The Opel deal is turning into some kind of soap opera as division-suitor Magna hashes out details with GM while other possible buyers, mainly Beijing Automotive, throw in their offers.

Buick presented its newly revamped LaCrosse with a scaled-back Internet introduction. (Photo: Buick)

The directors of Magna, a Canadian auto-parts maker with a division in Austria, are supposed to approve their company’s plan to buy Opel on Tuesday, with acquisition set for July 7. Stay tuned.

However, the sale of Saturn to Roger Penske's company and the acquisition of Saab by Koenigsegg seem to be moving along.

Meanwhile, GM's June sales were down 33.4 percent compared with June 2008, another disappointing month of decline. On the other hand, GM’s sales in China were smoking during the first half of 2009, rising 38 percent compared with the first half of last year.

And during its first month of sales, the new Chevy Camaro topped Ford Mustang for the first time since 1993. The Camaros have all been sold before they reach the dealerships, according to industry reports.

The Buick division launched its revamped LaCrosse in June, although it was a restrained affair conducted on the Internet.

In bankruptcy court this week, CEO Fritz Henderson showed his skills as a savvy businessman and car guy, arguing that a quick sale is fundamentally crucial to the company’s survival. The only other alternative, he argued, is to hold a fire sale of GM’s remains.

A GM liquidation would critically damage the U.S. economy and cost many 10s of thousands of jobs, Henderson said.

Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEEDtv.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, who has driven and evaluated essentially every new vehicle sold in the United States. A lifelong car enthusiast with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle, he annually attends and writes about Arizona's famous January collector-car auctions, focusing on Scottsdale’s monumental Barrett-Jackson Collector Car Event. SPEEDtv.com fans email veteran Automotive Editor Bob Golfen at