Electrolux, the Swedish domestic appliances manufacturer, has sold Zanussi Metallurgica, the Italian metals plant, to US-based private equity firm Vestar Capital Partners, making it Electrolux's third sale of a unit to a private equity firm this year.

In April Dresdner Kleinwort Capital, the private equity arm of Dresdner Bank, acquired the motor production business of Electrolux to build one of its portfolio companies. In February EQT, the Swedish private equity firm, completed the buy-out of the remaining units of Electrolux Leisure Appliances to add to its original investment in the firm in July 2001.