Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: Ford to Nissan/ Renault: Let's talk Alliance

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Living the good life in Antarctica.
    Posts
    2,827

    Ford to Nissan/ Renault: Let's talk Alliance

    Bill Ford to Ghosn: Let's talk alliance
    Automaker interested in possible Renault-Nissan deal if GM talks falter.

    Bryce G. Hoffman / The Detroit News

    DEARBORN -- As Ford Motor Co. struggles to hold on to its position as America's No. 2 automaker, Chairman and CEO Bill Ford Jr. is signaling a new willingness to discuss an alliance with another car company.

    Bill Ford recently called Carlos Ghosn, the celebrated CEO of Nissan Motor Corp. and Renault SA, to say he is interested in talking if Ghosn's proposed tie-up with General Motors Corp. fails to materialize, people familiar with the situation said Wednesday.

    A Ford spokesman would not confirm the overture to Ghosn, first reported Wednesday in the Wall Street Journal, but company sources said the call was part of an effort to explore potential moves Ford could make.

    "People are talking to each other more these days since the Nissan-GM talk started," said one person familiar with the effort. "If we are entering a period of consolidation, you don't want to be left without a chair when the music stops ... We are in a position of evaluating our options."

    The person stressed that any discussions are very preliminary and won't necessarily lead anywhere.

    In an interview with BusinessWeek magazine that was posted on the magazine's Web site Wednesday evening, Bill Ford said he would not discuss any specific alliance, but said that he is not ruling anything out.

    "There are a lot of players out there gaming these things out, and we are, too," he said. "If we find someone with common interest, and it's good for all of us, we would look at that."

    The GM-Nissan-Renault discussions were initiated by GM investor Kirk Kerkorian, who first proposed an alliance between the three automakers in June.

    GM Chairman and CEO Rick Wagoner agreed to begin a formal study of the possible alliance in July -- a process that is expected to conclude in October.

    Bill Ford's discussion with Ghosn comes as the automaker struggles to stabilize its North American automotive operations in the face of declining sales and mounting financial woes.

    Last month, Toyota Motor Corp. sold more cars and trucks in the United States than Ford for the first time, coming in second to GM.

    Meanwhile, Ford posted a second-quarter loss of $254 million, announced one of the largest vehicle recalls ever and said it would slash fourth-quarter production by 21 percent -- its biggest production cut in decades.

    Ford also has hired Kenneth Leet, a mergers-and-acquisitions expert, who has been charged with taking a hard look at all of the company's brands with an eye to selling off some assets and exploring possible alliances.

    Leet has already begun meeting with Ford executives to discuss both of those strategies.

    Analysts say an alliance with Renault-Nissan could help Ford, and many think it makes more sense than a tie-up with a reluctant GM.

    On news of Bill Ford's outreach to Ghosn, Ford shares rose 34 cents Wednesday, or 4.6 percent, to close at $7.76 on the New York Stock Exchange.

    But not everyone on Wall Street sees such a collaboration as a silver bullet.

    "We see alliance-related upside in Ford shares in only one case -- if it includes a management role for Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn," said Robert Barry of Goldman Sachs.

    "But GM seems to have first dibs on an alliance with Ghosn and (Renault-Nissan), and we suspect influential GM shareholder Kirk Kerkorian will push hard to make sure if an alliance is meant to be that it happens with GM.

    "We have doubts that Ghosn would play a significant management role in any new alliance, given comments he has made publicly in that regard Ghosn has his hands full restructuring Renault and must also help engender new momentum at recently flagging Nissan, where quality problems and falling U.S. sales have hurt results."

    In July, Ghosn told The Detroit News that he is open to considering other alliances if a merger with GM fails to gel.

    Ghosn has never ruled out a deal with Ford. However, some in investment banking circles contend that no one will deal with Ford unless the family agrees to dilute its voting rights to 20 percent and hires an experienced CEO to take over day-to-day running of the company from Bill Ford.

    The Ford family controls 40 percent of the automaker through its exclusive ownership of Class B super-voting shares. Bill Ford told BusinessWeek that the Ford family will not be an impediment to the company's restructuring.

    "Look, whatever is required for the recovery, the family will not stand in the way," he said. "All our net worths are tied up in this. The family will not be a limiting factor to any plan that moves us forward."

    But Ford also said the family does not believe it needs to rethink its ownership stake.

    "We have been part of this company for 100 years," he said. "We've been there in good times and bad times. And that issue has never been raised. I'm not sure what it would accomplish."
    I would like to see Ford enter an alliance with Nissan/ Renault. So many analysts have said that Ford and Nissan works better than GM and Nissan.

    If Ford teamed up with Nissan, that would make them the biggest Auto group in the world am I right?
    ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Midland Ontario Canada.
    Posts
    1,305
    Ford has Mazda.
    The ability for outward expression is dependent on substance...

