Fiat Chrysler’s one-sided love affair with General Motors goes back nearly two years, when CEO Sergio Marchionne declared he wanted to hug the rival carmaker so hard they just became one. Despite this, GM has resisted any notion of a merger deal, and no matter how many times GM swipes left on FCA’s Tinder profile, FCA keeps holding out hope for wedded bliss.
Reuters reports that Marchionne once again suggested that the two carmakers tie the knot following GM’s decision to sell much of its European operations.
Marchionne said during the Geneva Motor Show that the door remains open for a FCA-GM marriage, despite the latter company’s plan to sell many of its Opel and Vauxhall brands to France’s PSA Group.
“I never close any doors. I may shamelessly try and knock again … on the GM door or any door if I thought it was a good thing for the business. Absolutely, without even blinking,” Marchionne said during the conference. “The desirability of GM as a potential merger candidate remains untouched.”
Despite Marchionne’s unwavering desire to couple up, GM has no interest in a courtship with FCA. And the company didn’t mince words in letting that be known.
“We weren’t interested before and we’re even less interested now,” GM President Dan Ammann told reporters in Geneva, as reported by Reuters.
With mergers on the mind, Marchionne also suggested Tuesday that Volkswagen could be a contender for its heart.
“I have no doubt that at the relevant time they may show up and have a chat,” he said of the embattled carmaker still reeling from its dieselgate scandal.
However, Reuters reports that VW has no desire to seek companionship with FCA.
“We are not ready for talks about anything … we have other problems,” Matthias Mueller, VW CEO, told Reuters Wednesday. “I haven’t seen Marchionne for months.”
by Ashlee Kieler via Consumerist