Detroit Free Press Tom Walsh column: Chrysler sale is all but certain.(Column)

Byline: Tom Walsh

Mar. 29--DaimlerChrysler AG is expected to winnow the list of bidders for its troubled Chrysler Group to one or two finalists very soon, possibly in the next few days preceding the DCX annual shareholder meeting Wednesday in Berlin, say people familiar with the talks.

Once that happens, an intense period of exhaustive due-diligence investigation and negotiations -- perhaps lasting for months -- will follow to hammer out details and the ultimate price tag for a highly complex transaction to extricate Chrysler from the rocky nine-year marriage. What's all but certain at this point is DCX will sell all or part of the Auburn Hills-based American operations, …