Questa volta 4R mi ha anticipato: Nelle ultime ore, "Automotive News" ha intanto rilanciato un'ipotesi affascinante che al momento non ha trovato conferme, perlomeno a Torino. L'ipotesi, che rientrerebbe nel quadro dell'accordo con Chrysler e non in alternativa, prevederebbe un'intesa tra Fiat, Chrysler e le attività di GM in Europa (quindi Opel e Vauxhall) e in America Latina.
Se così fosse, nascerebbe il secondo Gruppo automobilistico mondiale dietro Toyota, visto che lo scorso anno le quattro divisioni hanno immatricolato globalmente circa 7,05 milioni di veicoli. Dalla mega alleanza rimarrebbero esclusi i marchi Saab e Chevrolet Europe. Il neo presidente del Gruppo GM, Fritz Henderson, ha nel frattempo ribadito che al momento sarebbero già sei le società interessate a una partecipazione in Opel.
Articolo da Automotive news Fiat may link with GM units in Europe, Latin America
Luca Ciferri Automotive News Europe April 20, 2009 06:01 CET
TURIN, Italy -- Fiat may form an alliance with General Motors' core operations in Europe and Latin America, a source familiar with the matter told Automotive News on Friday.
The deal would be on top of Fiat's plan to merge with Chrysler LLC and would create the world's second-largest auto group.
The talks with GM are in an early phase, said the source. He said the discussions are not an alternative to Fiat's ongoing negotiations with Chrysler.
Together, Fiat, Chrysler, Opel/Vauxhall and GM Latin America sold 7.05 million vehicles in 2008. That would have made it No. 2 in unit sales after Toyota Motor Corp.
The deal would not include Saab's and Chevrolet's European operations.
General Motors plans to carve out Germany-based Opel and British sister brand Vauxhall into a separate unit. GM CEO Fritz Henderson said today that GM has sent confidentiality agreements to more than six potential investors in Opel/Vauxhall.
“More than six people have expressed interest, serious people,” Henderson told a news conference. “Many of them are financial players, some of them are industrial players. I would expect that work would get done in the next two to three weeks, so that process has kicked off.”
A Fiat spokesman declined to comment on a possible link with Opel/Vauxhall and GM Latin America. Turning back the clock
The deal would turn back the clock for Fiat and GM. Nine years ago, GM bought 20 percent of Fiat Auto for $2.4 billion. The companies combined their European and Latin American purchasing and powertrain operations in two 50-50 joint ventures.
The companies also co-developed the platform that is the basis of the Fiat Grande Punto and the Opel/Vauxhall Corsa small cars, as well as the 1.3-liter diesel engine that powers a number of models produced by the two automakers.
The alliance ended in February 2005 when GM paid Fiat $2 billion to cancel a put option that could have forced GM to buy the remaining 80 percent of Fiat.
|