Fiat wants Opel & Chrysler

[dieselhead]

This must be a joke. FIAT recovered a lot of ground in the last few years, but them purchasing OPEL? Come on... Next week we'll read somewhere that Holden is puchasing Daimler or something
I remember that not long ago Porsche was buying VW. Look who's buying who now!

[gman]

Opel is a very profitable unit of GM and has a very good product line. Look at the Astra, Insignia etc.

Fiat is seriously looking at Opel as an "organic" expansion of its business.

Chrysler I wouldn't touch, but as I said in another thread, Opel is a good business unit. GM is only selling because it knows it can get good money for a profitable business, not because its a loss leader...

People are seriously thinking this may happen and apparently Fiat is talking directly to the Opel board and the EU to clear any anti-trust/competition hurdles...

[Hoya]

Fiat wants to get its hands on Opel, and the Opel workers don’t like it at all. Opel workers council chief Klaus Franz confirmed today that Fiat is in intensive negotiations to take over Opel. A memorandum of understanding may be signed as early as this coming Tuesday, reports Automobilwoche [sub]. Franz is very much against it:

According to Franz, Fiat doesn’t want to build a big car empire. All they want are the credit guarantees that are offered by the German government as a dowry if Opel finds a suitable partner “Fiat has a debt load of €14.2 billion and really bad liquidity problems. There is no other way fort them to raise funds,” Franz said.
A spokesperson of GM Europe didn’t want to comment the comments of their über-shop steward. The spokesperson gave the tired party line of GM being in contact with a number of interested, but unnamed investors.
Franz is worried that Fiat will “show their true colors” after the fall elections and will initiate massive job cuts. Between Opel and Fiat “is brutal overlap in all segments” said Franz, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Opel supervisory board—he should and must know.
Fiat did not comment. According to Klaus Koch, premier of Opel’s home state Hesse, “there is no decision yet—Magna and Fiat are only some of the parties interested in Opel.” Politicians. Can’t keep their mouths shut.
In related news, all signs are on red in Milan. In Q1 09, Fiat’s sales dropped from €15 billion last year to €11 billion this year. After reporting a net gain of €405 million in Q1 08, the first quarter of 09 has a loss of €410 million on Fiat’s books.


Source: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/fiat-wants-opel/

[Apex]

Fiat wants to get its hands on Opel, and the Opel workers don’t like it at all. Opel workers council chief Klaus Franz confirmed today that Fiat is in intensive negotiations to take over Opel. A memorandum of understanding may be signed as early as this coming Tuesday, reports Automobilwoche [sub]. Franz is very much against it:

According to Franz, Fiat doesn’t want to build a big car empire. All they want are the credit guarantees that are offered by the German government as a dowry if Opel finds a suitable partner “Fiat has a debt load of €14.2 billion and really bad liquidity problems. There is no other way fort them to raise funds,” Franz said.
A spokesperson of GM Europe didn’t want to comment the comments of their über-shop steward. The spokesperson gave the tired party line of GM being in contact with a number of interested, but unnamed investors.
Franz is worried that Fiat will “show their true colors” after the fall elections and will initiate massive job cuts. Between Opel and Fiat “is brutal overlap in all segments” said Franz, who also serves as Vice Chairman of the Opel supervisory board—he should and must know.
Fiat did not comment. According to Klaus Koch, premier of Opel’s home state Hesse, “there is no decision yet—Magna and Fiat are only some of the parties interested in Opel.” Politicians. Can’t keep their mouths shut.
In related news, all signs are on red in Milan. In Q1 09, Fiat’s sales dropped from €15 billion last year to €11 billion this year. After reporting a net gain of €405 million in Q1 08, the first quarter of 09 has a loss of €410 million on Fiat’s books.


Source: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/fiat-wants-opel/

That makes a bit more sense, it’s not like Opel would enhance their product portfolio.

Can’t see why the German Unions are getting upset their side of operations would be quite safe one would assume, it’s the Belgian unions that should be worried.

[rjastra]

That makes a bit more sense, it’s not like Opel would enhance their product portfolio.

Can’t see why the German Unions are getting upset their side of operations would be quite safe one would assume, it’s the Belgian unions that should be worried.

It doesn't matter who buys OPEL. It will mean the dissappearance of OPEL produced cars in Australia. So just like Daewoo (or Daihatsu) owners you will be the owner of an orphaned model range in this country.

Maybe Holden wasn't quite as silly now (by accident) in going down the korean supplied car path.

All they need to do now is rebadge the Commodore as a Buick and sell it in China. The Chinese love Buick for some reason.

[Wraith]

I wonder what this means for us... if anything?

As others have said, most probably nothing...

If this happens and if Fiat imports Opels into Aust. expect to pay a premium on them !

Won't do any favours for sales...

[Wraith]

fiat astra vxr

LOL there'll be no such thing...

HSV (if they still exist) will have to make do with Daewoo 4 potters if it still wants to expand its 4 pot line that is...

[rjastra]

As others have said, most probably nothing...

If this happens and if Fiat imports Opels into Aust. expect to pay a premium on them !

Do FIAT import cars into Australia? Or is it a 3rd party company like Ateco?

[Wraith]

Do FIAT import cars into Australia? Or is it a 3rd party company like Ateco?

Not sure, but Ferarris and other brands under Fiat are sold by the Zagame group here...

[Apex]

LOL there'll be no such thing...

HSV (if they still exist) will have to make do with Daewoo 4 potters if it still wants to expand its 4 pot line that is...

Well the diesel Astra drives amongst us already have a Fiat powered Opel.. So a Diesel VXR could be a Fiat VXR