While Ford has acknowledged rumors of a meeting between its leadership and Toyota executives, Toyota spokesman Tomomi Imai is downplaying the talks. “It was just a get-acquainted meeting,” she said, adding Toyota’s top executives constantly meet with other automakers.
Ford spokesman Oscar Suris made a similar statement: “I can’t confirm or deny the report other than to say that we have discussions with participants in our industry all the time.”
Speculation of alliance talks emerged yesterday when the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said the two companies met to discuss a potential partnership. Toyota Chairman Fujio Cho and Ford President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally met last week as a first step.
