If you’ve ever had to repeat something or consistently deny something to a large group of people, you’re not alone. Nissan Executive VP Carlos Tavares is in the same boat. He keeps having to deny that his company is having anything to do with a bunch of merger opportunities.
The first denial came when Nissan and General Motors Corp. talked merger. The conversation about the merger was blown out of proportion by various news outlets. As the result of the economic troubles in North America and globally, many car companies are said to be clinging to one another to survive as though they’re floating on a raft in a sea of recession.
Of course, Nissan’s Tavares denies such conditions and says Nissan isn’t looking actively for a merger. The latest came when Nissan was said to be in active talks with Chrysler. Tavares’ answer? No.
Chrysler’s owner Cerberus Capital Management LP recently considered joining the Nissan-Renault alliance, said the Wall Street Journal and other normally reputable news sources. But none of these merger discussions seem to be going all that well and, what’s worse, none of them seem to actually be making any progress.
So what are these car companies doing and will it impact the cars you and I drive? Will Nissan cars benefit from talks with Chrysler, GM, or anyone else?
Time will tell. Or at least time will tell more than Tavares is.
