Former Ford of Europe president Martin Leach has denied rumours that he will head Fiat Auto.

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Leach became CEO of the luxury sports car maker Maserati on June 1. Maserati is owned by Fiat group, which also controls 90% of Fiat Auto.


After Leach left Ford last August, he was due to become CEO of Fiat Auto.


Ford blocked the appointment claiming Leach’s contract with Ford prevented him from working for other automakers.


Leach’s new Maserati post raised speculation that he could once more be a candidate to head Fiat Auto.

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“I have no plans to be involved in Fiat Auto,” Leach said at the Automotive News Europe Congress in Montreux.


Leach confirmed that Maserati aims to sell 10,000 cars a year starting from 2007. This year the company is scheduled to produce 4,800 cars. Last year Maserati built 2,839 cars.


“I have been with the company for just four weeks and I’m still on my learning curve,” Leach told the Congress.


In October, Fiat Auto hired former Volkswagen Brazil head Herbert Demel as its CEO. Ford dropped its bid to prevent Leach from finding another industry job in May.