Fast Company

If you are a real ‘Ducatisti’ you will know the name David Gross and know just how influential he was in the rebirth of Ducati under the Texas Pacific Group. If you have ever had the pleasure of spending time in his company, you will also know how passionate he is about the brand and in fact motorcycling in general and may believe that this has been a lifelong interest.

However, in his autobiography Fast Company, he reveals that he only started riding after he had secured the job of creative director and director of strategic planning in Italy. Originally trained in the famed Harvard Law School, he not only worked on corporate law accounts as well as penning a few words as a finance journalist for the likes of the New York Times, before the offer came to move to Bologna.

As you read through the early chapters detailing his early life in Manhattan in this soft-bound tome you, begin to look forward to finding out more about Ducati, as it is clear that Gross is a superb wordsmith.

But, when you get to the chapters on the ‘Cosmodromic’ motorcycle company you find that all the names have been changed and Ducati is not mentioned other than in the above terminology.

It is not hard to work out who the people really are, providing you are conversant with the personalities and once you have, you can begin to relate to the various situations, meetings and corporate decisions. You soon begin to realise how much he played a part in the revival, of what at that time, was a very sick ailing/failing company despite their on- track racing success. And anybody with an interest in business and marketing will learn a lot from the 300 plus pages.

But, the book is not just about the business side of his life it is about the Italian passion for motorcycling, fashion and life in general, not mention (in this case, gay) sex. As a result it is a very different book on motorcycling from the usual historic tomes, thanks in the main to Gross’s incisive writing, although some may find it hard going if it is only pure motorcycle history they are interest in!

The book is well written and if like me you were part of some of the promotional activities mentioned in the book that helped bring Ducati back to being a major player in the world markets, you will find it hard to put down. Not reading it will leave you lacking in understanding some of the politics behind the bikes, including the racing. Consequently, I suggest that you find $14.00 and order it from www.fsgbooks.com ISBN 0 374 28133 5             

Review by Ian Kerr