As DaimlerChrysler ponders the fate of its U.S. Chrysler division, speculation is mounting about potential partners or even a buyer.

Rumors of someone jumping in to use Chrysler's expansive parts and dealership network to gain entry to the U.S. market have ranged from a tie-up with Nissan and Renault to talk of a link with Hyundai to a homegrown deal with General Motors.

The possibilities have driven DaimlerChrysler shares up by 12% since it first said it was mulling all options for the Chrysler Group.

The stock rose nearly 4% yesterday to $73.88 in German trading, its highest level since July 2001. Shares were up $3.08 Friday in the U.S. to $73.33. Trading resumes today following the holiday weekend.

The Times of London reported yesterday that J.P. Morgan Chase would start a $13.7 billion auction for Chrysler and planned to solicit likely suitors.

The paper also reported several interested bidders had already started checking out Chrysler in the weeks ahead of DaimlerChrysler's Feb. 14 announcement.

The Wall Street Journal, meantime, reported that DaimlerChrysler was moving ahead with plans to sell or spin off Chrysler. The Journal said several large car makers from the U.S., Europe and Asia had approached the company, but did not name them.

How much the company might ask for Chrysler is not even certain, with estimates ranging from $5 billion to $13.7 billion, depending on factors that include pension liabilities, health care obligations and fair value for plants and material.

In contrast, Daimler-Benz paid $36 billion for the American icon in 1998.

DaimlerChrysler officials have kept mum since announcing last week they had not ruled out any options for Chrysler - which, until a year ago, had kept the world's fifth-largest automaker profitable amid quality issues at the Mercedes Car Group.

But a failure to discern American consumers' changing tastes for more fuel-efficient models instead of light trucks led the German-American automaker to announce plans to eliminate 13,000 jobs in the U.S. and Canada, or about 16% of its workforce, and shutter a plant in Delaware in a bid to shave costs.

DaimlerChrysler's fourth-quarter earnings plunged 40% on weaker demand at the Chrysler unit, where sales fell 7%.

Chrysler lost about $162.8 million in the quarter and had an operating loss of $1.46 billion for the year.

Chairman Dieter Zetsche, who brought Chrysler back from the brink before taking over the entire company at the beginning of 2006, said last week all possibilities were open for the Auburn Hills, Mich.-based unit.

"We do not exclude any option in order to find the best solution for both the Chrysler Group and DaimlerChrysler," he said.