KTM Crisis: Rumors of BMW Interest Gain Ground

The fate of KTM , an Austrian motorcycle manufacturer in the midst of a serious financial crisis, could be resolved in the next few hours. A decisive hearing for the future of the brand is scheduled for Tuesday, February 25, at the court of Ried im Innkreis , during which creditors will evaluate the restructuring plans put forward by the company, which would include paying off 30% of its debts by May. This is a figure of around 580 million on an overdraft of around 2 billion euros, more than half of which is owed to banks. If creditors were to reject any rescue plan, KTM could face the abyss of definitive bankruptcy and possible dismemberment, but in the last few hours a decidedly suggestive hypothesis for its survival has been gaining traction.

By Tuesday 25th, all potential investors in KTM will have to submit their proposals to the bankruptcy trustee and many have looked to the Indian partner Bajaj and the Chinese partner Cfmoto as the most likely “saviors” of the brand, even if with the concrete possibility of diverting all production activities away from the traditional headquarters in Mattighofen , which has already been hit by several waves of layoffs in recent weeks. However, the Austrian Oe24 has also advanced the hypothesis of a possible interest on the part of BMW, the German automotive giant that only a few years ago sold the Swedish brand Husqvarna to KTM itself. BMW could also intervene following the final declaration of insolvency and could aim to take over its production activities. However, Oe24 itself has underlined how there are several open difficulties on this front, especially in reference to the technical times necessary for the management bodies of BMW and the institutional supervisory bodies to give their approval to the operation. To understand how much truth there is in this alleged interest of BMW for the fate of KTM, however, we will have to wait for the next few hours.