DAEWOO UPDATE

Maybe the most significant story of the week was GMs final signature to a deal with Daewoo Motors creditors. Chief GM negotiator and ex-Vauxhall boss Nick Reilly takes over Koreas first US-controlled Korean manufacturer, and potential capacity for over half a million vehicles. Great news for Daewoos workforces in Korea and Hanoi, and some comfort for the brands sales networks in Western Europe.

But while GM has confirmed it will introduce new model segments into Korea under the Daewoo brand, the future of Daewoo export sales networks beyond the life expectancy of current models awaits further pronouncements. The US network is already on the way out, and the status of the British, largely Daewoo-owned network and its recent new dealer partners is not clear. It has been confirmed that a new model will be launched imminently in Korea, and that some sort of future is planned for the Polish Daewoo/FSO unit.