A Honda-Nissan Merger Is a Slow-Moving Savior: Gearoid Reidy

It finally might be happening: A quarter century after Nissan Motor Co.’s bailout by Renault SA, six years after the shock arrest of savior-turned-fugitive Carlos Ghosn and five years after it was first proposed, the troubled Japanese automaker might find a permanent ally in the form of Honda Motor Co.

An agreement for the two carmakers to seek a merger could come as early as Monday — a Christmas gift that’s not a moment too soon. There are lots of problems with the proposed combination, but it’s the deal that’s available. The alternatives look a lot less pretty.

Regardless of what you might have ...