From the beginning, the controversial transaction to rescue Opel has been defined by political requirements rather than economic logic.

If industrial logic had prevailed, the deal proposed by Italy's Fiat seemed to make the greatest economic sense. Combining Opel as well as Saab and Chrysler with Fiat - as the Italian company proposed - would have made a significant contribution to the consolidation of an industry in dire need of reducing capacity. It would also have created a group with the scale many now consider will be necessary for volume car manufacturers to remain viable in the longer term.