Report: Proton to announce Volkswagen tie-up soon
Proton, an automaker based out of Malaysia, is getting set to announce a possible tie-up with Volkswagen in the next two weeks, according to people familiar with the plan. A company official has been quoted as saying they didn”t want to jump the gun, and that the fruits of the talks with VW will be made public in two weeks.
When asked about the venture VW had this to say in an email: “With reference to Malaysia, there are no concrete developments or agreements. We cannot confirm any statements to the contrary.”
Proton”s chairman has said that the company did not need to form a tie-up. it is speculated that some sort of contract assembly or rebadging arrangement in the works. The two companies were in talks back in 2007 regarding VW taking an equity stake in Proton, but those had stalled. Partnerships with Peugeot and GM have since been considered but never actualized.
– By: Stephen Calogera
Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required)
