who wants MV agusta?

[Paul Minnaert]

Proton is selling a 57.5% stake in MV Agusta FOR A NOMINAL SUM OF 1 EURO,

 

you get the depts with the factory:-)

[DeBenGuzzi]

what exactly? 1 euro a share? I love thier bikes why don't they sell better?

[Paul Minnaert]

Automotive News / December 27, 2005 - 8:00 am

 

 

KUALA LUMPUR -- Malaysia's state-controlled carmaker, Proton Holdings, said on Tuesday it has agreed to sell its 58 percent stake in Italian motorcycle maker MV Agusta to Italy's GEVI SpA for one euro.

 

Under the deal, the purchaser will assume restructured frozen debts totaling 106.94 million euros ($126.2 million) and working capital requirements of 32.50 million euros, Proton said in a statement.

 

"The proposed disposal is consistent with Proton's direction of divesting non-core assets," it said.

 

Proton rescued Agusta a year ago by pumping 70 million euros into the struggling firm, allowing it to pay off its debts, but the move into motorbikes surprised many investors.

 

Proton reported a net loss of 154.3 million ringgit ($40.8 million) for its fiscal second quarter ended on Sept. 30, hurt by bad-debt charges related to Agusta.

[DeBenGuzzi]

SO you get the company for 1 euro

And for the Nominal investment of 1 euro you get to go in the hole for 107 Million euros? sounds like a sweet deal to me. Does that mean you get a bunch of Free(soon to be extinct) Motorcycles out of the deal?

Hell if they hack and slash thier prices and close out thier stock I might have to just get an MV for the garage, that is if they drop enough to be worth it.

[Guest Nogbad]

Convince me the present day MV is in any way related to the original racing MV in either design, personnel or organisational continuity and I may change my opinion that it is, and always was, a cynical branding exercise.

 

Bring on the Grim Reaper I say.

[richard100t]

I think MV is making a good looking bike. The prices are comparable to the Ducati & so is the performance. Still you would have to sell a hell of a lot of them to overcome 107million euro's worth of debt. Hmm if they made 5,000 euro profit on each bike how many would they need to sell to just break back to even? 21,400 or 210,400 or 2.14million?? Ok ladies & gentleman, who wants to buy an Italian motorcycle company?

[DeBenGuzzi]

I think MV is making a good looking bike. The prices are comparable to the Ducati & so is the performance. Still you would have to sell a hell of a lot of them to overcome 107million euro's worth of debt. Hmm if they made 5,000 euro profit on each bike how many would they need to sell to just break back to even? 21,400 or 210,400 or 2.14million?? Ok ladies & gentleman, who wants to buy an Italian motorcycle company? 

72095[/snapback]

21,400 bikes JUST to break even. worldwide you wouldn't think that as a daunting task but look at Guzzi what were they selling 10k a year? and they don't have that kind of debt over thier heads (oh they have debt but not that high right?) I suppose if you can really appeal to the masses I swear Honda alone sells 25,000 bikes a year in MN alone maybe not really but they and harley sell a shizit load.

[Guzzirider]

The Brutale looks lovely in the flesh- a manfacturer worth saving I think- Tamburini is a genius- the designer of the F4 , Ducati 916 etc.

 

If MV go tits up let get him designing Guzzis!

 

Guy

[DeBenGuzzi]

The Brutale looks lovely in the flesh- a manfacturer worth saving I think- Tamburini is a genius- the designer of the F4 , Ducati 916 etc.

 

If MV go tits up let get him designing Guzzis!

 

Guy 

72121[/snapback]

The only problem I saw with MV was they were Under-powered for thier looks and price which has since been worked on with the F41000(tho I'd want the SPR 750 real bad) Maybe they did some things that were too little too late and the prices were just a little too high. True they are a similar price to the Ducati a Ducati 999 but Ducati doesn't live or die by thier 999' sales MV should take a look at thier success and throw out a Sport oriented tourer, A lesser expensive version of each of thier bikes some how so they are more access to the masses. Also there isn't much modding to do to a MV look at this freaking board ppl LOVE to mod apparently Soooo I say make a bike that has a Sweeeet engine then two cheap grips a plain tank uncomf seat couple black fenders pegs and cheap lights plain plastic mirrors ect Hmm Kinda like guzzi was thinking with the Scura now that I think of it. don't let the bike look like crap But Then throw up a trick version of everything you would have put on the bike in the first place flexibility is nice and let ppl build it bodge it whatever. A bike you can't tinker on doesn't seem worth owning.

