Carlos Ghosn, head of Nissan Motor Company and Renault SA, speaks during a news conference at the Nissan headquarters in Tokyo on Monday. Ghosn has been approached by Ford Motor Company which wants an alliance. - Reuters

DEARBORN, Michigan (AP):

Shares of Ford Motor Company surged Wednesday, following a report that Chairman and Chief Executive Bill Ford had approached Nissan-Renault CEO Carlos Ghosn about joining the global alliance.

The report in The Wall Street Journal cited "a person well-positioned to know."

It was part of a commentary in the paper's opinion section by Paul Ingrassia, vice-president for news strategy of Dow Jones & Company, publisher of The Wall Street Journal, and Joseph B. White, the paper's Detroit bureau chief.

No comment

Ford spokesman Oscar Suris said Wednesday that the company would not comment on what he called "speculation."

Nissan spokesman Fred Standish said he was not aware of any such discussion between Bill Ford and Ghosn.

Ford's rival, General Motors Corp., is in talks with Nissan Motor Company of Japan, and Renault SA of France, about the possibility of joining their global alliance.

The idea to join the alliance came from billionaire investor Kirk Kerkorian, who holds a 9.9 per cent stake in GM.

The report in the journal said Bill Ford recently called Ghosn "with a simple message: If you don't do the deal with GM for any reason, come talk to me."

Ghosn is widely admired in the auto industry as a turnaround specialist, and both Ford and GM are in the middle of ambitious restructuring efforts.

Shares of Ford soared 30 cents, or 4 per cent, to $7.72 in midday trading Wednesday.