Opel and Vauxhall to go to Magna

[dipsydoodle]

Source: BBC News

General Motors (GM) has announced that it has chosen the Canadian car parts manufacturer Magna to buy Opel and its sister company Vauxhall.

The decision was welcomed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel, who said she was "very pleased" about it.

Magna, which is backed by Russia's Sberbank, has said that it will keep all four German plants open.

But British unions have expressed concern about the future of Vauxhall's 5,500 UK workers.

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/8247971.stm

[fascisthunter]

1. I like the Opel... nice designs too

[harmonicon]

2. I think many people agree with you

But it also worries me an awful lot. It seems like GM has gotten rid of some of their best assets while trying to trim the fat - I really think this will come back to kick them in the ass.

[Mudoria]

3. Not much they can do really.

They have more brands than they can support and some things have to go to make GM viable again. The real answer is they should have never gone on this buying spree to begin with and concentrated on improving and paring down the brands they already had. That's water under the bridge now but I hope GM and Chrysler both prosper in the near future both for the workers and the country.

[harmonicon]

7. yeah, too much that should have been done years ago

It just seems that Opels were on a whole better cars than what GM was making in the US. They should have started producing those same models in the US a long time ago - I'm afraid they've kept the shit and sold the good stuff.

[liberalpragmatist]

8. New Buicks are based on Opels

The new Buick Lacrosse is a stretched, modified Opel Insignia. The upcoming Buick Regal is also based on the Opel Insignia. And the new Buick compact car will be a Buick clone of the new Opel Astra.

[harmonicon]

11. so they'll keep basing their designs on non-GM cars?

I somehow doubt that - or they'll keep doing it, and GM, like their former Geo brand, will simply sell rebranded cars designed and built by other companies.

[Wizard777]

4. Is this also the Canadian Gaming Company Magna?

[Wizard777]

5. Why yes it is. Excuse me I have to rub a former Governors nose in Magna crap.

[alfredo]

6. Isn't the Saturn Sky a Vauxhall in drag?

[LeftyMom]

9. Yes. The Saturn Aura is a rebadged Opel, as well.

GM sold Saturn several months ago.

[alfredo]

10. I hope the Sky is continued and is developed into a car worthy of the

sports car enthusiast. A hard top version would be nice, maybe like the Opal Speedster