CEO Says No Partners for Ford

Ford Motor Co. chief executive Alan Mulally says Ford doesn't need a partnership with another automaker as it works to expand globally and turn around its struggling operations.

"Any kind of linkup would be a distraction," Ford's president said Tuesday night at a dinner with reporters on the eve of the Los Angeles Auto Show. The show opens to the public Friday after two days of media previews.

Mulally said he believes Ford will still be on its own in five years. Ford posted a third-quarter loss of $380 million. A bright spot was a strong performance in Europe and South America.

"Ford has tremendous assets around the world, and the most important thing Ford does is integrate Ford," he said.

Carlos Ghosn, who heads the Japanese automaker Nissan Motor Co. and France's Renault SA, said late last month that he remains interested in a partnership with a major U.S. automaker, although he is not in talks or aggressively looking just yet. ABC News