Autoblog

Ghosn rules out Renault returning to U.S.

Zach Bowman — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:30:00 EST

Fiat may have returned to the U.S. market, but Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn doesn't plan on seeing the his French marque stage a comeback in the Land of the Free. According to The Detroit News, Renault will instead focus its efforts on introducing the brand to the Chinese market. Ghosn said Renault won't return to the U.S. within the foreseeable future. That's no real surprise given how fiercely competitive the fully mature U.S. market is compared to the explosive growth possibilities in China. According to the report, Chinese car buyers took home 17.3 million vehicles last year. That number is up from just 600,000 in in 1999.

Ghosn made the comments at the Automotive News World Congress, which ran along with the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. The executive also made mention of the fact that Nissan has 65 models as of right now, and all of them are either profitable or on their way to becoming so. That wasn't always the case - In 1999, the company featured 43 models. Only four of those were profitable for the company at the time.

Ghosn rules out Renault returning to U.S. originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Infiniti GT-R back on the table?

Noah Joseph — Thu, 04 Aug 2011 09:31:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Infiniti, Nissan, Luxury

When Japanese automakers crank out a supercar, it is, first of all, a rare occasion. And it usually wears the badge of its respective luxury division. Toyota's is the Lexus LFA. Honda's was the Acura NSX (at least here in the States). But not Nissan. That company's supercar - the GT-R - is a Nissan through and through. But that hasn't always been taken for granted.

Infiniti has long been rumored to get a vehicle based on the GT-R, but that scuttlebutt appeared to reach a dead-end a year ago or so. However, the gossip mill has now cranked back up thanks to a certain Monsieur Carlos Ghosn.

The Renault-Nissan CEO has reportedly gone on the record with the UK's CAR, indicating that his luxury marque could - but won't necessarily - build a luxury GT-R. Ghosn stopped short of confirming that a project was in the pipeline, but left the possibility open for the future. So there's some hope. The question is whether an Infiniti supercar would have much room to improve over the existing beast we know as Godzilla, particularly when the above-pictured Egoist model already offers nearly all the trimmings you could ask for.

Infiniti GT-R back on the table? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 04 Aug 2011 09:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan's Ghosn earned $12M in 2010, making him Japan's highest-paid foreign exec

Zach Bowman — Thu, 30 Jun 2011 09:29:00 EST

Filed under: Japan, Nissan, Earnings/Financials

Carlos Ghosn has the honor of being the highest-paid foreign executive of any Japanese company. The Nissan CEO brought home a staggering $12 million for his efforts at the automaker last year alone, which marks a 10-percent increase over his take-home pay last year. For the sake of comparison, The Economic Times reports that Akio Toyoda, the president of Toyota Motor Company, drew just $1.6 million in compensation and stock options last year.

It's not as if Ghosn has been sitting on his hands, though. The executive helped lead Nissan to increase its net profit from $524.6 million from March 2008 to March 2009 to $3.95 billion the following year, and he doesn't seem to be anxious to slow down anytime soon. Ghosn just unveiled a new business plan for Nissan called Power 88, which is supposed to help Nissan capture a total global market share of eight percent. Currently, the automaker holds onto around 5.8 percent of total market share.

Nissan's Ghosn earned $12M in 2010, making him Japan's highest-paid foreign exec originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 30 Jun 2011 09:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan bigwigs paid twice as much as Honda, Toyota counterparts

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:58:00 EST

Filed under: Japan, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

Nissan, Japan's second-largest automaker, apparently believes it has a more talented executive staff than Toyota or Honda. According to company CEO Carlos Ghosn, Nissan delivers its shareholders "the best performance possible with the best talent."

Talent like that deserves to be rewarded, and Nissan is happy to put its money where its mouth is. According to Bloomberg, Nissan, the second-largest automaker in Japan, pays its executive staff at least double that of Japanese rivals Toyota and Honda.

