Brilliance, Daimler in JV talks

An executive at Brilliance Auto, the parent of Brilliance China Automotive Holdings, said the company is discussing a joint venture with Daimler to make special-purpose models of Mercedes-Benz commercial vehicles, Reuters reported. Brilliance Auto, a partner of BMW, manufactures BMW 3-series and 5-series sedans in Shenyang. The Brilliance executive said that specific terms had not been finalized – including whether or not Brilliance would create additional manufacturing capacity – but that the companies could reach a deal by the end of this year. The converted vehicles will be sold in China. Daimler currently has a joint venture operation with Beijing Automotive Industry Corp (BAIC) to produce Mercedes-Benz sedans, and agreed last year to build medium-to-heavy trucks with Beiqi Foton Motor, a BAIC subsidiary.