NEW YORK (Kyodo) Carlos Ghosn, head of Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co., said Wednesday he would continue to seek a North American partner if negotiations on an alliance with General Motors Corp. fail, raising the prospect of eventual talks with Ford Motor Co., the New York Times reported on its Web site.
Ghosn's comments came hours after he met with GM's chief executive, Rick Wagoner, for the first time since their two companies formally began negotiations in July on a possible three-way alliance.
Following Wednesday's meeting at Renault's headquarters in the Paris suburb of Boulogne-Billancourt, the automakers issued a joint statement saying "our companies continue to explore the potential opportunities of an industrial alliance." They said study teams created to analyze a deal would work through mid-October.