bpsorrel
MB Enthusiast
- Joined
- Mar 11, 2009
- Messages
- 6,027
- Location
- UK and Russia
- Car
- '21 C300 Coupe, '20 SLC Final Edition, Peugeot 208 (hers!) and a new Ford Kuga in Russia
Well there it is! GM sold Opel/Vauxhall to Magna and the Russians!
Shame! Having spent the last 2 months in Russia I can tell you exactly what's planned (according to Russian media).
The Russian government wanted this deal to go through (with Deripaska, the man behind Gaz (Volga and Gazelle vans) and the failed LDV venture) so that the ailing Russian motor industry can get an easy kick start producing ready made and successful Opels with Volga badges. Making sense yet? Well, Gaz will be absorbing Opel and making badge engineered Opels for the Russian (etc) market. LIke with LDV, do you think Sperbank and Gaz will be keeping UK and German plants going whilst building them in Novgorod? Not very likely after 2013 according to most Russians! So, bye bye Vauxhall! Will it be missed? Well, from a jobs viewpoint I would think yes.
I hope I'm wrong, but I was really hoping GM wouldn't sell!
Shame! Having spent the last 2 months in Russia I can tell you exactly what's planned (according to Russian media).
The Russian government wanted this deal to go through (with Deripaska, the man behind Gaz (Volga and Gazelle vans) and the failed LDV venture) so that the ailing Russian motor industry can get an easy kick start producing ready made and successful Opels with Volga badges. Making sense yet? Well, Gaz will be absorbing Opel and making badge engineered Opels for the Russian (etc) market. LIke with LDV, do you think Sperbank and Gaz will be keeping UK and German plants going whilst building them in Novgorod? Not very likely after 2013 according to most Russians! So, bye bye Vauxhall! Will it be missed? Well, from a jobs viewpoint I would think yes.
I hope I'm wrong, but I was really hoping GM wouldn't sell!
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