Autoblog

The sale of Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata means that the two British marques will have to look elsewhere for the parts normally supplied by Ford. Following the news that Daimler could be a supplier to both automakers comes word from Dr. Z himself that a deal is a distinct possibility.

Daimler holds a seven-percent stake in Tata Motors, which could make an easy case for Mercedes to supply Jag and L.R. with the necessary components to wean them off of Ford. Dieter Zetsche told Auto Motor und Sport that, "If Ratan Tata approaches us regarding the supply of components, we would be open to talks." AMG-powered XF, anyone?

[Source: Auto Motor und Sport via Automotive News – Sub. Req.]

Click on the image above for pictures of the Brutale 910 R

Volkswagen may not be the only auto manufacturer interesting in a storied Italian motorcycle maker. Hot on the heels of its purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover, rumors are swirling that Tata may be considering purchasing a stake in MV Agusta. According to a few Indian and Italian sources, Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group, is reportedly in talks with Claudio Castiglioni, the man running the show at MV Agusta.

Tata's involvement with MV Agusta could inject a unique flavor to the Indian conglomerate's portfolio, which has already been boosted by its acquisition of the two aforementioned classic British marques. A healthy injection of cash could do wonders for MV Agusta as well, considering what it has already proven capable of even in its currently meager financial position.


[Sources: Faster and Faster, India Automotive, Motoblog]

Click above for a gallery of custom Nanos

For the time being, you have to live in India to buy a Tata Nano. The new people's car is slated for domestic consumption only for now, but that doesn't mean you can't unleash your inner Nano shopper. That's right, Tata's website now allows anyone to customize their own version of little fun-sized runabout. While the car's feature set is limited by necessity -- loading it up with options would run up the price, which would in turn defeat its purpose -- you can do a fair bit of personalization. The standard car gets brighter colors, while the ironically-named Luxury trim features more muted hues. From there, depending on the trim level, you can add foglamps, a number of wheel designs, and best of all -- decal packages! Throw on some racing stripes and crank up the IndiPop; 30-horsepower never looked so fast!


[Source: Tata Motors via Motive]

According to Automotive News, the deal is done. Today Ford signed a deal with India-based Tata Motors to sell its Jaguar and Land Rover brands for over $2 billion. Ford will supposedly announce the deal officially tomorrow (Wednesday), but sources close to the transaction say the receipt's already been printed, so to speak. While details are scarce, AN does mention that Ford will pump around $598 million into the pension funds for each brand as it sends them on their way. We're waiting to hear more details about how Ford will continue to supply engines and components for these vehicles, for how long and how much. Right now, however, mum's the word, as the Blue Oval has only said that, "our first responsibility is to communicate with our employees." Sorry if they heard it here first, but then again, they should be working now, not reading Autoblog. Right? Right.

UPDATE: Just-auto puts the price tag at $2.65 billion, and reveals we should have official news from Ford before the NYSE opens tomorrow morning.

[Source: Automotive News, subs. req'd]

In what looks to be a merciful end to the world's longest foregone conclusion, Tata Motors will reportedly announce its purchase of Jaguar and Land Rover on either March 5 or 6. The announcement is expected after the first press day of the 2008 Geneva Motor Show, so as not to steal the limelight from Ford's new model and concept introductions. The press conference comes just in time for the first XF sedans to go on sale in the U.S. and Europe, so Ford's hard work and investment on the newest cat will benefit the brand's new owners. Tata is also expected to continue to utilize Ford powerplants in its new acquisitions, which will keep the Bridgend and Dagenham engine plants busy.

We'd thought the previous sale of Aston Martin had been drawn out, but the Jaguar and Land Rover clearance sale has lasted over a year, with talks of a Jaguar sale dating back to the '90s. Now, after a year of wondering what would happen to Ford's two British marques, we can move on to the next thing. You know, like whether Tata's going to turn around and quickly unload Jaguar.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]

Tata Motors is expected become the winning bidder for Jaguar and Land Rover in the coming weeks. While the Indian automaker could soon be selling us expensive British luxury cars and SUVs, it's also hard at work developing the world's least expensive car. The cheap car under development is expected to sell for around 100,000 rupees or around $2,500 USD, and we've just learned it will be unveiled early next month at the Auto Expo in New Delhi.

Unfortunately, that's one auto show not on our itinerary to attend, so we'll have to report of its debut from afar. The car is expected have an engine in the rear powering the rear wheels, four doors and all the creature comforts of an outhouse, we'd presume. While it's likely the car will be exported to other markets outside of India when it goes on sale later in 2008, don't expect to see it in the U.S. as we expect it would fail both our emissions and safety standards with flying colors. (Tata Indica pictured for reference)

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]

Britain's Birmingham Post newspaper has gone out on a limb and reported that Tata Motors will be named the winning bid for Jaguar and Land Rover as soon as tomorrow – Friday, December 21st. Neither the seller, Ford, nor the buyer, Tata, have confirmed that an announcement will be made tomorrow, and in fact Ford has repeatedly said that a buyer will not be named until early next year. The British paper reiterates the same estimate we've heard before, that Tata will be doling out around £1 billion, or $2 billion USD, for the right to own these two storied brands. Of course, we'll let you know tomorrow if the announcement does actually happen.

[Source: Automotive News, sub. req'd]

According to numerous published reports today, Ford is expected to announce within days that India's Tata Motors will be the preferred bidder for the Jaguar and Land Rover brands. Assuming this happens, look for Tata to pay Ford up to $2 billion USD for the pair of iconic British marques. As has already been reported here and elsewhere, the British labor unions have come out in support of the Tata bid, and the Indian company also has Fiat lined up to help show it the ropes when it comes to managing major European brands. Tata has also stated that the three British factories used to produce Jaguar and Land Rover vehicles will be retained. We'll keep tabs on the developments, since it now sounds like some sort of announcement is imminent.

[Source: The Sunday Times]

Ford's year-end sales event isn't limited to your local dealership, as news came down the wires today that the final bids for Jaguar and Land Rover have been submitted by India's Tata Motors, Mahindra & Mahindra and One Equity Partners, a private equity firm. The Economic Times and Hindustan Times are both citing separate figures, with the former reporting the bid between $1.5 and $2b, while the latter pumps up the both figures to $1.7 and $2.2b. But what's $200 million between friends, right?

Regardless, those numbers are somewhat in line with what Merrill Lynch analysts predicted the two automakers would fetch in the market, and according to sources close to the transaction, Ford will be considering the bids later next week.

[Source: Reuters]

If you've ever wanted your very own British Automaker, boy has Ford got a deal for you: buy one, get one free. The two brands are said to be worth $1.5 Billion or more, and Ford can use all the cash it can get. There are only a few more weeks to get in a bid on Jaguar and Land Rover, and according to Auto News, Cerberus is still in the running. Indian automaker Tata Motors is in the running too, along with Ripplewood, One Equity Partners, and TPG. While Ford will close out bidding by the beginning of November, we may not know the final outcome until after the first of the year.

[Source: Auto News - sub. req'd]