Merkel hails Magna plan to acquire Opel

BERLIN -- General Motors will sell most of its Opel unit and other European assets to Canada's Magna International in a deal German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Saturday would protect the assets from GM's likely bankruptcy.

The German government, GM and Magna International agreed early Saturday to a plan for the Canadian auto parts maker to acquire Opel with $2.1 billion in bridge loans from Germany, while contributing 300 million euros to keep Opel running in the short term, Finance MinisterPeer Steinbrueck told reporters.

"Opel has been given prospects for the future," Merkel said after overnight talks between the two companies and the German government. "Now the work for Opel and for Magna ... really begins."

Under the deal, Magna will take a 20% stake in Opel and Russian-owned Sberbank will take a 35% stake, giving their consortium a majority. GM will retain 35%, and the remaining 10% will go to Opel employees.

The consortium plans to work with Russian carmaker Gaz to produce more than a million vehicles in Russia and Eastern Europe. Sberbank Chairman German Gref praised the deal in an interview broadcast Saturday on Russia's state-run Vesti TV.

"We think that this is a very good chance for Russia to receive at an unprecedentedly low price one of the most progressive — from a technological standpoint — European automakers," Gref said.

The deal calls for Opel to be put under the care of a trustee later Saturday, designed to shield it from GM's likely bankruptcy filing next week.

Other GM Europe assets, including British brand Vauxhall and its plants, were consolidated under the Adam Opel earlier in the week and will also enter the trusteeship. Sweden's Saab is not included in the deal.

Germany had stressed the need for a trustee to ensure taxpayer assistance does not flow to GM stake holders in the U.S.

"The fault here is ... a major mismanagement in the United States of America by GM," Merkel said Saturday.

She said she spoke with President Obama by telephone Friday as the deal with Magna was being negotiated.