Cerberus, Chrysler meet

DaimlerChrysler AG met with officials from Cerberus Capital Management Monday at the automaker's Auburn Hills headquarters, the Detroit Free Press reports.

The meeting with Cerberus, a big-name private-equity group, kicks off a week of presentations with potential buyers interested in the Chrysler Group, said a person familiar with the plans. A meeting with Blackstone Group is expected later this week, the person said. Word of the presentations came as DaimlerChrysler Chairman Dieter Zetsche indicated Monday that the German-based company might also sell the profitable Chrysler Financial unit if the Germany-based company decides to sell or spin off the Chrysler Group.

Responding to a question from an industry analyst at the Merrill Lynch Global Automotive Conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Zetsche said company officials "have the option to do the same with the financial arm, or not."