To be pedantic, American BMC is more accurate (ie the merger between Austin and Morris).

Further trainspotter-anorakory would note American Austin begat Jeep.

Wait for it….

2010?

Ultimately, though, their hybrid programs are in very different places. GM’s skipped a full-mode, eCVT hybrid system design that Ford has developed really well (and no, it is not Toyota’s) and went straight for their new Volt plug-in, which may be everything GM’s hyped it to be. Ford’s next-gen hybrid system showing up at the end of year in the Fusion is relatively inexpensive to manufacture (as opposed to GM’s hybrid efforts) and provides a very good mileage boost, but it won’t have a plug-in system and it isn’t based on Li-on batteries. So, I’m not sure how much Ford would care about GM’s program or GM about Ford’s.

I say GM is calling to see if Ford has any Toyota hybrid parts they could sell them, you know, cheap.

GM already has experience of combining Purchasing department (with Fiat on powertrain I think), so that may work. But it would get real interesting if they shared the Finance functions!!!

In return, Ford could send a design team from Ford Europe to help Saturn get some dynamic and stylish “Euro” designs (Focus Cabriolet and Mondeo). Let’s face it, GM’s euro designs are pretty poor and Ford’s designs are streets ahead.

One more area of synergy is combining purchasing departments and buying for both Ford and GM and economies of scale to bring costs downs. In short, they should look at the Renault-Nissan model to see how 2 companies can work together to bring costs down, without merging.

Red Barchetta,
I think you are right, that engines are an excellent first place to look for synergies between the D2 — they can build on their successful partnership to build 6 speed automatics together.

I was only thinking that if this works, they could combine a few platform teams where their vehicles are challenged because they lack the volumes individually to make the best-in-class.

I don’t see this going anywhere though, haven’t they had more than a few of these ‘meetings’ in the past few decades that never went anywhere.
Plus Ford have a substantial survival advantage right now and have been a little smarter than GM over the past few years(Fiesta is coming, the Beat is ummm who knows). How is it that GM has a better 4 banger?

Whereas full-size vans and (to a lesser extent) small pick-ups have less critical brand association with these two manufacturers, Cadillac is the essence of GM, and mid-size pick-ups for both companies have rabid followings. (I assume that you mean the F-150 and Silverado/Sierra.)

For instance, to share Cadillac’s platforms with Lincoln strikes a fatal blow to the core of the identity and appeal of GM’s luxury brand (and probably to Ford’s, as well). The same goes, in both directions, for F-150 and Silverado/Sierra development.