Ducati, 100 Years of Excellence. The Made in Italy Manual arrives

Bologna, 4 July 1926. Antonio Cavalieri Ducati founded the Società Scientifica Radiobrevetti Ducati, specialising in the research and production of radio communication technology. For the motorbike department, it would be necessary to wait until 1946, when the first two-wheelers began to come out of the Borgo Panigale factories, powering post-war Italia. A century after its foundation, the company led by Claudio Domenicali - since 2012 under the ownership of the Audi Group - presented the 'Manual of Made in Italy according to Ducati' and the events organised during the celebratory year. 2026, which comes after a complex 2025 from the point of view of financial results, in a difficult overall framework linked above all to American tariffs, but with dominance on the racing front.

Sponsored by the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, the Leonardo Committee and the Altagamma Foundation, the Manual of Made in Italy according to Ducati is an unprecedented document that codifies the union between design culture, industrial excellence and the "know-how" of the Emilian motorbike company. A balance between project, technique, form and relationship, science and beauty, which is expressed in the ability to innovate, in the attention to quality and attention to detail, in technological excellence and in the refinement of design, all the way to the deep bond with the territory and with its community of enthusiasts and owners.

In addition to the Manual of Made in Italy, also present was the Ducati Superleggera V4 Centenario Tricolore, unveiled in a world preview by Minister Urso and Claudio Domenicali. The maximum expression of Ducati technology applied to a road-legal motorbike, it is the first in the world to mount a braking system with carbon ceramic discs and a MotoGP-derived fork with carbon fibre sheaths, capable of reaching a maximum power output of 228 horsepower with Euro 5.2 homologation. "Vision, expertise and the future are the guidelines that have accompanied these first 100 years of Ducati, an authentic symbol of Made in Italy capable of combining technological innovation and industrial excellence," stressed Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso. Produced in only 100 units, already all sold despite the price of 200,000 euros that makes it the most expensive Ducati ever homologated for road use, the Superleggera V4 Centenario Tricolore is distinguished by the exclusive livery inspired by the 750 F1, winner of the Battle of the Twins race on the Daytona circuit in 1986 with Marco Lucchinelli, the last 'classic' two-valve racing model and one of the most iconic and rare Ducati of the 1980s.

"We were born in Borgo Panigale and from here we continue to design, develop and produce motorbikes that bring a clear vision of Made in Italy to the world. The Manual and the new Superleggera V4 Centenario Tricolore represent two complementary dimensions of this path," said Claudio Domenicali, Ducati CEO.

Within a plan of celebrations that will extend throughout 2026, a first moment will be the WeRideAsOne, the world day organised by the Ducati Official Clubs and official dealers around the world that on 9 May will see Ducatisti as protagonists of a single, great shared experience. The plan of celebrations will also involve Expedition Masters, the programme dedicated to travel lovers which, on the occasion of the Centenary, proposes, among others, a special itinerary inspired by the Grand Tour of the 19th century reinterpreted in a contemporary key. An experience along some of the most evocative roads in Italia, to be experienced in the saddle of the new Multistrada V2, V4 and Rally. The initiatives also extend to the world of art, thanks to the collaboration with artist Ugo Nespolo, who is involved in a series of creative projects inspired by this important anniversary, and the publication of a commemorative volume retracing the most significant moments of these one hundred years of history. The calendar will end with Ducati's presence at Eicma 2026, scheduled from 5 to 8 November in Milan, with an exhibition dedicated to the Centenary.