Rumours are circulating at the Detroit show that troubled US carmaker Chrysler is about to be broken up in a series of buyouts a story strongly denied by the maker.
The break-up rumours started after it was reported one of Chryslers assembly plant in Illinois was to be sold to a supplier, and that Renault-Nissan was negotiating the purchase of the Jeep marque from Chrysler.
Chrysler is the most troubled of the big three US manufacturers and to stop further loss of faith in the company Chrsler executives were quick to rubbish the report on Jeep's sale, calling it "absolutely false" - and claiming that any such sale would require Government approval under the terms of the recent bailout.
Renault has also denied the story, despite reportedly being keen to buy back the brand it sold to Chrysler 20 years ago. Chrysler is known to be keen on selling production licences for some of its cars, which would allow manufacturing to be taken on by third parties for new markets, as well as forming alliances with other makers. The Sebring, for example, was sold to Russian car makers GAZ selling as the Siber in Russia.
But for now, at least in the short term, Chrysler is not being broken up, though in the crisis hit world of the US automakers that could chang at the drop of a hat.