Here are the numbers: Toyota paid an average of 41 million yen ($513,279) per executive, plus bonuses of 13 million each. Honda paid an average of 31 million yen ($388,089) per executive, plus bonuses of 15 million yen each. Nissan paid an average of 186.4 million yen ($2.3 million) per executive, which doesn't include a total of 194 million yen of share appreciation rights divided up amongst the top seven execs.

Ghosn earned more money than any other Japanese CEO (at least among companies that report such figures) with a total of 891 million yen, which translates at current exchange rates to a $11.1 million. A heap of cash to be sure, but still shy of the $27 million Alan Mulally, America's top-paid auto executive, made last year, not including uncashed stock option bonuses.

While it could be argued that Nissan's execs deserve such compensation - the company posted a net income of 31 billion yen for the first three months of the year while Toyota posted a loss - the pay scale actually appears to follow a similar format as previous years.

Nissan bigwigs paid twice as much as Honda, Toyota counterparts originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 08 Jun 2011 15:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Rattner bio reveals Obama Administration wanted Ghosn to run GM

Zach Bowman — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Government/Legal, GM, Celebrities

Steven Rattner, former automotive adviser to President Barack Obama, has just written a juicy account of last year's automotive bailout, complete with insights on the coming and goings of CEOs, courting foreign saviors and the General Motors plan to abandon its Renaissance Center headquarters. In his book, "Overhaul: An Insider's Account of the Obama Administration's Emergency Rescue of the Auto Industry," Rattner says that GM wanted to walk away from its expensive towers in downtown Detroit and move to Warren, MI. While the move would have likely saved the company plenty of money and lent the impression of a hands-on management approach, the Obama administration apparently refused to allow the move, saying that it would cause a double-digit drop in property values in the area.

There's also the fact that GM pays around $20 million in taxes to Detroit per year.

According to The Detroit News, Rattner also offered the GM CEO position to none other than Nissan/Renault head honcho Carlos Ghosn after Rick Wagoner was shown the door. Ghosn, who had previously sought a partnership between his empire and The General, politely declined the offer. How's that for a head job?

Even through all of the turmoil, The Detroit News quotes Rattner as saying that the automotive bailout is one of this administration's "unambiguous successes."

[Source: The Detroit News | Image: Neison Barnard/Getty for Fortune Magazine]

Report: Rattner bio reveals Obama Administration wanted Ghosn to run GM originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 03 Sep 2010 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Nissan to pay directors four times more than Toyota

Zach Bowman — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:29:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Japan, Honda, Nissan, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

According to Bloomberg, Nissan is the place to be a director for a Japanese automaker. According to a new article, Nissan Motor Company hands its directors close to four times the amount of pay as its rival Toyota and three times as much as what Honda directors bring home. Averaged among all of Nissan's directors, the heads of the company make around $1.5 million per year, compared to around $411,150 for Toyota's gurus and $529,561 for Honda's head honchos. Keep in mind those numbers are based on current conversion rates.

So what gives? For one, Nissan is shacked up with Renault at the moment, giving the company a bit of an international flavor and the pay scales that comes along with that association, but a bigger factor may be that Toyota and Honda compensate their heads of state in other ways. Toyota, for example, hands out stock options worth around $171,000 in addition to base salary in order to help make up some of the gap.

Despite the massive amounts of cash heading to Nissan's directors, the company can't quite keep up the pace in either profits or sales with its main domestic rivals. The company fell dead last among the big Japanese three in sales for the past year.

[Source: Bloomberg]

Report: Nissan to pay directors four times more than Toyota originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 10 Jun 2010 16:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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The DetroitBureau.com on Autoblog with Paul Eisenstein

Paul Eisenstein — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, GM, Celebrities

Where have all the mavericks gone?

When he hands in his office keys a few days from now, General Motors Vice Chairman Bob Lutz will begin an oft-delayed retirement that was originally set to begin shortly after the ill-fated "merger of equals" between Daimler and Chrysler.

