Fiat CEO: EU Verheugen's Comments On Car Market "Not Helpful"
24 April 2009 - 2:46PM
Dow Jones News
Fiat SpA (F.MI) Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said Friday
the European Commissioner for Industry's skeptical comments on Fiat
SpA's (F.MI) ability to pull off a deal with General Motors Corp.'s
(GM) Adam Opel GmbH weren't helpful or supportive for the future of
the car industry.
Speaking Friday to a Bavarian radio station Bayerischen
Rundfunk, Gunter Verheugen asked where this "indebted" company was
going to find the means to achieve two operations at once,
referring also to Fiat's potential alliance with Chrysler.
"These comments are not helpful to the ultimate goal of
re-establishing a sound footing on which to build the future of
this industry," Marchionne said, noting that Verheugen was
suggesting at some point that not all automotive firms in Europe
will survive.
-By Sofia Celeste, Dow Jones Newswires; +39 06 69766920;
sofia.celeste@dowjones.com