Here comes the FORDS...

["Christoper Hartwell@bbn.com" <chartwel@bbn.com>]

Oh well no schweeet VWV's in the near future...Look out for the (F)lipped-(O)ver-(R)epaired-(D)odges...

Ford May Rescue Volvo from VW

Seen as ‘White Knight’ to Avoid Hostile Takeover 

N E W   Y O R K,   Dec. 27 — Ford may be a “white
knight” for Swedish automaker Volvo amid
rumors a takeover proposal by the U.S. car
giant could be made to head off to head off a
rumored hostile bid by Volkswagen. 
A report in Barron’s cited a recent interview with
Volvo Chief Executive Leif Johansson, who, Barron’s
said, agreed finding a white knight in light of such a hostile
bid would make sense. Johansson did not mention specific
names, the report said. 

Such conjecture comes amidst a flurry of speculation
about consolidation in the industry which has also linked
Ford with German luxury carmaker BMW and struggling
Japanese maker Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. 

Volvo Met With VW in June 
Speculation about a Volvo merger last flared in June,
when Johansson met with Ferdinand Piech, the head of
Volkswagen, Europe’s biggest car company. Later Volvo
said the two had only been discussing existing cooperation
in diesel motors. 

But on Monday Volvo announced it would not prolong
the agreement whereby Volkswagen supplied Volvo with
diesel motors, and would instead produce them on its own.