Volkswagen, Europe’s biggest carmaker, has no interest in acquiring DaimlerChrysler’s loss-making U.S. arm Chrysler or expanding cooperation accords, a VW spokeswoman said on Friday.
“There is no such consideration here,” she said.
DaimlerChrysler Chief Executive Dieter Zetsche said last week all options were open for Chrysler, which swung to a 2006 operating loss of 1.12 billion euros ($1.47 billion) as consumers shunned its lineup that relied heavily on pickup trucks and sport utilities.
VW joins a growing list of companies to rule themselves out as a strategic partner for Chrysler.
South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co Ltd, Japan’s Mitsubishi Motors Corp, Italy’s Fiat and the alliance between Renault and Nissan Motor Co have all rejected a tie-up.
This has taken some of the steam out of DaimlerChrysler stock’s rally since Zetsche’s comments. The share eased 0.5 percent to 53 euros by 1041 GMT — off a 5-1/2-year high at 56.34 on Monday — while the DJ Stoxx European car sector index slipped 0.3 percent.
Sources familiar with the matter have told Reuters that General Motors had opened talks with Chrysler on an acquisition or a strategic alliance.
