Ghosn may start talks with Ford
Fresh rumors Friday suggest that disappointing progress in Renault-Nissan's talks with General Motors may be shifting attention to a Ford-Renault-Nissan linkup... again.According to people familiar with the GM talks, not only does it look unlikely that Renault and Nissan will take an equity stake in GM, but the two sides also have been unable to agree on joint purchasing and vehicle development (see our post Thursday). When the talks opened in July, GM CEO Rick Wagoner and Renault-Nissan's Ghosn said the talks exploring an alliance would wrap up in mid-October.
If nothing else, the GM talks have demonstrated Renault-Nissan's willingness to take on a third partner, so perhaps Ghosn is getting ready to take Bill Ford up on his offer to discuss a partnership if the GM talks fail.
[Source: Bloomberg]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
menice 2:59PM (9/22/2006)
i just get the image of the guy on the playground walking around
'hey wanna hang out?'
'na'
and then moving on to the next kid.
'wanna hang out?'
I can't imagine anyone wanting to team up with either of these run-a-way train wrecks.
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Bruce Lee 3:18PM (9/22/2006)
The only "run-a-way train wreck" is Ford, any company stupid enough to partner up with them deserves to get what they paid for. The only reason Ford wants to partner up with any one would be to get their design technology.
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whatthe 3:33PM (9/22/2006)
Very interesting, but I have to agree that teaming up with either of them might be risky now, although to look at it objectively, it may help turn things around. "Fresh" management may be just the thing that either GM or Ford need to start making products exciting again. Of course that would not alleviate the "problem" of the UAW.
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Ryan 5:32PM (9/22/2006)
"The only reason Ford wants to partner up with any one would be to get their design technology."
-Sounds like a good reason.
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J 7:54PM (9/22/2006)
"The only reason Ford wants to partner up with any one would be to get their design technology."
Fords got better technology than anyone else.
Ford had better not linkup with any import, some American car company that would be.
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JON 8:11PM (9/22/2006)
If Ford merges it's only symbolic of what american corporate culture has become.The people ,in Ford,who sell out the company will make a bundle.then as Nissan emerges as the dominant force(which it will)in such a company they will phase out overlapping nameplates(read-ford products)in favor of nissan products.Meanwhile the merger players will have long since disappeared from the scene.
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snoopdog 11:06PM (9/22/2006)
More cheap rumors which have the odor of bull hockey.
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Gary 4:14AM (9/23/2006)
Ford knows what it is doing. The team would bring a large economy market to Ford. Ford in the past has failed to keep up with the trends as events unfolded... when gas prices started to sore what was Ford doing deleivering SUV. Ford know that there past inflexable view cost the company one thing they need that is money. This deal allows for to not have to retool the plant for new cars but combine these other two companies to allow Ford to keep producing there truck and SUV lines. Will it work? I dought but it will save Ford money for the time being.
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foxrun 8:16AM (9/23/2006)
Does anyone here actually read what is going on in the industry?
Nissan is much smaller then Ford or GM and right now in just as bad shape. You know that saying "two to tango" well there is a reason Nissan is so receptive.
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Denis 1:36PM (9/25/2006)
I do believe the problem here is the UAW labor contract. Work Banks, etc. I have to pay for those things. No the shareholders, nor the company, just me.
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Mike 12:30PM (10/05/2006)
http://www.just-auto.com/article.aspx?id=89200 : Post Paris show analysis of this.
"Mr Ghosn is apparently very keen on what economists call ‘Pareto optimal’ solutions in which no-one is made worse off by the new scenario. So, no, he doesn’t like the idea of upfront cash compensation to GM for scale benefits that skew Renault’s way. "
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