His decision to rejoin the automotive workforce a few years later wasn't all that much of a surprise to those who knew the former Marine pilot and what quite literally could be called his driving ambition. That leads many to suspect we'll continue to hear from Lutz, even though he bluntly wonders, "Who would hire a senior executive who's nearly 80 years old?"

Finally, it seems, this old soldier really may fade away, taking on a book assignment and a board seat or two. And, in the process, Lutz's departure will bring with it a different sort of change in the auto industry, the departure of the last classic automotive maverick.

Pull out a pen and jot down the names of the best-known auto industry executives. Your list might include Billy Ford or Alan Mulally, Ed Whitacre or even Carlos Ghosn, if you're taking the global view. Despite their prominence, even their willingness to take risks, these aren't exactly the sort of mavericks and eccentrics the industry was long known for.

That goes for Sergio Marchionne, the head of both Fiat and Chrysler. True, he's not your typical gray-flannel executive - he buys his trademark black sweaters "by the dozen," he jokes - and is clearly playing a high-risk poker game in his effort to turn around a desperately ill American automaker. But in the end, if someone eventually writes the Harvard Business Review analysis of the Canadian-educated executive, he'll still turn out to be another by-the-books strategist.

Paul A. Eisenstein is Publisher of TheDetroitBureau.com, and a 30-year veteran of the automotive beat. His editorials bring his unique perspective and deep understanding of the auto world to Autoblog readers on a regular basis.

Continue reading The DetroitBureau.com on Autoblog with Paul Eisenstein

The DetroitBureau.com on Autoblog with Paul Eisenstein originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 27 Apr 2010 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Renault F1: Sponsored by... Lada!

Alex Nunez — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:28:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Marketing/Advertising, Renault, Russia

Renault R30 F1 car - click above for high-res image gallery

Renault F1's got itself a new sponsor: Lada. The Russian automaker's logo will appear on the R30 racing cars, as seen above, as well as the driver and crew uniforms. The announcement was made at a meeting held this Monday in Moscow, attended by Vladimir Putin, Carlos Ghosn, new Renault F1 pilot Vitaly Petrov, and a gaggle of other functionaries.

If you think the Lada sponsorship has anything to do with Renault F1 bringing the Russian rookie on board as the full-time #2 driver alongside lead guy Robert Kubica, you're right. It pretty much has everything to do with it, as both Genii Capital (the majority stakeholder in Renault F1) and Renault-Nissan (25% stakeholders in AvtoVaz, Lada's parent) actively work to advance their interests in Russia.

Petrov's hiring is part of a broader overture toward Russia (on Monday, Ghosn came right out and said that Petrov's nationality played a role in his selection), and the Lada sponsorship is obviously a reciprocal act. And it may not be the last one, either, as Putin indicated during Monday's meeting that Russia (i.e. Lada) could increase its sponsorship involvement in the future.

Clearly, the most important takeaway from all this, however, is that the idea of a shirtless Vladimir Putin, watching the Monaco GP from the deck of a Typhoon-class sub moored among the superyachts in Monaco Harbor, no longer seems completely outlandish.

Gallery: 2010 Renault R30

[Source: Renault F1, Government of the Russian Federation via Autoblog UK, Crash.net]

Renault F1: Sponsored by... Lada! originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Ghosn still thinks Renault-Nissan should have partnered with GM in 2006

Chris Shunk — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:02:00 EST

Filed under: Chrysler, Nissan, Renault

With all the trials and tribulations General Motors has endured during the past year, we almost forgot that the Detroit, MI-based automaker nearly got itself tied up with Renault-Nissan. Back in 2006, the two companies discussed joining forces to become a singular global automotive juggernaut, but in the end, GM felt it was in its best interests to go it alone and face the quickly disintegrating global automotive market by themselves.

