Although mergers hold a great deal of promise and there are undoubted successes, it seems that negotiating the many pitfalls inherent in such deals – from cultural issues to communications – can be hazardous and difficult. This may not be the fault of the merger; the forces that drive firms to merge in the first place might also place strains on the union over the long term.

After a painful birth, DaimlerChrysler now has strong positions in many markets,opportunities for growth in new ones and a pool of valuable resources, including some of the strongest brand names in the automotive sector. Leaders able to engineer the merger process competently in the future will have a skill that is in great demand and short supply.