"They look to the long term," Andy Palmer said of the company's biggest owners. "We're certainly not actively soliciting any other participation. That's not to say it doesn't come," he said.

Asked about Thursday's report in Autocar magazine, Palmer said: "You know what we would have to do if there was an official approach. Beyond that, I can't comment," he said.

Publicly-listed companies are subject to specific disclosure rules.

(Reporting by Costas Pitas; Editing by Alistair Smout)