UPDATE 1-Opel works council: other investors eye carmaker

(Adds details on Marchionne in paragraphs 7-8)
FRANKFURT, May 1 (Reuters) - The works council head of Opel
-- General Motors Corp's struggling German unit -- said
parties other than Italian Fiat SpA and
Canadian-Austrian supplier Magna were keen on investing
in the German carmaker.
"We have interested investors, not only those which were
mentioned in the media in the past few days but still others,"
Klaus Franz said late Thursday on a talk show on ZDF television
station.
He did not provide details but said he was "confident that a
solution will be found."
Franz, who sits on Opel's supervisory board, reiterated he
was opposed to the idea of Fiat as a potential investor in Opel,
in which GM must sell a significant stake to convince German
politicians to use taxpayer money for 3.3 billion euros ($4.4
billion) in loan guarantees.
Fiat Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said in an interview
with La Stampa newspaper on Friday that his next project was a
deal with Opel after a landmark alliance with U.S. car maker
Chrysler. [nL1157276]
A spokesman for Opel declined comment on Marchionne's
interview but said, "We are pleased about the interests
expressed by several parties."
Separately, Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on
Saturday that Marchionne wants to negotiate directly next week
with the German government about taking a stake in Opel.
The newspaper said Marchionne will meet Economy Minister
Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg and Foreign Minister Frank-Walter
Steinmeier in Berlin on Monday to present a "first basic
concept" for Opel.
Frank Stronach, founder of car parts maker Magna, said in
another newspaper interview on Wednesday his company wanted to
help Opel but it was too early to say what role it might play.
[nN29442105]
Opel said on Friday its Russelsheim factory would continue
operating in three working shifts in May due to the high demand
for theInsignia, the carmaker's new flagship model.
(Reporting by Angelika Gruber; Editing by Dan Lalor and Matthew
Lewis)
((Reuters Messaging: marilyn.gerlach.reuters.com@reuters.net;
00 494 69 7565 1279))
Keywords: GM OPEL/

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