With both automakers struggling to survive amid slumping sales, a slowing global economy and an unprecedented credit crunch, it's unclear whether Chrysler's majority owner, Cerberus Capital Management LP, would be willing to pay up, or whether the federal government might even get involved to save one or both struggling automakers.
The stark reality is that if you put two automakers together that are both losing money and both losing market share, you end up with an automaker that is losing more money and losing market share faster.
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