Germany’s Audi Chief executive Rupert Stadler said, in a sign of confidence that the car maker expects to be able to carry the costs of its transformation. Further Audi, which owns Ducati and Italian super car maker Lamborghini, last month reported higher operating profit and revenue for the first nine months, helped by growing auto demand in the higher-margin western European and U.S. markets.
Meanwhile chief executive Rupert Stadler told reporters that steps to reduce costs by 10 billion euros ($11.8 billion) cut red tape and deepen ties with fellow Volkswagen owned brand Porsche are "gradually increasing our financial and organizational leeway for the strategic realignment".
Further Stadler said there is therefore no economic
need to sell Ducati. Volkswagen asked banks to evaluate options for Ducati and
transmissions maker Renk earlier this year as seeks to become more nimble in
its shift towards electric and self-driving cars following its diesel emissions
cheating scandal.