Ducati 2024. Global Sales Are Declining Again (-4.5%)

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Ducati Streetfighter V2
Ducati Streetfighter V2

Ducati Motor is not a World Champion looking at the global sales performance, While all premium competitors keep reporting record on records, sales are still down in 2024, when the first 8 months figures were 41.727 (-4.5%)

McD tracks new vehicles registrations across the World (over 80 countries), reporting data on calendar year. When you wish to compare data reported by us to those declared by the manufacturers, consider they usually report their “sales” (vehicles invoiced), which are usually different from “registrations”, accordingly with their fiscal year split. 

Ducati Global Sales Trend

Ducati global sales have been steady in the last ten years in the range of 50-60 thousand sales, while the “premium” segment grew up worldwide, with all the main competitors (BMW, Triumph, Aprilia, KTM) gaining sales and only Harley-Davidson declining.

Ducati reached an over 40.000 sales for the first time in 2000 and to make a step over the 50.000 had to wait for the 2015 (with 52.917 sales). However in 2019 sales were still there (at 52.386) before to be hit by covid arrival in 2020, with sales declined 5k down, shifted in the following year, the 2021, when Ducati reached a record of 58.311 sales.

In 2022 sales grew up again, first time over near  60k, at 59.884 but that wall – beaten in the wholesales and celebrated by the company – seems to not be achievable in short.

Indeed, sales started declining in 2023 at 57.199 and are still down in 2024, when the first eight months figures were 41.727 (-4.5%) projecting the full year in the range of 55.000.

Considering the huge premium price required to the clients, with price list really on the sky, someone could believe that the company is focusing on high profit rather than on volumes. Unfortunately the Ducati EBIT is widely below competitors, both if they are premium or not. So it is hard to understand the reason for the company to not been able to expand sales volumes in a growing premium motorcycles market.

In 2024 sales are declining in Europe (-5.8%), Asia (China, Korea, Japan and Taiwan) (-14.6%), ASEAN (-1.2%) and Indian region (-14.1%). In North America a shy growth (+1.7%) and LATAM was the only really positive region, with sales up 11.9%, thanks to a great contribution from Brazil and Colombia.

The entrance in the motocros segment is the 2024 news, but is really surprising in terms of brand consistency, sales volume and profitability.

Should Ducati hire someone from Triumph?