GENEVA, March 6 (Reuters) - French carmaker Renault SA has ruled out returning to the North American market after a rapid turnaround there by Japanese alliance partner Nissan Motor Co <7201.T> made such a move unnecessary.  
     Nissan has returned to profitability a year ahead of target after Renault took a stake in the Japanese manufacturer in 1999 and sent in its Chief Operating Officer Carlos Ghosn to turn it around.  
 
     Renault has had no direct presence in the world's biggest car market since 1987, when in pulled out following a botched attempt to turn around U.S. manufacturer AMC.  
 
     Speculation had grown in recent months that Renault could be planning a new foray by importing its Avantime futuristic coupe and selling it under Nissan's luxury brand Infiniti.  
 
     But in an interview at the Geneva Motor Show, Renault Executive Vice President Georges Douin said such an idea had been totally abandoned.  
 
     "Chairman (Louis) Schweitzer has said we would not return to the U.S.," he told Reuters "It had become clearer that Nissan, with its partners, was increasingly capable of overcoming its challenges in America alone."  
 
     Under their alliance, Renault and Nissan aim to reduce manufacturing and sales costs by combining purchasing, production and distribution, while keeping their separate brands and sales strategies.  
 
     Douin said that by the end of 2001 the proportion of parts suppliers shared by both carmakers had risen to 30 percent. Renault and Nissan are hoping for that proportion to rise to 70 percent eventually.  
 
 

J'en connais qui vont regretter cette décision!!
 
Allez voir sur
http://www.frenchrev.com
 
Leurs forums techniques et ventes/achats regorgent de propriétaires de Renault aux States(et de camping-cars Winnebago Lesharo, équipés de mécaniques Renault)...

Tiens, ouaip.
 
J'avais vu un camping car badge Renault quant je faisait du camping dans le Maine. L'avant d'un trafic. Ca m'avait bien surpris.

Ben pis essayer de revenir avec l'avantime, ils sont pas pres de trouver les voitures francaises bienfinies !
 
Faut revenir avecc qqchose d'irreprochable pour que ca change l'image.

C'est quand meme dingue.
 
Nissan offre aux US des berlines (et bientot coupe) sportives et luxieuses RWD (G35) et bientot coupe, berlines luxieuses FWD, voiture de luxe a moteur V8, plusieurs 4x4 V6 et bientot V8 (3 Infiniti + 2 ou 3 Nissan), des coiupe sports, un nouveau monospace qui sort bientot, bref, je ne vois pas ce que Renault peut apporter de plus la dedans.
 
Rien qu'avec Infiniti, Nissan propose autant de modeles de luxe que toute la gamme de Renault, dans un marche ou Renault n'a qu'un modele VelSatis, ou al la limite l'AvantTime.
 
Tiens d'ailleurs, quelqu'un a les chiffres de vente de cette derniere?