Carlos Ghosn, the fugitive former boss of Nissan, has said the car manufacturer’s pursuit of a deal with Honda shows it is in “panic mode”, with “synergies between the two companies difficult to find”.
Ghosn, who led Nissan as chief executive between 2001 and 2017, said: “If this merger takes place … personally I don’t think it’s going to be successful.”
The two Japanese car giants are considering a partnership in an effort to create a group with the power to take on the likes of Tesla and Chinese rivals. A merger would create the world’s third-largest car manufacturer by sales, behind Toyota and Volkswagen.
• Honda eyes return to UK with Nissan tie-up in Sunderland
On Monday, the companies confirmed that they had started