Nissan May Move Move UK Car Production To France

NEW YORK - November 29, 2002; Dow Jones reported that Nissan Motor Co. may shift production of a successor to the Almera passenger car now built at a plant in the U.K. to a French plant of Renault SA, Nissan President Carlos Ghosn said Friday, according to the Kyodo News agency.

Speaking to a group of Japanese reporters during a visit to the U.K., Ghosn said he will make a decision on whether to continue producing the successor model at the U.K. plant by June or July next year in view of market conditions, the Kyodo report said.

Ghosn said the decision on whether to produce the new model will be based on profitability, adding that it is a delicate issue to decide whether to continue producing the successor to the Almera in the U.K.

Nissan, which is owned 44.4% by the French automaker, makes the Almera for the European market.

Ghosn said Nissan and Renault will beef up their business alliance by promoting the use of common parts so that the two companies will be able to produce each other's products at each other's plants, Kyodo reported.