exclusive craftsmanship fits exactly with the MV Agusta philosophy of raising the development and manufacturing of motorcycles to another level: “motorcycle art”.

MV Agusta Motor SpA, headquartered in Varese/Italy, was founded in 1945 by Domenico Agusta. The North Italian manufacturer attained international renown for its advanced technology and high performance, which helped to make it one of the best names in motorcycle racing. The company employs a workforce of approximately 260 at its headquarters located on the shore of Lago di Varese in Northern Italy. Of these, 90 work in the area of research and development.

MV Agusta’s product portfolio is based on two main platforms, comprising three- and four-cylinder models ranging from 675 to 1100cc engine displacement and occupying the supersport, superbike, sports-naked and crossover segments. MV Agusta Motor SpA. is also the owner of Cagiva, a further renowned Italian historical motorcycle brand.

How long before JaguarLandRover, currently given over to horsemanship, follows suit?