Automakers Shift Gears In Europe

Whether General Motors Corp. will cut jobs at its European subsidiaries in an effort to boost productivity and earnings remains to be seen. But other changes are clearly under way. In France, car sales have plunged to their lowest level in 20 years following the elimination of government incentives to trade in autos more than eight years old. In Britain, GM and the Rover Group, the latter owned by Germany's BMW, are looking for lower-cost parts suppliers outside the UK as exchange rates work to their disadvantage.