[Guzzirider]

flexibility is nice and let ppl build it bodge it whatever. A bike you can't tinker on doesn't seem worth owning. 

72126[/snapback]

 

There are some lovely hotted up MVs over here- ex multiple GP champion and TT winner Phil Read sells many tricked up parts- the world is your oyster as long as you have the cash!

 

My fave mod is the blue pipes- they look ace.

 

Guy

[Alex-Corsa]

I hear this all the time about debts, I mean gimme a break where the heck do they owe these money? Did they buy parts with most of them and build motorcycles?

I don't believe that the most are for paying personel, because even then it 'd be outrageous if they didn't build bikes and just pay personel.

So that can lead to question A and aske again if they build so many bikes , where the heck are they. ??

They sell rediculouslly few and are expencive though I think they may not be a compromise in quality.

Debt debt debt and everybody owes to somebody , who is this somebody?

O.K. The banks perhaps (one of the somebodys) that they have money, I mean our money, so they use our money to "buy" what they want.

And before you say anything I tell you this:

I wonder what would happen one day ( )if everyone went to the banks and withdraw all their account money.

[richard100t]

Just think of the interest they have to pay on that 107million debt. I can imagine the interest payments are killing them. I cant imagine that problem can be overcome, but someone obviously does. It seems like Aprilia had similar problems too. I dont think they were that deep in the debt though.

[DeBenGuzzi]

There are some lovely hotted up MVs over here- ex multiple GP champion and TT winner Phil Read sells many tricked up parts- the world is your oyster as long as you have the cash!

 

My fave mod is the blue pipes- they look ace.

 

Guy 

72130[/snapback]

I say there isn't many parts to fix'em up and they are hard to get I don't know why they didn't go with the special parts bikes mods and put them into production for everyone to buy I heard they barely had enough made to cover the bikes they built. I hardly count pipes as modding unless you make your own unique deal because I know its a big change overall but its the first thing everyone does. The thing is they are really close to tip tops out the door even the freakin base model thats only 20k Also its True the world is your oyster with $$$$$ but one-offs or just above that are another thing that a simple bodger can't afford to have done. Guzzi is about the lowest in Mods available bikes I'll consider owning. Now if that lottery ticket ever strikes gold I'll get a MV SPR and the 1000 AGO and whichever one I don't like as much I'll mail to Jaaps house for chirstmas

[Guzzirider]

Well basically I think MV got off to a good start- a long waiting list with hundreds of orders for the first F4- I remember a friend waiting months for his.

 

But as you say it was underpowered and he struggled to keep up with my old Sport Corsa which only made about 80 bhp. The lack of poke meant it did not attract the masses who normally ride GSXRs and R1s etc because they are obsessed with horsepower.

 

Then they stopped production because they ran out of money- and that must have dented many peoples confidence in the long term viability of the firm.

 

Undoubtedly the new 1000cc motor has boosted power output but as you say Ben its too expensive- I think about £16k here and its competing against GSXR1000s and R1s that cost half that.

 

Beautiful bikes and I would love to ride one once (I would get banned in a week if I owned one) but I hope they dig themselves out of this because the world needs variety and gorgeous bikes.

 

Guy

[Steve G.]

Obviously none of us would buy MV the company. But after seeing, riding, and studying the incredible craftsmanship of my buddies Brutale, I would consider buying one, if they were legal into Canada. I don't really care for the looks of the Brutale, but the fit, finish, and performance for a little 750 is pretty good. A 1000 ORO would be it for me!

Ciao, Steve G.