GM to Nissan, Renault: Beggars CAN be choosers!

Quoth the Wall Street Journal:

PARIS — General Motors Corp. is prepared to tell Nissan Motor Co. and Renault SA today its price for a three-way alliance: A multibillion-dollar payment from Renault and Nissan to compensate for the greater value the Detroit auto maker believes it would bring to any partnership.

That’s pretty tough talk from a car company which didn’t plan for the totally unexpected like GAS PRICES FLUCTUATING. GM is playing from a position of strength, of course. They know that worse comes to worse they can always ally with Ford.

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But I digress…

• An automotive three-way: OK, so let me see if I can get this correct … plans are afoot to discuss an alliance between Renault, GM & Nissan? This is the Axis of Incompetent. Word has it that the alliance is only including Renault because Yugo had gone out of business. Renault doesn’t have a very good track record when it comes to US auto partners — last time it was the entirely forgettable American Motors Corp. and the result was a car called … The Alliance. Actually this could turn out to be a great move for the auto industry as a whole. Put these three companies together and you have overwhelming lead in the expertise needed to lose market share, build unreliable cars and throw good money after bad. This is like an alliance between the Cubs, the Knicks and the NHL. Next up: When the Titanic merged with the Hindenburg. Or a Dukakis & Dole ticket.
  • LATE ADD>>> Here’s another to add to the coalition of the clueless: US Airways. CEO Doug Parker says his co., which is the result of a merger between US Airways and America West (formerly the 7th & 8th largest carriers in the US, now the 15th largest, er 5th largest), would be interested in merging with either Delta or Northwest which are both bankrupt.
• Envy, envy, envy — on my part: David Fine tells of a press release that makes the Diva Cup look humble and understated. Suggestion to Newman PR: SHUT UP.
• Now THAT’S innovation: A sanitary handle for shopping carts that you can carry with you. I feel safer already.