VW’s Mueller Signals Willingness to Discus Merger with FCA

Volkswagen AG CEO Matthias Mueller tells reporters he’s “not ruling out a conversation” with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV CEO Sergio Marchionne about merging the two companies.

He also invited Marchionne to “communicate his considerations” to him. Mueller’s receptivity is in sharp contrast to his mood last week, when he told Reuters that VW is “not ready for talks about anything.”

Marchionne raised the idea of merger talks last week after General Motors Co. sold its Opel unit to PSA. He is a vocal proponent of auto industry consolidation and considers an eventual partnership between FCA and another carmaker essential for the company’s long-term survival. Last year Marchionne made repeated but unsuccessful overtures to GM.