Fiat plan to create European car giant

Report of a FT interview with Sergio Marchionne, Chief Executive of Fiat, May 2009. he talks of plans to transform the global vehicle landscape by spinning off Fiat's core cars division, joining it with Chrysler and General Motors Europe, and creating a new publicly traded European car giant.

On the 4 May 2009 Mr Marchionne was in Berlin to present his plan to Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, the German Economics Minister, and to Mr Steinmeier, Foreign Minister following a similar presentation by rival possible bidder for GM's Euopean operations, Magna the previous week.

Reports says that up to six parties other than Fiat, including sovereign wealth and private equity funds, remain interested in General Motors Europe.

ESO: Background information: Opel and Vauxhall join Chrysler on Fiat's expanding shopping list http://www.europeansources.info/record/opel-and-vauxhall-join-chrysler-on-fiats-expanding-shopping-list/

Website: Fiat http://www.fiat.com/

BBC News, 4.5.09: Fiat in talks over GM Europe move http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8032213.stm

ANSA, 4.5.09: Germans see Fiat's bid for Opel http://www.ansa.it/web/notizie/rubriche/english/english.shtml

Deutsche Welle, 5.5.09: Fiat boss Marchionne commits to Opel plants in Germany http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4227747,00.html

Website: Magna http://www.magna.com/magna/en/

The Economist, No.8630, 9.5.09: Fiat's ambitions. The Italian solution http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13610819

Spiegel Online Intermnational, 12.11.09: Fiat's 'Crazy' Chrysler Plan Just Might Succeed http://www.spiegel.de/international/business/0,1518,660827,00.html

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