A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge approved the sale of substantially all of U.S. automaker Chrysler's assets to a group led by Italy's Fiat SpA hours before an expected bankruptcy filing by General Motors Corp .

Judge Arthur Gonzalez approved the $2 billion sale of the assets to a new company that will be 68 percent controlled by a healthcare trust aligned with the United Auto Workers union.

Fiat will control 20 percent, the U.S. and Canadian governments will control the other 12 percent.

Chrysler filed for bankruptcy protection on April 30 to complete the sale and alliance with Fiat within 60 days in a case that analysts have seen as a test for the much bigger and more complex bankruptcy of GM.

(Reporting by David Bailey and Kevin Krolicki; Editing by Ted Kerr)

General motors Chrysler Sale