While GM's situation ultimately improved via bankruptcy and a $50 billion helping hand from the U.S. government, Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn still thinks the partnership would have been "without a doubt" in everyone's best interests. Ghosn reportedly made the comments during a meeting of the Council on Foreign Relations, adding that "there was a possibility to create something that would be extremely competitive."

Ghosn then went on to say that he wasn't happy the two companies didn't end up working together after GM nearly collapsed because "when you see the disaster and the waste of energy and skills and talent, nobody can be happy." The charismatic CEO also said that Renault-Nissan was very concerned about GM's precarious position earlier in the year due to the fact that his company uses many of the same suppliers. If GM had gone down, it would have probably taken more than a few suppliers with it, and Ghosn says that as a result, Nissan wouldn't have been able to make a single vehicle in North America.

While we can definitely understand why Ghosn would have preferred that the marriage of his company to GM was consecrated, we still don't see how it would have helped The General in the long run. GM still would have been in a very uncompetitive cash situation, and Renault-Nissan doesn't have much in the way of technology or platforms that the General doesn't already the equivalents to.

[Source: The Detroit News | Image: Raveendran/AFP/Getty]

REPORT: Ghosn still thinks Renault-Nissan should have partnered with GM in 2006 originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Renault-Nissan vows to build world's cheapest car? Nano-nah-nah-nah-nah!

Jonny Lieberman — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:29:00 EST

Filed under: Budget, Plants/Manufacturing, Nissan, Renault, India, Tata

Tata Nano - Click above for high-res image gallery

The other day we alerted you to the "fact" that Ford will be releasing a brand new $650 car. But as does everything that sounds too good to be true, the car in question was a severely used (and dented) 1993 Ford Taurus, and the Wisconsin-based masters of parody at The Onion were behind the video, not the Ford Motor Company. We mention this because more than one of you took the time to comment without watching the video, and the results were quite funny - in a laughing at you sort of way. Today though, is no joke.

Carlos Ghosn, the lovable star of his own Japanese manga comic and the CEO of Renault-Nissan, is claiming that his company will produce a car that costs less than the $2,500 Tata Nano, making the as-yet-to-be-named car the cheapest in India, and therefore the least expensive in the world. The car will be built by Bajaj Auto, an Indian scooter and rickshaw company. Not to be left out of the party, both Toyota and GM have expressed interest in selling "ultralow-cost small cars" on the Subcontinent.

However, these cheap, small cars just don't sell themselves. So far, Tata has managed to move just 10,500 Nanos since July. For their part, Bajaj and Renault-Nissan were hoping to get their ultralow-coster on the road by 2011, but there have been delays. First announced last year, Ghosn said that the delays should come as no surprise since neither Bajaj or Renault-Nissan has ever made such a vehicle. He did note, however, that such a car is "critical" to Renault-Nissan's presence in India.

"I don't want Renault and Nissan to be makers of very pretty cars that people dream about but cannot afford." said Ghosn. He also said that by the time Renault and Nissan's small car debuted it might no longer be the very cheapest. There are also plans afoot to export the new vehicle out of India, just like Tata is planning to do with the Nano, though that car would most likely be slightly reworked and therefor more expensive. Tip of the pith helmet to Neil!

Gallery: Tata Nano

[Source: The Los Angeles Times]

Renault-Nissan vows to build world's cheapest car? Nano-nah-nah-nah-nah! originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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REPORT: Nissan projects $2.9B loss, announces 20,000 job cuts

Chris Paukert — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:27:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Japan, Nissan, Earnings/Financials

Nissan hasn't posted an annual loss in nine years, but the automaker is poised to take a big hit on its 2008 earnings, and like the rest of the industry, it is scrambling to restructure. The Japanese carmaker is expected to report a $2.9 billion shortfall, prompting Carlos Ghosn and his team to chop 20,000 jobs - fully 8.5 percent of its employees worldwide. Some of the job losses will be arrived at through early retirement packages and the ending of temporary worker contracts, but most will be out-and-out layoffs. The personnel cuts will leave Nissan with 215,000 workers globally and take place now through March of 2010.

