Putting a nice feather in Gabriele Del Torchio’s cap, 2011 was the best sales year ever for Ducati. The product of several years in the making, Ducati has transitioned from a sport bike based company, to a brand that encompasses a variety of diverse biking genres. The transition began with the Ducati Hypermotard, continued with the Ducati Multistrada 1200, and culminated with the Ducati Diavel. Bringing the brand back to its roots, the Italian company released the sellout Ducati 1199 Panigale this year.

All of this positioning has taken Ducati from its traditionally precarious market position to one of not only reasonable stability, but also one that has proven to be lucrative enough to attract an acquisition from German automaker Audi. With a record number of machines leaving the doors of the Borgo Panigale factory, and Ducati’s cash finally flowing in the right direction, Del Torchio had plenty to wax on about at the World Ducati Week 2012 event. Giving some oratory high-fives at the massive Ducatisti gather, Ducati’s record year and transformation by the numbers is outlined after the jump.