Though the proposed partnership with GM never went through, several Renault officials say they're still interested in returning to America after a twenty year absence.

Jacques Verdonck, Renault's vice-president for corporate and strategic planning, noted that one option for would be to establish an independent U.S. presence.  Though independence has its perks, it would be costly and risky, thanks in part to crafting an all-new dealer network from scratch.

A more likely possibility is some sort of alliance with an American manufacturer.  In 2007, negotiations between Renault and GM collapsed due to managerial differences, but Verdonck's open to pursuing a similar arrangement.

"If the opportunity presents itself again, we will seize it," he said.  "But if it doesn't, I don't believe we can launch an aggressive takeover operation against an American company."

One possibility lies with Chrysler LLC.  While an aggressive takeover is unlikely, a senior Renault official speculated that if Chrysler were to be sold by Cerberus, Renault would be interested.

Despite Verdonck's optimism, there's still a chance that Renault's return may not happen.  Earlier this year, CEO Carlos Ghosn opined that Renault should focus on developing its operations in Latin America and Asia - not jump back into the U.S.

Source: Wall Street Journal