Mercedes-AMG buys stake in MV Agusta bike maker

In a surprising move for Mercedes-Benz, its AMG performance brand is looking to get into some two-wheeled action. Mercedes-AMG has today announced it's buying up a 25% interest in Italian motorcycle company MV Agusta, creating a long-term partnership between the brands.

The move is speculated to involve a deal whereby AMG (and therefore the entire Mercedes brand) has access to high performance motorbike engines, which will eventually be reengineered and upgraded to feature in the firm's cars.

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Milan-based MV Agusta is a legendary name in motorcycling circles, with 75 world championship and constructors titles in bike sports, such as the Moto GP and Isle of Man TT. In the last 15 years, the brand has been bought and sold by no less than four companies, including Proton and Harley-Davidson.

Mercedes-AMG claims its partnership is "in the area of marketing and sales", but we expect the main motivation was easy access for the Stuttgart-based brand to use already engineered three-cylinder engines in its model range.

The move comes as several manufacturers rapidly downsize their engine lineups for emissions purposes. Rival BMW has recently launched the BMW i8 supercar with a turbocharged three-pot engine mated to a hybrid powertrain, and Audi has announced its plans to put three-cylinder engines in its A1 and A3 hatchbacks.

Volkswagen also showcased a bike-engined concept at the Paris Motor Show, the XL1 Sport. It featured a highly-tuned Ducati engine, as VW owns that Italian bike brand.

The move should benefit MV Agusta as well. Not only with the unrevealed cash injection bringing financial stability and fuel growth, the motorcycle firm will also gain from Mercedes resources, both in engineering and marketing. MV Agusta currently employs 260 people in Northern Italy.

The move to buy into MV Agusta comes after Daimler, in an unrelated move, decided to sell off its remaining stake in California-based Tesla Motors.  

Do you think the move will benefit both companies? Let us know in the comments section below.