JUNE 10, 2004

Changes at GM Europe

The top management of GM Europe is being changed with Carl-Peter Forster moving from his role as head of Adam Opel AG to become chief operating officer of GM Europe, which combines the operations of GM's European brands. The company is currently headed by US veteran Bob Lutz, a great fan of motorsport who took Chrysler's Lamborghini marque into F1 in the late 1980s. Forster cut his teeth in the automobile world with BMW in Munich at a time when the company was enjoying considerable success from its F1 involvement. GM is in the process of trying to restructure its European operations to cut costs and return profits but it is worth keeping an eye on the firm as GM has looked at F1 seriously on several occasions in recent years. The American giant is one of the few big car companies not involved in Grand Prix and with the F1 regulations now under review and a new engine formula in the pipeline it is always possible that we could see movement from GM Europe.

GM could get a head start in F1 because of a 20% stake it holds in Fiat Auto as the two companies cooperate on various research and development projects, a little negotiation and some of Ferrari's technology might perhaps go the way of GM.