MARCH 20, 2000
The GM - Fiat deal
Both companies were keen to stress that the deal would not affect their independence. The deal does not include Ferrari (or its subsidiary Maserati) as the two sportscar brands are owned by the main Fiat company rather than by Fiat Auto.
The deal adds to the pressure on DaimlerChrysler which has been trying hard to reach agreement with a small car producing company. The deal means that the German company has only one choice left in Europe - Peugeot. A takeover of the French car firm by DaimlerChrysler could have interesting side-effects in Formula 1 where Alain Prost is keen to end his relationship with Peugeot in order to get Mercedes-Benz engines. A takeover of Peugeot would mean that he would not need to as Peugeot could rebadge the competitive Mercedes-Benz V10s.