A General Motors source has revealed this: Opel negotiates with Daimler, Mercedes-Benz's parent company, over the assembly plant sale in Germany, Eisenach. The plant sale, which builds currently the Opel Corsa small auto, helping offset a 4.15 billion Dollars debt Opel affirms it will be facing between now and 2011's end.

Daimler denied previously that talks to Opel for purchasing the factory. GM owns Opel now, though the carmaker attempts spinning off the majority in the brand with a restructuring program.

It's unclear what plans has Daimler with the factory, especially given the global Mercedes-Benz sales volumes have dropped with the rest of that all-new auto sales market. The rumors suggest the smart minicar unit could be assembled right in Eisenach. This smart forTwo is assembled currently in Bottrop, in Germany, and Hambach, in France.