And the beat goes on…
Ford has been trawling the world’s car manufacturers (and Governments) for what seems like forever, in an increasingly desperate attempt to off-load its Swedish subsidiary, Volvo. They appear to have tried everyone from the Swedish Government to BMW and Mercedes, with a fair dose of Chinese firms in between (has Ford offered to sell it to you yet? Don’t worry, it won’t be long!)
And now Reuters are reporting that yet another Chinese Car Co has declined the offer. A spokesman for Geely Motors told Reuters “We don’t have any plans to buy Volvo, as some media have reported”. So that’s another one to add to the list.
Won't anyone rid me of this troublesome Swede?!
It is horribly difficult hawking something for sale in public (ask anyone who’s tried to sell a house in the last six months) but can Volvo have any value now it’s been turned down flat by every motor manufacturer in the world? Seems unlikely.
And I wonder if we are coming to the end of Swedish Marques, as GM seems to be having about as much luck as Ford with Volvo in their attempts to off-load Saab. It’s a shame really, as both Saab and Volvo deserve to survive. They are individual (more so Saab) and have decent, if derivative, products. But the crisis in the US car industry means these two Swedish makers are at the mercy of their once protective parents. Sad to see.
But one brand that needs to be off loaded is looking good for a sale. The Viper brand is being sold by Chrysler, to become a stand-alone brand instead of a model. And interested parties seem to include Saleen and Roush. In some ways it’s odd that Chrysler would want to sell a successful brand (possibly the only one they have!), but it seems Congress is insisting that the big three (Chrysler, GM and, to a lesser extent, Ford) move towards ‘Eco’ cars if they want Government money.
But ‘Eco’ cars aren’t the be-all and end-all. Better to keep and develop a successful niche brand (Viper) than bin it. But then, Governments never did do business very well.
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