A Vauxhall employee walks along a line of newly completed vans at the Vauxhall factory in Luton, north of London, on November 4, 2009. The British government said Wednesday it was keen to hold talks with General Motors after it scrapped plans to sell British carmaker Vauxhall, which with Opel is part of GM's European operation. GM announced overnight it had ditched the sale of its European car division to Canadian auto parts group Magna International and Russia's Sberbank, citing the 'improving business environment.' Getty Images logo Getty Images 1 month ago

A Vauxhall employee walks along a line of newly completed vans at the Vauxhall factory in Luton, north of London, on November 4, 2009. The British government said Wednesday it was keen to hold talks with General Motors after it scrapped plans to sell British carmaker Vauxhall, which with Opel is part of GM's European operation. GM announced overnight it had ditched the sale of its European car division to Canadian auto parts group Magna International and Russia's Sberbank, citing the 'improving business environment.'

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  1. A Vauxhall logo is seen on a car in Liverpool, northern England, September 22, 2009. Vauxhall's new owners Magna are considering cutting jobs in Britain according to media reports.
  2. Vauxhall cars are seen outside the company's Ellesmere Port plant in Cheshire, northern England, September 22, 2009. Vauxhall's new owners Magna are considering cutting jobs at Vauxhall according to media reports.
  3. FILE - In this Dec. 4, 2009 file photo, flags with the Opel logo and a slogan in German reading, "We live cars", are seen in front of the Opel headquarter in Ruesselsheim, central Germany. General Motors Co.'s restructuring plan for its Opel and Vauxhall operations likely will be delayed until January 2010, the car maker's top European executive says.
  4. Nick Reilly, interim head of General Motor's European business speaks during a news conference at the headquarters of German carmaker Opel in Ruesselsheim November 25, 2009. General Motors has paid back a loan from Germany and slightly lowered its target for job cuts at struggling European unit Opel. Reilly, the boss brought in from GM's thriving Asian operations to help revamp Opel, told reports in Duesseldorf on Tuesday that said his plans now call for cutting 9,000 to 9,500 jobs at Opel and British sister brand Vauxhall.
  5. Christine Lieberknecht (L) Governor of the German state of Thuringia and Nick Reilly, interim head of General Motor's European business attend a news conference at the headquarters of German carmaker Opel in Ruesselsheim November 25, 2009. General Motors has paid back a loan from Germany and slightly lowered its target for job cuts at struggling European unit Opel. Reilly, the boss brought in from GM's thriving Asian operations to help revamp Opel, told reports in Duesseldorf on Tuesday that said his plans now call for cutting 9,000 to 9,500 jobs at Opel and British sister brand Vauxhall.
  6. Christine Lieberknecht (L) Governor of the German state of Thuringia and Nick Reilly, interim head of General Motor's European business attend a news conference at the headquarters of German carmaker Opel in Ruesselsheim November 25, 2009. General Motors has paid back a loan from Germany and slightly lowered its target for job cuts at struggling European unit Opel. Reilly, the boss brought in from GM's thriving Asian operations to help revamp Opel, told reports in Duesseldorf on Tuesday that said his plans now call for cutting 9,000 to 9,500 jobs at Opel and British sister brand Vauxhall.
  7. General Sales Manager Peter Van Den Berghe, left, talks to Jeff Harvery, center, of Auiroa, Colo., about the Saturn Outlook that he is about to test drive at the Saturn of Denver dealership in the Denver suburb of Littleton, Colo., on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2009. Salesman Tim Duff is pictured at right. Harvey a two time Saturn owner was not concerned that General Motors is going to quit the Saturn line.
  8. An undated file picture shows Walter Borst, finance manager of General Motors. General Motors appointed Borst as chairman of the supervisory board of Adam Opel GmbH on December 15, 2009.
  9. A Toyota Motor Corp. staff demonstrates how to recharge "Prius Plug-in Hybrid" car at its showroom in Tokyo December 14, 2009. Toyota Motor Corp will begin selling "affordable" plug-in hybrid cars in 2011, upping the ante on General Motors and Nissan Motor as they aim to take the lead in the field of rechargeable cars.
  10. Toyota Motor Corp's "Prius Plug-in Hybrid" is displayed at its showroom in Tokyo December 14, 2009. Toyota Motor Corp will begin selling "affordable" plug-in hybrid cars in 2011, upping the ante on General Motors and Nissan Motor as they aim to take the lead in the field of rechargeable cars.
  11. A Toyota Motor Corp. staff demonstrates how to recharge "Prius Plug-in Hybrid" car at its showroom in Tokyo December 14, 2009. Toyota Motor Corp will begin selling "affordable" plug-in hybrid cars in 2011, upping the ante on General Motors and Nissan Motor as they aim to take the lead in the field of rechargeable cars.
  12. Toyota Motor Corp's "Prius Plug-in Hybrid" is displayed at its showroom in Tokyo December 14, 2009. Toyota Motor Corp will begin selling "affordable" plug-in hybrid cars in 2011, upping the ante on General Motors and Nissan Motor as they aim to take the lead in the field of rechargeable cars.
  13. Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, right, and Sberbank President German Gref, left, attend an international investment forum in the Black Sea resort of Sochi, which is hosting the 2014 Winter Olympics, Russia, Friday, Sept. 18, 2009. Putin on Friday called for currencies besides the dollar to be used as reserves amid "uncontrolled" U.S. debt.
  14. Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (R) and his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko take part in a state award presentation ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow December 10, 2009. President Lukashenko on Thursday signed a decree approving the sale of state-controlled BPS Bank to Russia's biggest lender, Sberbank, for slightly over $280 million.
  15. Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (R) and his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko take part in state award presentation ceremony at the Kremlin in Moscow December 10, 2009. Lukashenko on Thursday signed a decree approving the sale of state-controlled BPS Bank to Russia's biggest lender, Sberbank, for slightly over $280 million.
  16. Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev (R) exchange documents with his Belarussian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko as they meet at the Kremlin in Moscow, December 10, 2009. President Lukashenko on Thursday signed a decree approving the sale of state-controlled BPS Bank to Russia's biggest lender, Sberbank, for slightly over $280 million.

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