Will Opel be the jewel in Stronach's crown?

TORONTO: Frank Stronach (left), founder of Magna International Inc, became a billionaire making dashboards, roof fixtures and whole vehicles for the likes of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG and Daimler AG. After a failed bid for Chrysler LLC and a short-lived Russian venture, he wants a brand of his own.

German government officials have said Magna's offer for General Motors Corp's Adam Opel GmbH unit is more attractive than one from Italy's Fiat SpA because Stronach pledges to integrate Opel with his auto-parts company and not close plants. That puts the 76-year-old chairman a step closer to owning an automaker.

"It gives him a legacy," said John Henke, president of Birmingham, Michigan-based Planning Perspectives, an auto supplier research firm. "That's very different from being one of the world's biggest automotive suppliers. That's sort of a cool way to end one's career."