Jaguar & L/rover About To Be Sold....

[Duncan]

Seems Ford is getting rid of Jaguar and Land Rover....

.....and the likely buyer is TATA!!

[Gummybr]

I think the deal has already been closed. And it was announced.

I dont think that LR lovers will look anywhere just because of this.

I personally hoped that equity one partners would get it, what to do.

Lets see what happens in the future, I personally dont think that Tata will interefere with designs, production linesand other matters much.

[The Don]

I think the deal has already been closed. And it was announced.

I dont think that LR lovers will look anywhere just because of this.

I personally hoped that equity one partners would get it, what to do.

Lets see what happens in the future, I personally dont think that Tata will interefere with designs, production linesand other matters much.

Gummy I think an automotive company buying LR and Jaguar is far better than a private equity firm, because private equity firms have a habit of driving businesses under if its more profitable for them. No such danger with TATA as the added prestige to their brand and the technical expertise shared from those companies is alone enough to justify operating these companies even at a loss ......

[dinosh]

However these are both prestige brands even thogh they have had negative impacts in the recent past, a company like TATA owening such brands will not be favoured by its lovers or owners.

From the point of TATA, its will be a good opportunity to improve their own products & technology.

The deal was supposed t be closed by the end of 2007, right??

[xXx]

As far as I know it’s not a done deal yet. But TATA has been the favorites since the second round of negotiations.

I agree with Don about private equity firms bringing in radical reforms. But both LR and Jaguar don’t have many models under their belts. So I doubt they’ll go to extend of slashing models like what happened with Chrysler. Few assembly plants and employees may loose jobs.

It’ll be similar to what happened to Lotus when Proton acquired it over. But TATA got enough money to pour in unlike Proton.

[dinosh]

Just read on Carscoop.com that Ford has confirmed that TATA is the most preffered bidder, but no final deal has been confirmed.

Talking about Lotus; Proton may sell off Lotus accoding to the latest reports. Another Malaysian Automaker has approached Proton for discussion.

[maithri]

Don't rubbish TATA, the Koreans and the Malaysians had Japanese technology to start with-Tata had Mercedes-Yes! Jaguar's are currently Fords in Disguise mostly and the Land Rovers appeal more to the high end niche markets than the man on the street. Tata will reduce cost as well as selling the car to the massive Indian market through their local expertise-so opening a huge additional market for the product. After all business all about selling more for greater profit.

So I am glad that the workers in the UK get to keep their Jobs and a load more Indians will get work as well as a chance to drive these well known brands.

We the Sri Lankans Talk big, fight a useless war, and wait for the government to find us jobs to be paid with freshly printed money from an Indian printing press!

Maithri.

[Nuwan B4]

I think to a certain extend u are ryt!!!!!!! but most of these high end users looking at the prestige u know........

Don't rubbish TATA, the Koreans and the Malaysians had Japanese technology to start with-Tata had Mercedes-Yes! Jaguar's are currently Fords in Disguise mostly and the Land Rovers appeal more to the high end niche markets than the man on the street. Tata will reduce cost as well as selling the car to the massive Indian market through their local expertise-so opening a huge additional market for the product. After all business all about selling more for greater profit.

So I am glad that the workers in the UK get to keep their Jobs and a load more Indians will get work as well as a chance to drive these well known brands.

We the Sri Lankans Talk big, fight a useless war, and wait for the government to find us jobs to be paid with freshly printed money from an Indian printing press!

Maithri.

[madmax]

Jaguar's are currently Fords in Disguise mostly

Hmm interesting development... So will the next line of Jaguars be Tata's in disguise?

Think of the X-type sharing the underpinnings of the Tata Indigo instead of the Ford Mondeo!

[xXx]

We the Sri Lankans Talk big, fight a useless war, and wait for the government to find us jobs to be paid with freshly printed money from an Indian printing press!

Maithri.

hahaha very well said mike. It’s a real shame majority of the country fail to see this.

i don't know why people are making a big fuss about TATA buying Jag and LR. Did Daimler or Harrods loose their brand prestige just because they were bought over by a bunch of Arabs? NO

This is the typical Asian mentality that's dragging us backwards instead of forward.

[madmax]

We the Sri Lankans Talk big, fight a useless war, and wait for the government to find us jobs to be paid with freshly printed money from an Indian printing press!

Maithri.

Dude it's not just Sri Lankans, what do you think the Americans are doing? Fighting a useless war in Iraq and they talk big all the time.

I'de say it's just human nature!

Edited January 5, 2008 by madmax

[Duncan]

Can't speak for others that posted here, but on my part the reason for my starting this thread was (1) to see the mix of replies, and (2) my personal admiration for what the Indians have done over the past decade or so.

From every aspect India and China will be the next power houses and the US will be mere by standers.

Expect to see lot more Indian and Chinese automotive products in the coming decades.

Don't forget Ferrari cars are powered by TATA software.

