The two bosses want to replace the current arrangements which give effective joint control to three shareholders - Lagardere, the French state, and German industrial group Daimler, which owns 22.5% of the company.

BBC: Tom Enders

Daimler is Germany's biggest industrial group, making aeroplanes, trucks and train equipment as well as cars.

BBC: News | The Company File | Daimler roars ahead

As a group automobiles gained 3.4% with Bayerische Motoren Werke AG surging 3.9% and Daimler AG up 3.1%.

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