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Astoria, New York
    Posts
    1,131
    Quote Originally Posted by 6speed
    Ford has Mazda.
    Another great post from you.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jun 2006
    Location
    CL Illinois
    Posts
    270
    isnt this old news if i rember correctly? and i agree adrenaline ford would be better with nissan than gm. would this mean we would be getting some renaults in america if either of these go through, cause i love the clio gt v6. do they even still make the clio gt v6 like the ones in gt4?

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Midland Ontario Canada.
    Posts
    1,305
    Quote Originally Posted by dracu777
    Another great post from you.
    Thank you very much.
    The ability for outward expression is dependent on substance...

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Jun 2005
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    1,288
    Quote Originally Posted by ferrarifreak013
    isnt this old news if i rember correctly? and i agree adrenaline ford would be better with nissan than gm. would this mean we would be getting some renaults in america if either of these go through, cause i love the clio gt v6. do they even still make the clio gt v6 like the ones in gt4?

    i dont think it'd mean more models in the US, atleast for awhile. Most likely mean less, and the models already here would have more in common w/ each other (ford wise). their would be some tech. sharing though. but thats just my opinion.
    You can call me scott.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2006
    Location
    Maryland, USA
    Posts
    2,038
    Quote Originally Posted by ferrarifreak013
    isnt this old news if i rember correctly? and i agree adrenaline ford would be better with nissan than gm. would this mean we would be getting some renaults in america if either of these go through, cause i love the clio gt v6. do they even still make the clio gt v6 like the ones in gt4?
    No they have ceased to make the Clio V6. They stopped when the new Clio scame out.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    New York City
    Posts
    2,056
    ford won't do it. and if nissan says no, maybe they'll try to compete more ie enzo, le mans and the GT40. i like GM and nissan better
    Gone:
    09 Ducati Monster 696
    09 Audi Q5 3.2
    03 Infiniti G35 Sedan
    07 Honda Civic Coupe LX 5spd

    Current:
    10 BMW 335d
    12 Audi Q5 2.0t
    10 VW Jetta TDI
    11 Ducati Monster 796

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Nov 2005
    Location
    Midland Ontario Canada.
    Posts
    1,305
    If I knew what you were talking about I'd respond in a more civil manner. But because I don't, I offer you this:

    The ability for outward expression is dependent on substance...

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Aug 2005
    Location
    True North
    Posts
    7,682
    Lol imagune the V6 Mustang usung a VQ35DE and making the same Horsepower as the V8.

  11. #11
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Living the good life in Antarctica.
    Posts
    2,827
    Quote Originally Posted by ferrarifreak013
    isnt this old news if i rember correctly?
    This news is anything but old. Ford hasn't even commented on it yet. Bill Ford spoke to Ghosn on Wednesday.
    ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

  12. #12
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    For Tax Purposes, Cayman Islands
    Posts
    14,579
    Interesting - Ghosn is playing both sides off each other.

    This'll backfire. guaranteed.
    <cough> www.charginmahlazer.tumblr.com </cough>

  13. #13
    Join Date
    Sep 2005
    Location
    Living the good life in Antarctica.
    Posts
    2,827
    Ghosn will only talk with FoMoCo if the GM talks fail (which they should...) But ATM the only talks going on are between Nissan (and Renault) and GM. These talks (which are more of a research exercise - finding strengths and weaknesses) should end in September/ October I think...

    I heard from a few news sites that Ghosn favours Ford over GM (as a Ford alliance would fit Nissan/ Renault better than one with GM...)
    ¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯¯

  14. #14
    Join Date
    Apr 2003
    Location
    For Tax Purposes, Cayman Islands
    Posts
    14,579
    I disagree- GM has few japanese interests. Having a foothold in that market through Nissan might not be a bad thing. There focus is Korea, however.

    Ford already has a profitable Mazda, they may not need or desire a competitor on their books also.
    <cough> www.charginmahlazer.tumblr.com </cough>

  15. #15
    Join Date
    Jan 2004
    Location
    Montreal, Canada
    Posts
    3,023
    Quote Originally Posted by 6speed
    If I knew what you were talking about I'd respond in a more civil manner. But because I don't, I offer you this:

    "better keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool, than open it and remove all doubt"

    Think about it.
    Who killed the Electric Car?
    GO HABS GO!

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Similar Threads

  1. Really useful performance listings...
    By Egg Nog in forum Technical forums
    Replies: 59
    Last Post: 04-18-2021, 05:13 PM
  2. GT4 whole car list!!!!
    By Mustang in forum Gaming
    Replies: 247
    Last Post: 07-07-2010, 08:06 AM
  3. Ford Focus Coupé-Cabriolet 2006-2011
    By Matt in forum Matt's Hi-Res Hide-Out
    Replies: 48
    Last Post: 03-05-2008, 09:44 AM
  4. Greatest Racing Heritege
    By Ferrari Tifosi in forum Racing forums
    Replies: 27
    Last Post: 07-08-2004, 05:34 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •