Fiat may buy GM's China operations beyond Opel

Shanghai, May 4 (Gasgoo.com) Italian automaker Fiat Group SpA may seek to buy GM's operations in China and Russia besides its Germany-based Opel, the Bloomberg reported Monday, citing people familiar with the matter.

Fiat is looking at not just Opel, but also at the Detroit automaker's operations in emerging markets such as China, Russia and Latin America, according to the people under condition of anonymity.

"It doesn't have to be Opel," said Peter Schmidt, an analyst at Automotive Data in Leamington Spa, England. "If any market is important in the years ahead, then China is the market where Fiat is not a big player."

"If Fiat Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne gets GM's organization in China, he potentially has the volume he reckons he needs," Mr Schmidt was quoted by Bloomberg as saying.

He added that Fiat also would benefit from taking over GM operations in Russia, particularly after the countrys market stabilizes within some 18 months.

Fiat CEO Marchionne meets today with German government officials to present the plans for taking over Opel.

Mr Marchionne said he hopes to complete the transaction by the end of May, and list shares of a planned company, tentatively called Fiat/Opel, by the end of the summer.

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