Posts from the Plants Manufacturing Category at Autoblog UK

No immediate plans for Opel plant closures

Posted Feb 19th 2009 3:57PM by Pete Mait
Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, Opel

The top echelons of General Motors have decreed that Opel Europe must submit a long-term rescue plan within the next few weeks. There are a number of options on the table. In order to give Opel competitive clout, Vauxhall and Saab could be taken over. Shareholding by other industrial operators is also thinkable.

The parent company in Detroit intends to concentrate on its three core marques in future (Chevrolet, Cadillac and Buick) plus its GMC truck division. Before the first quarter of 2009 is over, there should be a decision on whether to wind up or sell off the Hummer division. The company intends to allow the Saturn badge to lapse if a buyer cannot be found. The Swedish Saab subsidiary is to be put up for sale. Talks have already begun with the government in Stockholm. The number of dealerships is also to be reduced by 25 percent to 4,700 by the year 2012.

BMW to sell engines to Mercedes, others

Posted Nov 1st 2008 4:53AM by Pete Mait
Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, BMW, Mercedes-Benz

BMW, the Munich-based German automaker, is reportedly in discussion with other automakers -- rivals in some cases -- to sell their engines and transmissions. Klaus Draeger, BMW's head of development, told Auto Motor und Sport that the automaker is in advanced talks with Mercedes-Benz about licensing engines to its Stuttgart-based competitor.

Specifics have not been announced, but one likely candidate would be BMW's new V-12, set to debut in the new 7 Series and baby Rolls-Royce sedan. Mercedes would drop it under the hood of their flagship S-Class and Maybach. There was no mention about the possibility of BMW's twin-turbo inline-six finding itself under the hood of a Mercedes (while BMW continues to refine their award-winning inline-six powerplant, Mercedes dropped their popular straight-six in the mid-1990's and replaced it with a V6), but Draeger did hint that other automakers have approached the company about diesel engine technology. Engine and transmission sharing isn't uncommon in the industry, but such a move would be a first for the two companies, each longstanding rivals with products selling in the identical segments.