Ducati UK lead the way

2007 is proving to be a year to remember for Ducati UK, the fully owned UK subsidiary of Ducati Motor Holdings. Celebrations on the race track through a first ever MotoGP World Championship win by Casey Stoner has been echoed by success on the road with the launch of numerous new products becoming instant sales hits throughout the world and no more so than in the UK.The main reason for the UK success has been down to a Sportsbike orientated market falling in love with both the new Ducati 1098 and 1098S which have combined to produce sales of over 800 units. Less obviously has been the surprise package of the Hypermotard which has become an instant cult machine and at the same time proving to be the commercial success Ducati had hoped. Some have already tipped this to be a real contender for the bike of the year along with the 1098. This unprecedented demand has led to an increase in sales by nearly 37% (YTD September) and has helped Ducati UK to be the strongest performing subsidiary compared to 2006 and the fastest growing European manufacturer in the UK. Soon to be added to the Ducati portfolio will be the Desmosedici RR, the £40,000 MotoGP replica that has proved to be the unsanitized, engineering marvel that public and media had hoped for. Deliveries to the UK will begin soon to the UK which is the third biggest market for this exclusive motorcycle, with North America second and the Italian home market taking most orders. It seems that the UK biking public has fallen for Ducati all over again as Visitors to service centres and dealers have been encouraged by a drop in Ducati servicing costs by as much as 50% after the introduction of new service schedules, adding to customer confidence and the feeling that there has never been a better time to buy a Ducati. The Ducati factory has also invested time and money in ensuring that the quality of new products meet customer expectations and this has been shown by significant reductions in warranty claims. And lastly, an increase in the UK dealer network has seen dealers appointed in areas such as Potters Bar (Hertfordshire), Norwich (Norfolk), Romford (Essex / East London), Ballymoney (Northern Ireland) and an additional service centre in Dunfermline (Scotland) has helped geographical coverage improving accessibility to the brand. With UK parts sales up 9%, clothing up 16% and accessories up a staggering 69% and excited new models for 2008, the future for Ducati UK is a very rosy red.