Renault CEO: France sale would allow Nissan stake shift

Paris

A LOPSIDED alliance between Renault SA and Nissan Motor Co could be revised once France sells its stake, paving the way for the Japanese manufacturer to increase its involvement, according to the carmakers' chief executive officer Carlos Ghosn.

"The day the French state decides to get out, everything is open, and I can tell you it won't take too much time," Mr Ghosn, who runs both Renault and Nissan, told analysts after the French carmaker released results on Friday.

The car industry's most successful alliance has been strained by imbalanced shareholdings. Nissan, which contributes most of the profits to the partnership, owns only 15 per cent of Renault and has no voting rights, while Renault has 45 per cent of its partner. The Japanese carmaker sought to increase its sway in the alliance but was thwarted by the French government, Renault's biggest shareholder …