Filed under: Euro, Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, FIAT
Fiat supporting Tata in bid for Jaguar/Land Rover
While Ford's kicking Land Rover and Jaguar entirely out of the nest, leaving their eventual buyer to fend for themselves, potential bidder Tata Motors of India will have some help. Tata wants to expand into other markets beyond India, and luxury European marques could be a good point of entry. They've already indicated an interest in Jaguar and Land Rover, and Tata partners with Italy's Fiat building cars and engines in India, so there's a relationship established. Fiat's ready to help its partner in the form of technical support should Tata purchase Ford's British nameplates. What exactly that means, we're not sure, but Fiat's got a lot of experience running global automotive operations, so its advice and consent about how to successfully run Jaguar and Land Rover would be very helpful to Tata in its quest for expansion.
Thanks for the tip, Mehul!
[Source: Times of India]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Adam 3:11PM (9/14/2007)
How much would it suck to have a great company with the legacy of Jaguar to be owned by an Indian company.
:(
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Fatima 3:20PM (9/14/2007)
Not much? Its better than Ford. And its not like Tata is some cheap Chinese company or an Arab/Saudi company(recall the US port ordeal).
Tata is an Indian company and the country as a whole has a lot of history with the British so its only suitable that it is getting a British marquee.
I'm not Indian, so I don't know much about Tata, but from research they seem to be a great company with lots of success.
Compy386 3:50PM (9/14/2007)
I would have no problem with Jaguar owned by an Indian Company. It's 2007 people, modernize a little bit. Still Tata sells cheap cars and has little expertice in the area. If you think about it, that's going to be the company most likely to buy it. The company that needs a Jaguar will be a company that's doesn't know how to run it. I hope whomever gets Jaguar makes something of the brand. I like Jaguar. I just wonder if Ford is going to suck a lot of the engineering and design talent from Jaguar before it sells it. Would hate to let a good designer like Ian Callum go.
Mike 3:53PM (9/14/2007)
@Fatima: Well said. India and Britain have years of historical ties and I bet a marquee like Jag is revered there, they might make good owners...let the company get back to making some awesome cars...
asifgrkhan 3:11PM (9/16/2007)
@ Adam.
Tata has a much older and greater legacy than Jaguar (even including when it was Swallow Sidecars). The conglomerate started in 1890.
They already have bought two UK companies which had a greater legacy than Jag probably.
1. Corus - Formerly British Steel.
2. Tetley Tea - The same one you buy at Safeway (check the label recently).
Mike G 4:09PM (9/14/2007)
Ahem cough cough - there is no great design talent at Jaguar, if you're looking at their recent product. The headlights on the new sedan are Hyundai bad. The new Pontiac G8 looks more refined than the new Jag sedan - what does that say about the crappy job current Jaguar management has done? They've either neutered all their good designers or fired them. Let someone else run the show now.
Oh and Mr Roth - the "technical support" that Fiat would give Tata would most likely be help in meeting new Euro zone emissions standards, with engines, drivetrains etc? Seems logical yes?
shivanand 1:34PM (10/26/2007)
Whats the point in talkin about its legacy if its destined to be run by TATA motors?!
as an Indian am hell glad!!
chevyboi 3:17PM (9/14/2007)
Let's just pray this DOES NOT HAPPEN!!! Oh My God, heaven forbid!!!
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I_hate_China 3:36PM (9/14/2007)
Jaguar's problem was that Ford didn't/couldn't update the product line-up fast enough to stay competitive.
I don't see how Tata could fix that.
Of bidders who have made it to the second round, only Hyundai actually has a high-end line up waiting to wear Jaguar badge and save the brand.
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Mohan Nair 12:51PM (9/15/2007)
For all those naysayers about Tata's technical capabilities, I would ask you to check out these links.
One of the companies that Tata own is called INCAT and you might want to check this out
http://www3.incat.com/news_room_WilliamsF1.htm
And infact Tata has many other group companies whose resources it could leverage like the The Tata Motors European Technology Centre, UK,
http://www.tata.com/0_knowledge_centre/technology/articles/20070314_tmetc.htm
Tata's themselves do not advertise around their capablities. If you dig I am sure all you naysayers would agree Tata is a much better option for JLR than any of those PE investors.
