• Detroit Free Press, Tuesday, April 15, 2008 10:16 AM

Nissan will build small cars for Chrysler to sell and Chrysler will make pickups for Nissan under a deal announced by both companies yesterday. The arrangement draws on each automaker's expertise and perhaps sets up a much deeper relationship down the road.

Executives from both companies worked to downplay speculation that the deal is anything more than a simple transaction to make cars and trucks for each other, but analysts see the moves as a step toward adding Chrysler to the Renault-Nissan alliance. Carlos Ghosn, CEO of both Renault and Nissan, has long said he wants a North American partner.

Chrysler has been looking for partners ever since Cerberus Capital Management bought a controlling stake last August from DaimlerChrysler AG, leaving the newly private U.S. automaker without global reach. Along with helping each company fill its lineups, the deal also helps them improve their global scale, points out David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research.

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