Marchionne confirms Fiat still interested in Opel

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, watching the travails of GM, Opel and Magna from his comfy Italian perch, has sent word that his previous offer for Opel is still on the table if anyone is interested. That offer, though, can't be sweetened because he doesn't "believe we could improve Fiat's offer. It's the most rational one we can put forward from an industrial viewpoint."
It doesn't appear as though anyone's listening. The German government wants to save German jobs, Opel workers are determined to vote down anyone who tries to take them away, and GM wants the most money and the least competition. Fiat's offer doesn't exactly fit that template.

GM and Magna & Co. will dance for a while longer, and if that doesn't work out, then GM will begin again with RHJ and Beijing Automotive. In the meantime, someone's going to have to pay to keep Opel running. Could it be that the most reasonable offer will be left unanswered while the other parties look for more expedient solutions?

[Source: Auto News, sub req'd]

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