Toyota Closely Monitoring Proposed Alliance

Washington DC August 3, 2006; The AIADA newsletter reported that Toyota is closely monitoring the proposed alliance between Renault-Nissan and General Motors.

While the potential tie-up doesn't appear to pose any immediate business threat to the automaker, it would have symbolic and, perhaps, even some political significance, according to The Detroit News.

Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe says the company is taking a hands-off approach as a spectator to the GM talks with Renault and Nissan, but he stressed that a tie-up would not alter Toyota's ties with GM in America, which include a joint venture manufacturing plant, New United Motor Manufacturing Inc (NUMMI) in Fremont, C.A., and sharing of information on advanced environmental technology for autos.