Chrysler continues to seek partner for B-car production, China still in the mix

DaimlerChrysler has been looking for a partner to produce subcompact cars, like the Dodge Hornet concept the company unveiled in Geneva last year, and according to Chrysler Group CEO Tom LaSorda, a Chinese company may be the lucky recipient of the business. Speaking at an Automotive Press Association luncheon in Detroit on Monday, LaSorda said that the company is finishing up its research, and when asked if the partner would be Chinese, LaSorda said that Chinese automakers have not been ruled out.

D.C., which currently has no infrastructure in place to build and sell subcompacts, has said that it wants to make Dodge an international player -- a classification that all but requires the company to produce subcompacts. Earlier this year, LaSorda met with China's Chery Automobile Co. to discuss the topic further and if the partnership is given a green light, it will be the first such alliance of its kind.