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Chrysler president: 30 days enough for Fiat deal

Jim Press says the government has provided the automaker ample time to complete a deal with Fiat.  Chrysler's president says the government has provided the automaker ample time to complete a deal with Fiat. Jim Press said Wednesday at the New York International Auto Show that Chrysler would prefer signing a definitive agreement before the May 1 deadline so it can "get back to business as usual.

Jim Press says the government has provided the automaker ample time to complete a deal with Fiat.

NEW YORK (AP) — Chrysler's president says the government has provided the automaker ample time to complete a deal with Fiat.

Jim Press said Wednesday at the New York International Auto Show that Chrysler would prefer signing a definitive agreement before the May 1 deadline so it can "get back to business as usual."

He says Chrysler has been having a "constructive dialogue" with Fiat and doesn't foresee "an impasse or a deal breaker."

Press surprised observers by arriving at Chrysler's news conference in an iconic Fiat 500 subcompact, one of the Italian automakers most successful models. The company is unveiling a new Jeep Grand Cherokee.

The government has agreed to provide short-term aid while the Auburn Hills, Mich., company works out a deal, but Press says Chrysler is "OK at this point."