Ford Will Continue Magna Partnership Even if It Buys Opel

In spite of voices saying that in case it manages to buy Opel, Magna's relations with other automakers would be affected, American manufacturer Ford says it will stick with the Canadian - Austrian parts maker even if this scenario becomes reality. Ford CFO Lewis Booth said that Ford could continue working with Magna and, in case problems occur, they'll be resolved as they come up.

"We've had discussions with Magna about ensuring the appropriate safeguards for our intellectual property," Booth was quoted as saying by Autonews. "We'll work with Magna to make sure we mitigate any ramifications."

"Magna's a good supplier," he said. "We like working with them, and we'll manage the issues as they come up."

Magna's bid for Opel led to some automakers warning that this could affect the current agreements the Canadian parts supplier holds with various automakers. Volkswagen for instance emphasized that seeing one of company's largest parts suppliers becoming a competitor is quite an unusual fact and it should be avoided.

But Magna is still not sure that it will be the next Opel owner as negotiations with the German government and GM Europe continue these days. Furthermore, General Motors said RHJ, the second party interested in buying Opel, also submitted an attractive offer that would be easier to implement from a number of reasons.

Meanwhile, a couple of German officials are still backing Magna, with Angela Merkel emphasizing the parts manufacturer submitted the best offer Opel could get. However, the German government and GM Europe didn't agree on the two bids and negotiations might take longer than expected, as some voices hinted.