[xXx]

Dude it's not just Sri Lankans, what do you think the Americans are doing? Fighting a useless war in Iraq and they talk big all the time.

I'de say it's just human nature!

I think there's a massive difference between been able/afford to fight a useless war and not been able to like us.

Edited January 5, 2008 by xXx

[Supra_Natural]

so does this mean that if the government here decides to cut tax on indian cars (unlikely, i know...) that jag and LR might fit in as well? now there's something to think about

[maithri]

Who told you George Bush was Human!

Economic might and military might does not hide a morally bankrupt nation!

[dinosh]

so does this mean that if the government here decides to cut tax on indian cars (unlikely, i know...) that jag and LR might fit in as well? now there's something to think about

Probably... if they are manifactured in India.

[GTAm]

I think Tata is the best buyer considering the other two bidders were Equity partners and Mahendra. Mahendra was backed by Renault so they would not have been very bad.

But Tata is the best considering they are backed by Fiat who had to pull out of the bidding as it would have affected their share's recent high ratings.

Also Tata has proved it can do well with foreign brands/companys. It owns Tetley Tea and more recently bought over Corus (formerly British Steel).

Alfa Romeo have already indicated that it will use the Jag XF platform for their upcoming flagship 169 sedan. Alfa has also shown interest in using the LR dealer network in the US for their relaunch in 2010. So it's a good fit for a Fiat/Tata/LR-Jaguar alliance.

[Nuwan B4]

Hay u are dead right on this

Who told you George Bush was Human!

Economic might and military might does not hide a morally bankrupt nation!

[GTAm]

Economic might and military might does not hide a morally bankrupt nation!

Actually they're not too great on the economic front as well. Yesterday Meryll Lynch announced that the US economy is officially in recession. In today's Daily mirror there's a story that the much smaller country/economy UK's per capita income has just overtaken the US'!

[xXx]

Actually they're not too great on the economic front as well. Yesterday Meryll Lynch announced that the US economy is officially in recession.

this is mainly due to the current credit crunch. not only the US all the major economies are heavily effected.

[GTAm]

this is mainly due to the current credit crunch. not only the US all the major economies are heavily effected.

True. But I doubt Europe will go into recession considering their rude health compared with the US.

[Duncan]

Just when I was having fun reading about the TATA deal, you guys had to spoil my appetite by mentioning the B name

[thushara_g]

Marriage if final.

Ford sells Jaguar / Land Rover for $2 billion to Tata Motors

[Devinda_Z]

Business Week News round up 25/03/2008

Ford to Announce Jaguar Sale Tomorrow

After months of negotiations, Ford will announce on Wednesday the sale of its Jaguar and Land Rover divisions to Tata Motors. The Indian company, which many people in the auto industry have long identified as the most likely buyer, will pay $2 billion and promise to continue buying engines from Ford, while the U.S. company will continue to contribute to the pension fund of Jaguar and Land Rover workers, said a source close to the deal.

Tata's chairman, Ratan Tata, is a member of the board of Fiat, and the Italian automaker is interested in working with the Indians after the deal with Ford is final, said Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne in an interview. "I think I would be more than pleased to collaborate with Tata in terms of Jaguar/ Range Rover, if in fact it ends up being owned by them," he said.

Source: Financial Times

[Devinda_Z]

Jaguar seals 'significant' order

Jaguar Land Rover has announced a deal to supply a Chinese company with 13,000 vehicles, providing a dose of good news for the beleaguered UK car industry.

Jaguar said it was "a very significant" order, and was particularly welcome at "this challenging time".

The order, for both Land Rover and Jaguar cars, comes as many carmakers have cut jobs after falling sales.

Jaguar, which has plants in Solihull and Halewood, has asked staff to take a one-year pay freeze and four-day week.

Staff will vote on the move next week, which would guarantee no compulsory job cuts.

Three-year deal

Based in Gaydon, Warwickshire, it employs about 15,000 people in Castle Bromwich, Coventry and Solihull in the West Midlands and Halewood, Merseyside.

Jaguar Land Rover, which is owned by India's Tata Motors, said it had signed a memorandum of understanding to supply the vehicles to one of its major business partners in China over a three-year period.

China was the company's fifth-largest market. Last year, it sold 2,000 Jaguars and 11,000 Land Rovers there.

Car sales in China, as elsewhere, have fallen, but the slump has been less severe than in the UK and US.

In December, China leapfrogged the US to become the world's largest car market, after figures showed there were more cars sold in China than the US that month.

Meanwhile, Rolls Royce has signed a $1.2bn (£841m) agreement to supply airline engines to China's Hainan Airlines.

Rolls Royce will supply engines for 20 Airbus A330 aircraft and carry out services on the equipment, the company said.

The deal was signed as Business Secretary Lord Mandelson met China's commerce minister, Chen Deming, in London.

Source : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7915443.stm