The Ducati Marlboro Team was officially presented on the snow-covered slopes of Italy's prestigious winter mountain location, Madonna di Campiglio.
Ducati CEO and President, Gabriele Del Torchio, met the media and gave interviews regarding the current motorcycle market situation and the ever-growing prestigious and significant role played by Ducati within the international motorcycling industry.
Gariele Del Torchio says: "2010 was the final year of our three year strategic-industrial plan, presented in January 2008. Over this period, Ducati economic and financial figures increased exponentially in terms of profitability and production.
"Registrations increased by 5% in 2010, reaching 36,200 motorcycles, enabling us to achieve a market share of 8.6%, a 1.5 point improvement compared to the final figures of an already positive 2009.
"Ducati is growing on all markets and especially in Italy, where our share today is more than 15%, and in North America and the Far-East where sales increased by 64%. The dramatic impact of the world crisis on this specific market (-52% over the three past years) saw the motorcycling industry lose 12.1% and 13.7% for our specific segment.
"In this harsh environment Ducati completed a significant turnaround, meeting all planned goals and constantly investing on research and development of new products. Since 2007 Ducati presented 12 brand new models, two more than the original plan.
"But being innovative is not enough and the fact that defects found on bikes during the guarantee period have now been reduced by 50% speaks volumes about the progress made on the quality side of our work.
"A great contribution to 2010 was provided by the Multistrada 1200. Although the motorcycle has only been available since April 2010, 8,887 were sold and 7,200 registered, conquering 14.3% market points in its segment. It was its first year on the market and the Multistrada became the second world-best-seller.
"In 2011 a new three-year strategic planning has started, during which we will mainly focus on our growth, both in our traditional markets and in the new ones, and on strengthening our financial and economic structure.
"Our new industrial plan for 2011-2013 will challenge us with crucial targets in all directions and our main objective will be to continue to deliver more innovative, premium products to Ducatisti world-wide.
"Races will still be the best "advanced research and experience" laboratory and our most efficient means of keeping our passionate and faithful Ducati fans all over the world as close to us as possible.
"Let me welcome Valentino Rossi, and welcome back Nicky Hayden, on behalf of the whole company and let me thank all our sponsors, especially Marlboro, whose contribution has been crucial since the very beginning of our adventure into the MotoGP Championship.
"Ducati will remain in 2012 the icon of excellence it has so far proven to be and will deliver 'Made in Italy' to markets all over the world. This year we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of Italian Unity and we are proud to accept the invitation of our country's President, Giorgio Napolitano, by placing the Italian Tricolore on Valentino's and Nicky's motorcycles."
