Renault and Nissan Motor chief Carlos Ghosn said Wednesday that the group would not initiate new alliance talks with another U.S. automaker. For those who can't read between the lines, Ghosn has no interest in discussing an alliance with Ford Motor Co. Last week, Nissan and Renault ended talks with General Motors after three months because GM demanded a compensation payment for joining an alliance.
Of course, there are other opportunities outside of the United States for the group to pursue. Proton Holdings, Malaysia's biggest carmaker, reportedly is near collapse and is looking for an international partner, said former premier Mahathir Mohamad, who founded the company more than two decades ago. The current front-runner to save the maker of Lotus sports cars is Volkswagen. Proton maybe a better fit for Renault and Nissan than Volkswagen.
Proton's most recognizable asset outside of Asia is Lotus, a one-time European supercar maker. Similarly, Nissan is known for performance vehicles as its Z-cars drove U.S. sales from the 1970s until the early 1990s, when its redesign made it too expensive for most buyers. An alliance with Proton would allow Nissan to add some Lotus flare to its U.S. luxury lineup — especially as its current Z-car and sibling Infiniti G35 Coupe start to show their age. In addition, Nissan can offer Proton an injection of new technology, which it considers to be its main problem. Proton also would offer production facilities in Malaysia and access to a new market.
While Proton won't afford Ghosn the scale he was seeking in order to challenge Toyota, it could keep him competitive with other rivals. —Matthew Wurtzel
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