With its third quarter fiscals Piaggio says it has “confirmed its leadership of the European two-wheeler market” with a 15.2% overall share and 25.4 percent share of the scooter sector.
At 30 September 2017, the Group sold 299,400 two-wheelers worldwide, up +12.4% (266,400 at 30 September 2016), generating net sales of 771.8 million euro, an improvement of +5.7% (730 million euro at 30 September 2016).
The figure includes spares and accessories, on which turnover totalled 101.3 million euro, an increase of +4% from the first nine months of 2016.
The Group says it maintained a particularly strong presence on the North American scooter market, with a share of 20%; it is also committed to strengthening its position in motorcycles in North America. On the Indian two-wheeler market, the Group more than doubled its sales volumes from the year-earlier period, thanks to the introduction of the new Aprilia SR 150 scooter and the excellent performance of Vespa.
In Asia Pacific terms, Vietnam reported a decline in scooter sales volumes, while the Group expanded its offer in Thailand through its recent entry onto the motorcycle market with the introduction of the Aprilia and Moto Guzzi brands, flanking the already well-established scooter offer with the Vespa and Piaggio brands.
Highlights in the scooter sector included excellent results of the Vespa brand, which boosted worldwide sales by +11.4% in respect of to the first nine months of the last year. In Europe sales were up by +16.5%; in India, where the new (Vespa) Red VXL model has been introduced, sales revenue was +31.3%.
Performance was also positive in high-wheel scooters (growth in volume of +6.4%), where the Group reported revenue growth at global level, largely thanks to the new Liberty and to the Beverly.
In the scooter sector, the Aprilia brand also saw positive results, especially on the Indian market, thanks to the Aprilia SR 150 sports scooter.
The motorcycle sector of the Group also made “great strides”. The Aprilia brand saw an increase in sales, in particular generated by the naked Tuono, the new Aprilia Shiver 900 and Dorsoduro 900 (launched in June 2017), and the new 125cc, RS and Tuono, launched in April.
The revenue at Moto Guzzi was particularly driven by the positive sales trend of the V7, whose fiftieth anniversary this year has been marked with an ad hoc model.
Overall Group EBIT at 30 September 2017 was 69.1 million euro, an increase of 14.3% (60.5 million euro at 30 September 2016), EBIT margin was 6.5% (5.9% at 30 September 2016), pre-tax profits were 44.1 million euro, up +31.2%; the Group made a net profit of 25.1 million euro (+31.2%) and sold a total of 426,700 vehicles worldwide (411,700 in the first nine months of 2016).
