|
Fiat
Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne said earlier this month that
seeking a merger with GM was a "high priority" for his company
and such a deal would also be the best strategic option for its
U.S. rival.
"We have studied this issue thoroughly and in great detail, with
both internal resources and external experts and it is not in
the best interest of the General Motors shareholder," Barra told
reporters on the sidelines of the Frankfurt auto show.
GM's board rebuffed a merger proposal from the Italian-American
carmaker earlier this year.
That has not stopped Marchionne from wooing what he calls his
"ideal partner" as he seeks to reduce the number of players in
the industry and share the prohibitive costs of building greener
and more intelligent cars.
Barra said that while her company was focused on investing in
new technologies and connectivity, it could afford to do it
alone, pointing to the redesigned Opel Astra compact car
unveiled at the show.
"When you look at the work that we are doing to put connectivity
in the vehicles ... looking at the forward looking technologies
that you need in a vehicle, also all the propulsion technologies
... that is our focus, delivering the best return to our
shareholders," she said. "We have the scale necessary to
accomplish that."
She added that she had never discussed a possible tie-up
directly with Marchionne after rejecting his merger proposal
sent via email earlier this year.
On Monday, Barra told reporters at a separate event that GM
investors had not said much on the matter in recent weeks,
despite repeated attempts by Marchionne to get a deal done,
according to several newspapers.
She also said she had not received any follow-up requests from
Marchionne since his initial email.
Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi said late on Monday he hoped
Marchionne would buy or reach a deal with GM, but that this
looked difficult.
(Reporting by Agnieszka Flak; Editing by Mark Potter)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
