Tata invests in future of Land Rover and Jaguar
SO the makers of the world’s cheapest car now own one of the most famous luxury marques on the road. Tata, the Indian firm that has brought us the £1,300 Tata Nano car, has sealed a £1.15bn deal with Ford for the sale of Land Rover and Jaguar.
The agreement, although long expected and much discussed, will no doubt be the subject of hand-wringing and clever quips among so-called petrolhead television presenters.
But to bemoan sale of these two brands to a lesser-known name (at least as far as the Western motor industry is concerned) is to lose sight of a fundamental truth: realistically, just how many credible buyers were there for Jaguar?
This is a brand synonymous with luxury and prestige yet it has not flourished in recent years.
Now Tata is prepared to invest in, develop and protect the Jaguar name - the company has made clear it is not about to move production to India - and we should all wish them well in this endeavour.
It is heartening to read the congratulations of India’s commerce and industry who lauded the Tata family for flying the flag for the sub-continent’s private sector. And it is wonderful news that not only are the workers in the Halewood factory able to feel their jobs are now safe, but colleagues in the nearby transmission plant have also been given assurances for their future.
Jaguar has been making losses for years now and Ford had struggled to turn that trend around.
For a some time now the Jaguar name has been burdened with Mondeo comparisons, something BMW and Mercedes have never had to contend with in trying to market their luxe models.
Meanwhile, Land Rover is thriving and sales are on the up - particularly in the Freelander market.
Tata has come in and snared a tasty morsel in Land Rover. For the good of the British motor industry we should wish them well and hope they have not bitten off more than they can chew in acquiring the Big Cat as well.
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Mark Thomas
Future of Land Rover and Jaguar
Your article descibes it very well and Tata got a deal in acquiring both Land Rover and Jaguar. Both these companies were national icons and part of the fabric of Great Britain. I hope it's not ta ta!!
On another note, 2008 marks the 40th Anniversary of my expedition to cross the world by Land Rover.
The expedition Pegasus Overland was farewelled by a large group of family,
friends and well wishers outside the 'Legs of Man' hotel Liverpool before setting off on an epic journey to travel over four continents.
The expedition was unique in that it was self sufficient and those taking part financed it. The majority of the food was taken along with the crew and the route taken, covered thousands of miles of deserts and tracks off the sealed roads. Certainly no place for the faint hearted or to get stuck in.
The expedition travelled from the UK through Belgium, Luxemberg, Germany, Austria, Italy, Yugoslavia, Greece, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan,Pakistan, India, Nepal,Malaysia, Singapore, Australia and onto New Zealand.
It was heralded as a first because of distance it travelled across deserts.
Fuel back in 1968, was not excessively expensive and our long wheel base Land Rover ran quite efficiently.
All the very best to Land Rover and Jaguar.
regards
John Proffitt
Adventurer