THE two biggest US carmakers are talking publicly to more of their rivals and other outsiders than ever before.

Bill Ford, executive chairman of Ford, has said that he is looking for alliances. These are likely to go beyond the project joint ventures that are common in the industry.

Ford has approached Renault-Nissan about a potential link. The US carmaker had already asked Carlos Ghosn, the chief executive of the French company, to take up the same role at Ford, but he declined.

Mr Ghosn is thought to have saved ailing Nissan after Renault took control of the Japanese carmaker. He has told Ford he will talk about the job, but only after link-up negotiations between Ford and General Motors, its long-time rival, have concluded.

Renault-Nissan was asked to explore an alliance with GM by Kirk Kerkorian, the US group’s biggest shareholder. Rick Wagoner, GM’s chief executive, was said to have resisted the idea. He is unlikely to want to cede control to Mr Ghosn.

Teams from GM and Renault-Nissan are evaluating the scope for a major alliance and the two sides are expected to decide by mid-October whether it will be worthwhile pursing a full joint venture.

Ford’s appetite for alliances comes amid growing fears over the future of the US giant. Its planned turnaround — the Way Forward — has been accelerated and Kenneth Leet, a former Goldman Sachs banker, was brought in last month as principal adviser.

He is expected to set out plans for the business during the next few weeks.

Ford has said that other groups have approached it about buying Jaguar, apart from Jacques Nasser.

Sir Anthony Bamford, chairman of JCB, has said that he would be interested in buying Jaguar on its own. But he has not yet approached Ford.

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