• Ducati was the only motorcycle manufacturer to take part in the 22nd edition of Autostyle Design Competition 2026
• The Superleggera V4 Centenario, displayed alongside its mechanical base, showcased the excellence of Ducati design and engineering at Autostyle
• Andrea Ferraresi, Ducati Strategy & Centro Stile Director, traced 100 years of Ducati design evolution through some of the brand’s most iconic models

Borgo Panigale, Bologna, 19 October 2026 – In the year of its Centenary, Ducati took part in the 22nd edition of Autostyle Design Competition, the international event organised by Berman S.p.A., which brought together some of the leading names in automotive design on 8 and 9 October in the historic setting of the Abbey of Polirone in San Benedetto Po (Mantua, Italy).

For over twenty years, Autostyle has provided an opportunity for designers from leading automotive manufacturers and other industries to meet and exchange ideas. The event brings together brands such as Ducati, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati to share experiences, present new projects and discuss the latest trends and future directions in design. A strong focus is also placed on young talent, with an international competition recognising the best projects developed by students from schools and universities around the world.

In this context, Ducati, the only motorcycle manufacturer at the event, took the opportunity of its Centenary to showcase the evolution of its motorcycle design from 1926 to the present day. Through some of the models that best represent the brand’s design language, Andrea Ferraresi, Ducati Strategy & Centro Stile Director, and Mirko Pocobello, Ducati Senior Designer, explored the key milestones in this evolution, highlighting how Ducati design has changed over the decades while remaining true to the three core values that have always defined the brand’s identity: Style, Sophistication and Performance.

The ultimate contemporary expression of these values is the Superleggera V4 Centenario, displayed at Autostyle alongside its mechanical base, offering a tangible demonstration of one of the fundamental principles of Ducati design: the fusion of style and functionality. Unveiled last March and limited to just 500 numbered units, the Superleggera V4 Centenario is the most extreme road-legal motorcycle ever created by the Borgo Panigale manufacturer. Making it even more distinctive is its Rosso Centenario livery, developed to celebrate the brand’s 100th anniversary and serving as the inspiration for the official liveries of the Desmosedici GP in MotoGP and the Panigale V4 R in Superbike.

Ducati’s participation in Autostyle confirms the central role of design in Ducati’s philosophy and, at the same time, the great importance the motorcycle manufacturer places on the education of young people. Ducati design combines sophisticated engineering, beautiful forms and Italian sporting style to create motorcycles that stir emotions.

Over the years, this approach has earned numerous awards, from the historic Italian Compasso d’Oro to the prestigious European iF Design Award and Red Dot Design Award, as well as the Good Design Award, one of the most internationally recognised design awards presented in the United States.