P.M. BRIEFING : Toyota May Assume Control of Plant Jointly Owned With GM

Toyota Motor Co. could assume control of the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. plant in Fremont, Calif., when its joint venture with General Motors Corp. expires in 1996, it was reported today.

Gary L. Convis, vice president for engineering and manufacturing at NUMMI, said during the University of Michigan’s annual automotive seminar in Traverse City that Toyota is interested in the plant, partly because of its good work force and high quality.

“Our estimation is that we might become a Toyota factory here in America,” Convis told the Detroit News, adding that he did not feel that labor representation by the United Auto Workers union at NUMMI would be a negative factor in Toyota’s decision to assume control of the former GM facility.

Toyota announced last year a $300-million project to begin building pickup trucks by the spring of 1991 at NUMMI, which now makes Geo Prizm and Toyota Corolla subcompact cars.

The joint venture was established in 1982, but car production started two years later. It was limited by U.S. anti-trust laws to a 12-year run, meaning the arrangement expires in 1996.