View Full Version : WTF - Ford sells Land Rover and Jaguar to Tata Motors
phenom
26-03-2008, 07:20 PM
March 26 (Bloomberg) -- Ford Motor Co., the world's third- largest automaker, agreed to sell Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata Motors Ltd. for less than half what it paid for the two brands as luxury-vehicle demand drops.http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a6BCGuWnMT8Q&refer=home
With new hi-tech cars like these:http://www.autoblog.com/photos/land-rover-lrx-concept-black-and-silver/
you would expect them to rather sell it to a company which could add more with the brand, like a Merc, BMW, GM, Nissan or Toyota.
why ruin all this with TATI Moters?
teraside
26-03-2008, 07:23 PM
Tata motors isn't as shabby as you might think ;) Not speaking of the cars, but the company.
sox63
27-03-2008, 09:50 AM
Mmmm, has been coming for a while now. I still want the Jag XF. But should be a good while till I can afford one, so there is enough time see what the Tata Group has planned for the two brands.
Its weird that they would sell them now....
The new Jags and Landies are hot beautiful cars. Lets hope Tata can keep it up...
VW should have bought it:p
Killove
27-03-2008, 10:23 AM
Heard about this on the radio yesterday.. sold for 2Bn US.
I would have thought em to be worth more ?
ghoti
27-03-2008, 10:24 AM
Its not like Ford was doing anything with Jag.. that car was dying.
Its not like Ford was doing anything with Jag.. that car was dying.
Ye sure:rolleyes:
http://images.worldcarfans.com/articles/2006/6/30/2060630.003/2060630.003.1M.jpg
ghoti
27-03-2008, 10:27 AM
Ye sure:rolleyes:
http://images.worldcarfans.com/articles/2006/6/30/2060630.003/2060630.003.1M.jpg
Yeah it looks good, but the hardware in there is old school. Jag seriously dont have the money to do R&D to compete with the other cars in its class, and most of the Jag parts are from other cars and designs that their previous owners had.
This is according to Top Gear
Wynsam
27-03-2008, 11:01 AM
I think it will be good for both brands sold and especially Ford. Ford cant afford to keep them, they are bleeding money themselves never mind keep up the premium brands research and development costs needed to keep Jag competitive. New XF looks killer, but under the skin is not that different to the S-type.
Cash is needed by both brands and it seems Tata has cash.
sox63
27-03-2008, 11:04 AM
Hey, Neotel top brass can now get Jags and Land Rovers as company cars. :D
Aqua_lung
27-03-2008, 11:08 AM
Yeah it looks good, but the hardware in there is old school. Jag seriously dont have the money to do R&D to compete with the other cars in its class, and most of the Jag parts are from other cars and designs that their previous owners had.
This is according to Top Gear
Was going to say the same thing, they just hired Aston Martin's designer to do a design on the cheap, most of the technology of that car is years old, only a fool would by that instead of the Aston.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a6BCGuWnMT8Q&refer=home
With new hi-tech cars like these:http://www.autoblog.com/photos/land-rover-lrx-concept-black-and-silver/
you would expect them to rather sell it to a company which could add more with the brand, like a Merc, BMW, GM, Nissan or Toyota.
why ruin all this with TATI Moters?
Ferrari is owned by Fiat, whats the difference?
Claymore
27-03-2008, 12:41 PM
Was going to say the same thing, they just hired Aston Martin's designer to do a design on the cheap, most of the technology of that car is years old, only a fool would by that instead of the Aston.
Eh? Have you read reviews of the XF? And AM and Jaguar designers are often the same people. Some of the recent AM designs were done by Ian Callum, of Jaguar.
Claymore
27-03-2008, 12:45 PM
Personally, I think it's a good thing. Ford did some good things for the brands, but they're short of cash and vision; Tata (a company which has been in business for 140 years) has money, and judging from what Ratum Tata has been saying, a lot of vision too. He's very keen on producing the Jaguar F-Type, a concept that was sadly squashed by Ford's beancounters. I've heard comments that the core business of Ford and GM is now managing pension schemes, not making cars. I see many of the Jaguar old guard like the idea of Tata; Ratum Tata is seen as a visionary, like Sir William Lyons.
The new Jag XF has been getting accolades from everyone who has driven one, so Tata has a good car to build Jaguar on. From the sounds of it, they have no intention of moving the British operations, and they want to maintain the luxury British image of the marques. They need to bring some life to Jaguar, and they need to improve Land Rover's reliability issues.
Autoweek has a peek at the future of Jaguar and Land Rover (http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080326/FREE/293095602/1528/newsletter01)