Mercedes-AMG Invest In MV Agusta
Mercedes-Benz’ high-performance division just decided to take its first step into the two-wheel market by buying 25% of Italian superbike manufacturer MV Agusta, which started building two-wheeled land missiles in 1945.
Started by Counts Vincenzo and Domenico Agusta, the brand started racing bikes as soon as World War II ended. Just like Ferrari, they sold road-going versions of their racers only to generate money for their race team. They had notable success over the next decades, especially in the treacherous Isle Of Man TT. The Italian manufacturer currently builds world-class superbikes, competing against the Yamaha R1, Honda CBR1000 and Ducati Paningale.
If the decision seems like a marketing scheme, you have to look at the competition to truly understand it: Lamborghini (which is part of the VW Empire) has also bought its own Italian bike builder, Ducati. This enables them to offer a two-wheeled adrenaline dispenser to their clients, and sales numbers already show that this decision was a good one for the Sant’Agata Bolognese automaker.
And, let’s not rule out the possibility of a limited-run vehicle built in partnership between MV Agusta and Mercedes-AMG (maybe as a competitor to the Volkswagen XL Sport?). Anyone up for a smart with a 1000cc heart that can rev to 14,000 rpm?