All Cars, All the Time

Selling smart?
Is DaimlerChrysler changing it's mind about smart? Up until today all public signs have been that Dieter Zetsche is backing a smart revival (and I still believe that he does). However German magazine Manager is reporting that the sale of a partial stake or the whole kit and caboodle of the loss making smart division might be in the offing. News of the story caused the carmaker's shares to rise more than two percent. A followup story in Automotive News says that Daimler is calling the Manager article speculative. Given the source of the Manager story, a 'board source', I would speculate that this is some disagreement going on in the boardroom and this may be a ploy to force Dieter's hand. It's easy to leak this news and then sit back and watch and the stock price rises--something that is very hard to argue with in a management meeting. Can't you just hear it now? Dieter says, "I propose that we hold onto smart" and his opponent just says "Zwei Percent" Dieter, "I think smart merits a second chance" Opponent, "Zwei Percent." I think that Dieter will stay true to his word and give smart until 2007. I also predict some sort of announcement about smart's US plans between the end of this year and April 2006.