Ghosn & Zetsche: This Couple Is Expecting A Baby
Daimler and Nissan may announce some serious platform sharing, t.b.a. either today or tomorrow on the sidelines of the Frankfurt Motor Show. Bloomberg has heard that Daimler “is considering sharing its small-car platform with Nissan Motor Co.’s Infiniti brand.”
The wire says that “the potential to expand cooperation between Infiniti and the German company’s Mercedes-Benz division may be discussed tomorrow at a joint press conference by Daimler Chief Executive Officer Dieter Zetsche and Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn.” Actually, it might be today. There is an intimate press briefing scheduled for today, Sept. 14 early afternoon . We won’t be there (I refused to get my derriere from Tokyo to Frankfurt), but we will update you.
Both Ghosn and leading executives at Nissan and Renault had been dropping heavy hints over the last few months that the cooperation with Daimler is progressing very well, and that a big announcement should be expected. It did not sound like a joint procurement of headliners.
Nissan/Renault’s Carlos Ghosn is especially proud of his loose alliances and said privately and semi-officially that buying other car companies is so last millennium and that his way is the way to go. When he says it, it becomes clear that he is thinking of the tanking Volkswagen-Suzuki partnership, and of Fiat-Chrysler which is missing the boat when it comes to emerging markets. Ghosn never misses a chance to remark that the only cross cultural alliance that really works is Renault and Nissan.
In April 2010, Daimler, Nissan and Renault had announced a three-way tie-up, with token single-digit cross-share holdings. The alliance was initially focused on small cars, which become increasingly important. They also need considerable volume to be profitable. As we had told you here and here, the threesome agreed on co-developing new generations of Daimler’s Smart and Renault’s Twingo. Daimler had also agreed to supply engines to Infiniti.
Unless the press briefing has been moved, you will know more today.
Bertel Schmitt comes back to journalism after taking a 35 year break in advertising and marketing. He ran and owned advertising agencies in Duesseldorf, Germany, and New York City. Volkswagen A.G. was Bertel's most important corporate account. Schmitt's advertising and marketing career touched many corners of the industry with a special focus on automotive products and services. Since 2004, he lives in Japan and China with his wife <a href="http://www.tomokoandbertel.com"> Tomoko </a>. Bertel Schmitt is a founding board member of the <a href="http://www.offshoresuperseries.com"> Offshore Super Series </a>, an American offshore powerboat racing organization. He is co-owner of the racing team Typhoon.
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Wrong Bavarian Carlos you want the other one.
Somewhere in Germany a cabal of Daimler engineers is meeting in a Beer Hall plotting how they are going to turn Renault into the next Chrysler.