Motorcycles and news

BMW Motorrad acquires Husqvarna Motorcycles July 24, 2007

BMW will acquire the renowned motorcycle company Husqvarna Motorcycles. Dr. Herbert Diess, General Director of BMW Motorrad, and the Italian industrialist Claudio Castiglioni signed a contract on 19.07.2007 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.

For BMW Motorrad 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, Diess, General Director of BMW Motorrad, stated: “With the Husqvana models targeted at the sporty competition, we will be able to extend the BMW Motorrad 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 Motorrad 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.