Nissan's planned cuts are markedly more aggressive than those employed by other Japanese automakers, suggesting that Japan's third-largest automaker is even more pessimistic about the potential for near-term economic gains. That appears to be particularly true in its domestic market, where the strong Yen and other factors have conspired to result in 12,000 of the planned job losses. Thanks for the tip, Karen!

[Source: Associated Press via ClockOnDetroit | Image: Akihiro I/Getty

REPORT: Nissan projects $2.9B loss, announces 20,000 job cuts originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 09 Feb 2009 10:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan knee deep in the electrictrification race

Chris Shunk — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:03:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Green, Nissan

Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn has held to his belief that hybrids are not the answer to the fuel efficiency question. The Japanese automaker came out with a very capable Altima hybrid last year, but it was Toyota technology purchased to help Nissan look good in the short term. Nissan has been betting most of its R&D dollars on electric vehicles, and the fruit of its engineering labors will be first seen stateside in 2010. It's important to note that Nissan intends to launch the technology here in the States, which is significant because Japanese automakers typically launch new technology in their home market first before U.S. customers ever see it.

Nissan hasn't revealed much about the vehicle besides a 2010 release date, but we do know that the automaker is working to install charging stations in many urban parking garages and railway stations in the U.S. A robust EV charging infrastructure will quell critics' worries that electric vehicles' limited range will prevent the technology from becoming a mainstream answer for gasoline power. It'll be interesting to see if Nissan can surprise the car-buying public with a game-breaking EV before GM and Toyota can deliver the Volt and plug-in Prius.

[Source: Detroit News]

Nissan knee deep in the electrictrification race originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Jul 2008 17:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Alonso to announce today, Ghosn throws wrench into the works

Noah Joseph — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:25:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Renault

The motorsport press is reporting that Fernando Alonso will announce sometime today whose car he will be driving next season. The two-time world champion was recently released from his contract with McLaren-Mercedes, with whom he had a very tumultuous last season. Rumors have been circulating the paddock as to where he'd be heading as a newly free agent, but Flavio Briatore, his former boss at Renault, has made no secret of the door he's left open and the light he's left on for Alonso to come back home.

Briatore's plans, however, could be stalled by an unexpected intervention from his boss, Carlos Ghosn. Although the Renault-Nissan CEO rarely appears to stick his nose into the day-to-day running of the racing team, sources quote him as saying Renault would not give Alonso a one-year ride. The champion has stated that he'd only sign with Renault for a single season, fueling speculation that he could be headed to Ferrari in 2009, despite Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa doing a great job for the Scuderia and being under contract through 2009 and 2010, respectively.

Briatore is reportedly eager to accept Alonso's terms, but according to Ghosn, "It's three years or nothing." Stay tuned for more news.

[Source: F1-Live.com]

Alonso to announce today, Ghosn throws wrench into the works originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Nov 2007 13:25:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Ghosn still looking to hook up with North American partner

John Neff — Tue, 23 Oct 2007 10:57:00 EST

Filed under: Nissan, Renault

That Carlos Ghosn, he gets around. The CEO of two major automakers already, Renault and Nissan, is still interested in partnering with a third automaker, preferably one from North America. A potential deal to get up close and personal with General Motors fell through last year, but Ghosn insists about every two months or so that he's still open to the possibility of his expanding his alliance for an interested third party. But see, that's the thing, no one's interested (at least not Ford and Chrysler LLC). And since Ghosn realizes that a hostile takeover-type scenario doesn't breed good will between buddies, there he waits across the pond, leaning on his brand new Nissan GT-R trying to look all cool and attract the right mate. May we suggest a dash of Drakkar Noir, Carlos? Works every time.

