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HEADLINES:

Magna deal problems reopen Vauxhall race

Hugo Duncan
30.06.09

General Motors was today weighing up fresh interest in its UK car business Vauxhall as talks with preferred bidder Magna International wobbled.

The troubled US giant is taking an improved offer from Belgium's RHJ International for Opel, which includes Vauxhall in the UK, "very seriously" and a memorandum of understanding could be signed within days, according to a source close to the sales process.

China's Beijing Automotive Industry Corp is also expected to present an improved offer for Opel but has not progressed as far as RHJ and Magna.

Fiat of Italy is another interested party.

Magna remains in pole position after reaching an agreement to buy 55% of Opel in May.

The Canadian parts supplier has the support of Social Democrats in Germany's government as well as trade unions amid concerns about job losses.

However, the negotiations have run into difficulties over access to GM's global technology arm.

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