General Motors (GM) says it will put not only its Hummer SUV brand, but also a state-of-the-art transmission plant in Strasbourg, France, on the block as part of an effort to raise $4 billion, acording to USA Today's Bill Healey

German automaker Daimler, meantime, says it is talking to Chrysler majority owner Cerberus Capital Management about selling Daimler's 19.9% stake in the company it formerly owned.

The moves are part of the troubled auto industry's realignment as companies try to trim costs, reorganize business operations and prepare for what's expected to be a grim year or two.