The KTM officials who paid a visit to the Gas Gas headquarters in Salt, Gerona, Spain, have been greeted in less traditional fashion. Two stacks of tires have been set ablaze at the entrance to the main building, with sign in English and German reading "This is not your home".
Even more, a mannequin dressed with a KTM sweatshirt was hanged on a rope outside one of the windows. While no news arrived on who did this, all rumors seem to indicate a group of Gas Gas employees who are still trying to save the company from liquidation.
After a long struggle with financial problems, Gas Gas entered liquidation. Still a group of employees apparently asked the liquidator to allow them to sell the units that were already manufactured, as well as spare parts, in order to allow existing Gas Gas owners to enjoy their machines.
MV Agusta reportedly got more or less the same treatment
According to enduropro, MV Agusta got the same treatment, give or take. Apparently, the reluctance towards these European companies is caused to the way business was done on certain occasions.
The latest example comes from Italy, where the Husqvarna facilities in Varese that were managed by BMW, the former owner of the brand, have been closed down after KTM bought Husky. The Gas Gas employees fear that KTM will do the very same with the Catalan company, taking the needed intellectual property and closing down the Salt plant, laying all workers off.
Under KTM ownership, the new Gas Gas trial bikes, a segment that is still missing from KTM's roster, would be produced in Mattighofen and... that would be it.
While this looks like a probable scenario for the (currently) agonizing Gas Gas, acting in such a way may not be the most well-mannered choice. If anything, Gas Gas looks like they aren't going to make it on their own. Someone just has to pay their liabilities and try to reorganize sales in order to make the company profitable again.
Things are going to start rolling faster, so we will keep you posted about Gas Gas' situation. Seeing KTM visiting Salt is, if anything, an excellent proof that supports our skepticism when Mattighoffen so vigorously denied they were interested in Gas Gas.
Google News