GENEVA, March 7 (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler FCHA.MI CEO Sergio Marchionne said he could approach GM GM.N again regarding a potential merger, adding a rationale for a tie-up still existed even after the U.S. rival decided to sell its European operations to PSA Group PEUP.PA .
Marchionne has long advocated more tie-ups in the industry to share the prohibitive costs of making cleaner and more technologically advanced vehicles, but his bid to merge with GM was repeatedly rebuffed.
"I never close any doors... I may shamelessly try knocking on the GM door again, or any door, if I thought it was a good thing to do for the business, without even blinking, I could," Marchionne told reporters at the Geneva auto show.
Marchionne said the PSA-Opel deal, announced on Monday, would reduce potential synergies FCA could reap from a tie-up with GM by around 15 percent, but the deal would still be worth pursuing.
The executive stressed, however, that after leaving Europe, GM may be even less inclined to engage in talks with FCA.