Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, intent on forming the world’s second-largest automobile manufacturer, apparently met with the leader of General Motors Europe and the CEO of GM’s German unit, Opel. The meeting was ostensibly to discuss a potential acquisition of the German automaker.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Marchionne also met yesterday with the head of the North Rhine-Westphalia government, Juergen Ruettgers, in Cologne, and he will meet with Dieter Althaus, head of Thuringia, soon. Opel has plants in North Rhine-Westphalia and Thuringia and the heads of both governments have promised aid to a potential investor in Opel.
AGI reports that Marchionne told Ruettgers that Fiat would not plan to close any factories should it acquire Opel.
