Fiat Begins Talks With GM While Courting Chrysler

Fiat is bound and determined to join the big boys of the auto world, and it's using ailing US companies to gain a foothold. The Italian automaker has begun surprise talks with General Motors to buy a stake in GM's Opel division and expand its presence in Europe and Latin America, the Wall Street Journal reports. Fiat is simultaneously trying to buy a 20% stake in Chrysler, now teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

"We're open to dialogue, and we have dialogue with a number of auto companies around the world," said Sergio Marchionne, the CEO of Fiat. The company hopes to triple its production to about 6 million cars per year. If Fiat added both Chrysler and Opel to its lineup, it would rank behind only Toyota and GM among world automakers, the New York Times notes.