Reuters / February 18, 2004
MILAN - Fiat sees General Motors as a privileged partner, but the Italian carmaker also sees itself in alliances with other companies, Fiat Chief Executive Giuseppe Morchio was quoted as saying on Wednesday.
"We are thinking of a structure of alliances for Fiat that I would define as star-like," Morchio told Genoa-based newspaper Il Secolo XIX.
"GM is a privileged partner, but we also have other collaborations, for example with PSA (Peugeot Citroen), with Audi (of Volkswagen) for Maserati," he said.
GM acquired 20 percent of Fiat's car arm Fiat Auto in a 2000 deal, and the two companies also have developed industrial partnerships.
But they have recently argued over the validity of a 'put' option, which would allow the Italian company to sell the rest of Fiat Auto to GM from next year.
Asked in the newspaper interview if the "industrial marriage" of Fiat and GM would work, Morchio said he did not see the relationship as a marriage.
"Marriage constitutes an exclusive relationship, while in the auto industry you need to have an open attitude to diverse operations," he told Il Secolo.



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