Carlos Ghosn's Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co. may start talks with Ford Motor Co. as prospects fade for a link with General Motors Corp., two people with knowledge of the discussions said.
Executives from the Renault-Nissan team and Ford have been in touch in the past month about exploring a possible link, according to the people, who asked not to be named because the proceedings are private. William Clay Ford Jr. initially called Ghosn in July to discuss a partnership if the GM-Ghosn talks led nowhere, three people familiar with the matter said last month.
After two months of discussions, Renault and Nissan probably won't take an equity stake in GM, nor have the companies been able to agree on purchasing and vehicle development, people familiar with the talks said this week. The two U.S. carmakers are considering alliances after Detroit-based GM lost $10.6 billion last year and Ford lost $1.44 billion in the first half of this year as buyers switched to models from Toyota Motor Corp.
``If that's true, it's not that Ghosn wants to quit talking to GM for Ford, but that if there are opportunities he'd be very stupid not to look at all of them, and on that he's absolutely right,'' Philippe Barrier, an analyst at Societe Generale in Paris who has a ``buy'' recommendation on Renault stock.
Spokesmen for GM, Renault and Nissan yesterday said negotiations continue and no decisions have been made. Ford spokesman Oscar Suris declined to comment.
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