Audi AG has officially announced the fact that they will acquire sports motorcycle manufacturer Ducati from Investindustrial Group.
Once authorized by the competition authorities, the transaction will be completed as quickly as possible, although Audi has not mentioned an official figure yet. According to previous reports, the four ring automaker has paid approximately 1.13 billion USD for Ducati, with the Italian company representing a third pillar for Audi in Northern Italy alongside other Italian brands such as Lamborghini and Italdesign.
Rupert Stadler, Chairman of the Board of Management of AUDI AG, said that "Ducati is known worldwide as a premium brand among motorcycle
manufacturers and has a long tradition of building sporty motorcycles.
It has great expertise in high-performance engines and lightweight
construction, and is one of the world’s most profitable motorcycle
manufacturers. That makes Ducati an excellent fit for Audi." 
Ducati is a globally active company which in 2011 has sold around 42,000 motorcycles and has generated around 480 million Euro in revenue. 

Source: Audi