By mid-2019, in the months following the arrest of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn, relations between Nissan and French partner Renault plumbed new lows. Ham-fisted attempts by Renault's new chairman, Jean-Dominique Senard, to broker a surprise merger between Renault and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, behind Nissan's back, only further strained the Franco-Japanese alliance. Sales, profits and share prices plunged — not only at Nissan and Renault, but at Mitsubishi, the auto group's third leg.
This is the second excerpt from Collision Course: Carlos Ghosn and the Culture Wars That Upended an Auto Empire. It is drawn from Chapter 13, "Alliance Upheaval." The passage describes how the alliance teetered without its longtime leader and includes Ghosn's take on why the companies faltered in his absence. The book was written by Automotive News Asia Editor Hans Greimel and William Sposato.
Renault Chairman Jean-Dominique Senard's failed backroom dealing with FCA drew immediate backlash from Japan.