[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd, photo by Mychele Daniau/AFP/Getty]

Ghosn still looking to hook up with North American partner originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Oct 2007 10:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Spy Shots: Nissan's 7-seat Qashqai

Chris Shunk — Mon, 14 May 2007 18:03:00 EST

Filed under: Spy Photos, Crossover, Nissan

If we told you that a seven-seat Nissan was on its way with a turbo-diesel option, inoffensive looks, and a reasonable price tag, you'd think it was too good to be true. Well, it actually is true if you live in Europe, where the Qashqai currently serves as Nissan's soft-roader. For now, however, there is only room for five, but the folks over at Car Online have shots of an extended Qashqai with an additional eight inches of length beyond the b-pillar that provides room for a third row of seats.

Judging by the lack of incognito camo, this crossover looks to be well on its way to market, and it will be powered by a 115-hp 1.6L engine, as wellas both the Qashqai's 2.0L gasoline and turbo-diesel engines. An additional £1,500 is tacked on for the added 200mm, which brings the base price up to £15,000. We can plainly see the additional length of the Qashqai vs. the standard wheelbase version, but it's still hard to believe two people can sit in the small area that makes up that third row of seats. We're guessing the aft-most bench will be akin to the benches in the Toyota RAV-4 and Mitsubishi Outlander, meaning only little people and children need apply.

[Source: Car Magazine]

Spy Shots: Nissan's 7-seat Qashqai originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 14 May 2007 18:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carlos Ghosn adds "Knight" to resume

Chris Shunk — Wed, 21 Feb 2007 07:29:00 EST

Filed under: Nissan

This just in: Carlos Ghosn is the man. He has rescued a car company from the abyss, he's been immortalized in Japanese manga, and now he's been knighted on behalf of Queen Elizabeth II by British ambassador to Japan, Graham Fry. Ghosn was bestowed the honorary title in recognition of his contribution to British-Japanese relations. It doesn't hurt that Nissan owns Great Britain's largest automotive factory, which accounts for 20% of total British car production. Ghosn described himself as feeling "proud and humbled' to receive the honor, and called it an acknowledgment of Nissan's 5,600 UK employees.

It's hard to imagine how Ghosn will split up his already crazy schedule of running two automotive companies and sitting with the other knights at the round table...

[Source: Detroit Free Press]

Carlos Ghosn adds "Knight" to resume originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 21 Feb 2007 07:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan offering voluntary buyouts to all Tennessee plant workers

John Neff — Tue, 20 Feb 2007 11:28:00 EST

Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, Nissan

Word has just come across the wire that Nissan will be offering a "voluntary transition program" to all of its hourly employees working in either its Smyrna or Dechard manufacturing plants in Tennessee. These are effectively buyouts, which can net an hourly worker a lump sum of $45,000 and a bonus $500 for each year of service. It's certainly not the sweet deal offered to members of the UAW who work for General Motors and Ford, but the offer could help Nissan reduce the rank and file of its relatively young and non-union work force in North America. For whatever reason, the offer is only being made to employees at these two plants in Tennessee. The Smyrna plant employs about 6,700 people, though some are surely salaried, and produces the Altima, Frontier, Maxima, Xterra and Pathfinder. The Dechard plant only employs 1,400 people and produces many of Nissan's engines, including the glorious VQ 3.5L V6. This news is pretty fresh, so we'll keep our ears peeled for reaction from the auto pundits.

[Source: Jalopnik]

Nissan offering voluntary buyouts to all Tennessee plant workers originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Feb 2007 11:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Nissan vows not to make its own Kei cars

Randall Halcomb — Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:59:00 EST

Filed under: Trends, Budget, Plants/Manufacturing, Hatchback, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Suzuki

We can hear Carlos now, "We don't need no stinking kei cars!" According to Japan Today, Ghosn et all don't see a need to build or design their own kei cars. Instead of going through the hassle of building their own tiny car for the markets that consume them, Nissan will still prefer to sell another OEM's product as their own. Nissan currently sells two kei cars designed by Suzuki and Mitsubishi, the Moco and Otti respectively.

