Click above for a high-res gallery of the Daimler Super 8
While most of the automotive press is reporting on Tata's acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford's Premier Automotive Group, the fine print shows that the Indian automaker got a whole package of classic British marques to go along with them. In addition to Jaguar and Land Rover, Tata also acquired the rights to use the names of Rover, Daimler and Lanchester.
The Rover name previously belonged to BMW, which bought the Rover group 14 years ago. Although
Although the three brands are barely in use, they transfer ownership to Tata along with Jaguar and Land Rover. The option will remain Tata's whether or not to utilize the names, but we wouldn't expect the Indian auto giant to lay out the cash to launch additional brands while it shoulders the financial burden of the $2.3 billion acquisition. We wouldn't be surprised, however, to see Tata license any of the names it can to help raise the funds.
[Source: Automotive News Europe – subscription required]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
mike @ Mar 28th 2008 1:08PM
BMW refused to license the name to them (leaving SAIC to label its cars Roewe)---------Do these people have ANY shame?
Randy @ Mar 28th 2008 1:48PM
Here's a great article on American car companies buying and selling other companies. It's kinda related! Check it out! It's not about Tata but Ford's in it!
http://www.forbes.com/markets/feeds/afx/2008/03/26/afx4818691.html
Dan @ Mar 28th 2008 8:59PM
Er, it was Ford that kept SAIC from using the Rover name, not BMW -- Ford exercised their purchase option for the name at the last minute.
Bill @ Mar 28th 2008 1:17PM
Ford should have also thrown in Merkur just for giggles.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merkur
John P. @ Mar 28th 2008 1:32PM
Loved my two merkurs. some of the best ford's ever.
I say Good Luck Tata! You'll need it.
DJ @ Mar 28th 2008 1:45PM
HOT OFF THE WIRES!!!
Ratan Tata, Chairman of the Tata Group, has announced today that as a means to finance the recent purchase of Jaguar & Land Rover, the company has sold the Daimler name for $2.3 billion. The purchaser is Daimler Benz. According to sources, Tata had offered the name to BMW for $1, just to spite the folks in Stuttgart. Benz stepped in with it's offer to once again secure it's own name.
J M C 3 @ Mar 28th 2008 2:06PM
That would have made a great April Fool's joke.
SPG @ Mar 28th 2008 2:48PM
At least try to buy some ultra cool names.
Panther, Bitter, Bricklin.
Kind of a stretch but I think it would be cool.
Or maybe license some band names.
The "Nitzer Ebb 250LE" or the "Depeche Mode Urban Cruiser".
That would be good for a laugh.
eddy @ Mar 28th 2008 3:40PM
Selling the Daimler and the Rover nameplates to the companies who would need that names would make a nice amount of money.
Stuttgart would surely buy the Daimler-name for good money.
Selling the Rover name to SAIC would be easy too. With this name it would be easier for SAIC to enter the European market. Their cars are better than most Chinese cars and with the right badge they would sell well.
VTFootballGrad @ Mar 28th 2008 3:37PM
American car dealers need to wake up and smell the coffee. They need to make cars that last as long as foreign cars. Ask a mechanic American cars just don't compare to foreign ones.
Matt Keller @ Mar 28th 2008 4:40PM
Oh hey I see you like to comment in a totally disjointed manner.
I do too.
Waffles.
cxv @ Mar 28th 2008 4:31PM
Ironic that Tata used to sell a version of their Indica car as the CityRover. I agreed with the previous comment and maybe TATA can get some money out of Daimler name to sell back to Germany but they should keep the Rover name due to tha same reasons Ford had to keep it.
Dazza @ Mar 28th 2008 6:33PM
I doubt they'll do that. Daimler Motor Company is a far older British company than Jaguar Cars is.
Dazza @ Mar 28th 2008 7:11PM
Autoblog's write up is actually a little misleading. Lanchester Motor Co was an old company (1895) which merged with BSA-owned Daimler Motor Company in the 1930's. Daimler itself was indeed formed in 1896 following the outright purchase of a patent agreement with Gottleib Daimler to use the name in Britain. Jaguar didn't buy Daimler until 1960.
Evan Wojtanek @ Mar 28th 2008 8:54PM
My girlfriend has a Rover 25. Here's a picture:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v110/emsox/cars/IMG_2675.jpg