By Edward Niedermeyer
August 14, 2008 -
Struggling Malaysian automaker Proton has been hunting for a major OEM partnership for some time. Rumors have linked the company to PSA and VW. GM snuggled-up to Proton last year, meeting with management and shareholders. According to The Motor Authority, GM's recent financial "challenges" haven't discouraged the The General's Prez for S.E. Asian Ops from continuing to play footsie. "If Proton wants to talk," Stephen K. Carlisle announced. "We are ready as we are always interested about collaborating with them." GM may be hunting for [another] low-cost, entry-level car for emerging markets. As Proton also holds a majority share of Lotus, Hethelmania may also be taking hold. But c'mon. Another brand? And what about the money question? "GM would be able to make a financial commitment for a collaboration with Proton," Carlisle told The Star. "If it made business sense now." Yeah, sure.
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POWERED
August 14th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
I’m not quite sure what this partnership could bring.
GM already have access to a low cost manufacturer (Daewoo) and Proton (ideally) want a partner with deep pockets and a long term future.
There’s little or no synergy to be gain here.
Maybe GM are fed up of bailing out American companies and fancied a change….?
August 14th, 2008 at 6:44 pm
Titanic survivor gets rescued by the Lusitania.
August 14th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
Is it just me, or didn’t GM at one time own Lotus?
August 15th, 2008 at 6:59 am
And I thought that a proton was just 3 quarks, held together by gluons; boy, am *I* behind the times…
(I have to renew my subscription to Scientific American! ;-)
GM’s got more feelers than a bucket full of centipedes - makes the impression that they lack a plan.
August 15th, 2008 at 8:57 am
SAAB95JD,
You are correct. Of course, Lotus has gotten passed around so many times,…
Speaking of which, hearing that Proton and GM are looking to hook up sounds a lot like hearing that Dennis Rodman and Britney are engaged.
Anyhoo, it would be nice if as a result of this, Lotus were set free, or at least sold to a firm that would actually do something with it. VW comes to mind — even though Lotus would compete with Porsche, I like what VW has done with Bentley, Lambo and Bugatti.
August 16th, 2008 at 4:06 am
GM grasping at straws again