Obviously, kei cars, or keijid?sha, are popular in Japan. Mitsubishi and Suzuki already produce very respectable kei car designs, why would Nissan even bother when it can focus its design and manufacturing energies on what the rest of the world scrambles for, like compacts? We've never known Ghosn for doing something that wasn't absolutely necessary.

[Source: Japan Today via Winding Road]

Nissan vows not to make its own Kei cars originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 27 Oct 2006 15:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Sir Carlos the Turbohearted: Ghosn to receive honorary knighthood

Noah Joseph — Tue, 24 Oct 2006 10:28:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Europe, Government/Legal, Japan, Nissan, Renault

Renault-Nissan chief Carlos Ghosn is being honored by the UK for his "contribution to relations between the UK and Japan". Ghosn will be appointed "Honorary Knight Commander of the British Empire" (which, incredibly, actually has nothing to do with either Dungeons and Dragons or the Lord of the Rings).

Like Mario Andretti's commendatore honor bestowed by the Italian consul-general in New York, Ghosn will be pseudo-knighted in a ceremony at the British Embassy in Tokyo. Because he's a foreign national, we can't technically call him "sir", but he can add the letters KBE to his name. Ghosn is actually the second Datsun chief to receive the honor, after former Nissan chairman Takashi Ishihara received the same in 1992.

Ghosn attributed the recognition to the "hard work and achievements" of Nissan's 5500 employees and 220 dealers in the United Kingdom. After winning both the constructors' and drivers' championships in Formula One just this past Sunday, we bet this will make Ghosn walk even taller. Congratulations, Carlos!

[Source: Autocar via Winding Road]

Sir Carlos the Turbohearted: Ghosn to receive honorary knighthood originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 24 Oct 2006 10:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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What went wrong? Analysis of GM/Renault-Nissan talks

John Neff — Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:43:00 EST

Filed under: GM, Nissan

UPDATE: They Speak! Official release addressing dissolution of talks after jump.

We're now awaiting official word from Renault (it came, see after jump) concerning the break off of talks between the automaker, its alliance partner Nissan, and General Motors. While we're waiting, we thought you'd be interested in a few more details that are perhaps pertinent to figuring out why these three-month long exploratory talks ended abruptly with less than two weeks to go.

The WSJ reports that GM chief Rick Wagoner and head of Nissan and Renault Carlos Ghosen spoke on the phone this morning and agreed the two sides were not seeing eye-to-eye on the value of an alliance. GM basically put the question to the other side, "What's it worth to you?"

The largest single sticking point seems to be GM's demand that Nissan-Renault pay a "control premium" if it purchased 20-percent of the General's stock. GM believed that since Renault-Nissan would make out like a bandit if such an alliance were to happen, that the Franco-Japanese automaker should make a lump payment to GM to make up the difference and equalize everyone's interests. The two sides couldn't come to an agreement on how much additional coin Renault-Nissan should cough up for the pleasure of doing business with GM, so that's when the party ended.

Yesterday GM gave us a big indication that the alliance wouldn't happen when the board of directors made amendments to the company's bylaws that will make it difficult for a single shareholder to rally other shareholders and influence management. That's exactly what billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian did to start this whole GM/Renault-Nissan business, and yesterday the board made it so that such a move by a single share holder would be much more difficult in the future. Clearly GM management did not appreciate being manhandled into this situation, which probably spelled its doom from the get-go.

In the end, this whole business seems to have turned out to be a big waste of time. Though Mr. Kerkorian believed he was acting in the best interest of the company in which he owns a 9.9-percent stake, perhaps he should sit down now and let the real auto executives do their jobs. GM is beginning to finally show signs of life and distractions are the last thing its management needs.

[Source: WSJ, Detroit News, Reuters]

Continue reading What went wrong? Analysis of GM/Renault-Nissan talks

What went wrong? Analysis of GM/Renault-Nissan talks originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 04 Oct 2006 14:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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