Last month it emerged that a Chinese
buyer could be interested in Volvo, the Ford-owned car maker,
reportedly on sale for several months. John Fleming, head of Ford
in Europe, said any decision about Volvo would almost certainly
involve a “long process”.
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But one of the potential buyers,
China’s car manufacturer Geely Automotive, was quick to deny these
merger rumours.
Nevertheless, any sort of agreement
with a Chinese manufacturer would be interesting from a leasing
point of view, as the China Banking Regulatory Commission has just
laid down new regulations favouring car leasing, quite a new
activity in China.
Daimler FS has already been cleared
and will be the first car finance company to offer vehicle leasing
in the Chinese market.
Back in Europe, last month speculation
mounted that Peugeot-Citroën and Renault had entered merger talks.
Both companies declined to comment, and analysts have cast doubt on
how feasible such a merger would be at present, as it would require
a considerable reorganisation, as well as job cuts that the French
government is keen to avoid.
If they do merge, the likelihood is
their captive arms will follow suit. This would mean a large number
of brands would come under a single financing umbrella
organisation, dominating the French market.