Displacement 3:37PM (9/14/2007)
With Fiat as the expert in global operations! HAHAH, LOL.
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Rick Cavaretti 4:43PM (9/14/2007)
Yes, global. FIAT's (note all caps, its an acronym) global enterprises extend to China, India and Brazil (decimating GM's attempt to get in), the world's three largest growing automotives markets. Furthermore, as the article stated, when tougher future emissions laws kick in, FIAT will have an advantage. They are already recognized as the leaders in small car production. This is what they do best.
UH2L 3:47PM (9/14/2007)
You'll notice that Indian companies are some of the best run ones in the world, (Tata, Mittal, Wipro, etc...). Unlike China, India is a democracy without the protectionism, currency manipulation and unfair trade practices of both China and Japan. Besides, this is symbolic revenge for all that the British did to India. I am of Indian descent, and for this to happen would make me proud. I wouldn't mind working for them either.
Atul
http://www.thingsivenoticed.com
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Hugo 4:06PM (9/14/2007)
Hey Atul, I'm of Indian descent too. I agree with some of what you said, but I think what the British did "to" India was (net) not all that bad. They built roads, schools, and put a system of law, education, and some semblance of liberty and personal rights in place. If only China had that... The British did similar work for South Africa, and it is far more advanced than the rest of that continent. I think some Indians (and definitely most African South Africans) sometimes twist the past and forget where they would be without the British. And it says something that India is not as advanced as Japan (flattened by World War II around the time of India's independence), Taiwan, Malaysia, South Korea, and China...and that has nothing to do with the British at all.
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Mike G 4:15PM (9/14/2007)
What's so bad about the Brits giving India civilization? Before the British, Indians didn't even have tea time or an elaborate lexicon for describing economics. How quickly you forget.
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UH2L 5:27PM (9/14/2007)
India had civilization thousands of years before Europe. They had mathematics, astronomy, philosophy, language and other signs of being advanced. The British occupation has probably given India a leg up on the modern global market due to the prevalence of English. It's hard to defend the violence, pillaging, and theft that led to all this though. Who knows how strong India might have been had it not been occupied? Perhaps they would have been better off, perhaps worse off. As Hugo mentions, other former British colonies have fared better.
Stéphane Dumas 4:32PM (9/14/2007)
It could be nice if Tata also buy a stake or a share in Ford to inject some investment in Ford but it's only a pipe-dream from my imagination. Also since Fiat will give some technical assistance, Fiat might study the possibility to have a deeper partnership with Ford besides the future Fiat 500/next-gen Ford Ka joint-venture.
As for Mahindra dropping the run, it's a bit too bad, since Mahindra still under licence from Willys-Overland, the Jeep CJ-3B although some changes like the disponibility of a diesel engine from International Harvester first then replaced by Peugeot engines http://web.archive.org/web/20070607204734/www.film.queensu.ca/CJ3B/World/India2.html Just imagine a Jeep-Mahindra and the Land Rover under the same unbrella
Now I wonder what'll be the future of the 2 other Indians automakers: Hindustan (who still made the Ambassador, a Morris Oxford built under licence http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindustan_Ambassador and also once the Contessa based on the 1970s Vauxhall Victor) and Maruti? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maruti_Udyog
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Viv 4:49PM (9/14/2007)
Mauruti is a full blown alliance with Suzuki. They basically have the same cars all over asia.
Ambassador will be done pretty soon without something dramatic. You can't find a new Ambassador anywhere in India. It's for old taxis right now.
Alex 7:26PM (9/14/2007)
i think the irony of an Indian company owning two of the UK's most storied nameplates is great.
I honestly celebrate the Jaguar marque. I don't know who will eventually take over the brand, but i do sincerely hope they put the proper amount of investment that they need to be not only competitive but also dominating. They were the best at one time...
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RicardoHead 7:46PM (9/14/2007)
I hope Fiat lets Tata build the new Cinquecento and sell it in the USA. That would be one bodacious Tata.
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