The U.S. carmaker Chrysler is exploring several possibilities of partnership, which could go to a merger with his compatriot General Motors or the Renault-Nissan group.
Following the news referring to discussions of a merger with its competitor General Motors (GM), a spokesman for Chrysler, Lori McTavish, said the group was considering "a number of global alliances in its pursuit of growth opportunities throughout the world. "
Chrysler has initiated discussions a week ago for a possible merger with French-Japanese Renault Nissan. Recall that the group, detained since 2007 by the investment fund Cerberus. Renault-Nissan declined to comment on this information. "We do not comment on such matter," said Paris a spokesman for the group.
"I think it would make sense. This would bring together Asia, Europe and the United States within a single company," said for its part, an official of the Union of Workers of the automotive industry (UAW).
Mrs. Mc Tavish said that Chrysler had recently established a partnership with Nissan to build trucks, and had combined with the first European manufacturer, Volkswagen, to manufacture vans in North America.
Tony Cervone, vice president of communications for GM North America has refused to say whether his group was discussing with Chrysler. However, he added: "As we have often said, and without reference to this rumor then, GM officials routinely discuss issues of common interest with other automakers."
The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal reported Friday that GM and Chrysler had started more than a month of discussions for a possible merger.
Before discussing with Chrysler, GM had approached the third major U.S. manufacturer, Ford, but he finally decided to go it alone, according to both newspapers.
Renault-Nissan and GM had planned for their merger in 2006, but negotiations had been broken at the initiative of the American manufacturer.
Upon arrival at the head of Renault, Carlos Ghosn had said anyone who would listen that the alliance with Nissan, which is also CEO, is not a "closed club". Since then he has increased internationalization of the French manufacturer to boost sales but also reduce costs. The Renault-Nissan alliance, "structured and respectful of identities," is adapted to the evolution of an industry "complex and unstable," he explained on the eve of a successor to Louis Schweitzer.
Last August, The Wall Street Journal ', placing information into "A" indicated that Nissan could expand its relationship with Chrysler in the U.S. market. The two sides have discussed the date for a collaboration on the production of a vehicle category average for the North American market. Chrysler had planned to sell the vehicle under its own brand. As a reminder, Nissan and Chrysler are already working together on 4x4 cars and very compact.
According to the 'WSJ', such an operation would net hulling with the previous policy of the U.S. manufacturer, which until now playing on pride to develop its own models. A spokesman nevertheless be stated in financial daily that the company had "nothing to announce new alliance", refusing to comment on the existence of discussions.
In December 2007, the daily La Tribune said for his part thought that Renault occasionally cooperate with Chrysler. According to the newspaper, Nissan would have led to this era of "preliminary discussions" with American rival to forge cooperation, analysts questioned already in an alliance to three. According to the daily economic, Nissan had planned to "buy pickup trucks and vans at Chrysler, in exchange for the Versa model that produces associated Renault in Mexico. Analysts stressed then that "this cooperation would be a way for Nissan to strengthen its positions in the United States, where he owns 6.6% of the market against 9.6% for Honda and 16.2% for Toyota."
To recall, the U.S. Congress voted in late September the necessary guarantees to enable the grant of 25 billion dollars of preferential loans to assist manufacturers to restructure their production models for more fuel efficient.
Thursday, the financial rating agency Standard and Poor's had sounded the alarm by stating that GM and Ford could find itself back to the wall in 2009, after consuming all their cash, which had plunged the two groups traded where the first American manufacturer no longer applies now that $ 2.7 billion, and Ford $ 4.7 billion.
Owns 80.1% stake in Chrysler and 51% of GMAC, the former financial services subsidiary of GM, Cerberus had proposed to sell GM the activities of Chrysler cars in exchange for its 49% missing in GMAC.( Finance Information City )
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