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 above to view the LRX concept in hi-res

Is it just us, or is every carmaker celebrating its sixtieth anniversary? The end of WW2 in 1945 and the resumption of industrial activity across Europe certainly played a big role, but the coincidence is still staggering. Ferrari celebrated its 60th last year. Saab celebrated sixty years the year before, while Bentley celebrated 60 years at its Crewe factory. Lotus is marking its 60th anniversary this year a few years early, while the Ford F-Series pick-up is blowing out its sixty candles. Porsche is also counting sixty years in business. Add to those celebrations that of Land Rover, which premiered its original Series 1 off-roader in 1948.

Land Rover, now under new ownership from Tata, is planning an array of birthday celebrations around the world. The Goodwood Festival of Speed will mark the occasion by showcasing Land Rover as its featured marque this year, where the iconic off-road outfitter will unveil a new automotive sculpture by artist Gerry Juddah. In its sixty year history, Land Rovers have arguably scaled more mountains and traversed more wilderness than any other motorized vehicle in the history of mankind.

[Source: Land Rover]

In what seems like an official bookend to the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford to Tata, the European Union, like the U.S. Federal Trade Commission, has given its official seal of approval to the deal. The E.U. had received no complaints regarding the impending purchase, so approval of the $2.3 billion deal had been expected. In fact, the "simplified procedure" used by the European Commission has never ended up with anything but acceptance. No more speed bumps appear ahead of the Indian automaker, which previously had specialized in small and inexpensive vehicles. Now that these formalities are over and done with, hopefully we can simply look forward to what an injection of cash can do to the two classic British marques.

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

Geoff Polites, who's stewardship of Land Rover and Jaguar improved the health of both properties, has succumbed after a long illness. Polites led Jaguar and Land Rover back to collective profitability, and kept a steady hand on the helm during the upheaval surrounding the sale to Tata a month ago. While rumors swirled and pundits punned, it was Polites leadership that kept Jaguar and Land Rover on an even keel, with heads down and concentrating, instead of freaking out. Polites spent 40 years in the automotive business, and rose to CEO at Jaguar Land Rover in 2005. Both brands have strong, stylish product portfolios with name cachet, and David Smith, CFO of Jaguar Land Rover will step in as acting CEO for now. Press release after the jump.

[Source: Ford]

Click above for 28 new hi-res photos of the Defender SVX

Companies can crow about the ability of their SUVs, but for a great number of people, the land Rover Defender is the epitome of the SUV concept. As iconic as the original Jeep, the Defender does its thing, and does it better than just about any other vehicle in its class. Wagon or convertible, new or old, the Defender will happily wade into whatever slop its driver points it at and come out the other side no worse for wear. As we reported late last year, Land Rover is building a limited run of 1,800 Defender SVX models to celebrate the marque's 60th anniversary. The SVX kit dresses up the Landie with flashier trim on the grille, side steps and roll cage; a swankier set of wheels; special badging and decals; plus interior appointments including Recaros, a Garmin GPS, and that all-important iPod hookup. Glitzing up a Defender seems akin to a mud wrestler putting on Harry Winston jewelery before heading into battle, but at the end of the day, at least you know it'll clean up nice.


[Source: Land Rover via The Land Rover Chronicles]

Click on images to view the LRX and F-Type concepts in hi-res

Tata may have spent a huge sum of money in the acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford's Premier Automotive Group, but that won't stop the Indian automaker from approving funding for new projects for its newly-acquired babies.

Among the new vehicles for which Tata has reportedly already given the green light are the Jaguar XE and Land Rover LRX. As we previously reported, the sports car known internally as the XE or F-Type will target the likes of the Porsche 911 and face competition from the upcoming Maserati sportscar in 2012 when it is anticipated to hit the market. Around the same time, Land Rover is expected to bring the LRX to market and produce the sporty ute at Land Rover's plant in Halewood, England. Despite the shift in ownership, the vehicles are tipped to still be produced in the UK, although a large government contract to supply India's armed forces with Land Rover Defenders could result in local manufacturing of that utility vehicle on the subcontinent.



[Source: 4Car]

Land Rover's versatility is legendary, but its detractors claim that its vehicles' utility has been sacrificed on the altar of luxury. Never willing to compromise, newly-acquired Land Rover has answered with the Freelander 2 Commercial.

The vehicle is essentially the same as the regular Freelander 2, only with some equipment removed and other features added to optimize the little truck's utility. The rear seats and side airbags have been jettisoned, replaced with a solid bulkhead, floor support frame, rubber cargo bay mat, lashing points and other handy features geared towards moving cargo instead of schoolkids. The Freelander 2 Commercial will make its official debut next month at the Commercial Vehicle Show in Birmingham, England, and will be available in base S and loaded XS trim levels. More details in the press release after the jump.

[Source: Land Rover]

With the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover really, truly official, it hasn't taken long for every automotive news outlet to come out with its own take on the future of both storied marques.

Autoweek distilled Jaguar and Land Rover's product offerings over the next eight years into about 800 words, beginning with the 2009 Jaguar XFR and XKR. According to its sources, both of these high-performance cats will be powered by all-new 5.0-liter, direct-injected V8s, with the naturally aspirated version producing 380 hp and the supercharged variant knocking on the 500 hp ceiling. Jag is expected to fit the new ZF seven-speed automatic 'box to both models, while the Range Rover and Range Rover Sport will get a mild facelift and benefit from the duo of upgraded powerplants.

Come 2010, the Jag XJ will get an XF-inspired facelift, but will still maintain its regal lines and luxo-cruiser status. The X-type will finally meet its timely demise, while the LR3 will get a nip and a tuck along with the aforementioned 380-hp, 5.0-liter DI V8. By 2011, the LRX will make its production debut, with a possible hybrid version coming later in its lifecycle, along with a seven-seat variant in 2012. That same year, Tata is hoping to release a successor to the F-Type. Based off either the XF or XK platform, the two-seat sports car may finally realize the concept that we saw back in 2000. After that, it's all about refreshes and new variations, including an XF coupe, a new Range Rover that will be chock full of luxuries and carrying a hefty price tag ($200k?!), along with all-new versions of the XF, XJ, Range Rover, and finally, a seriously revised Defender that could underpin the next LR3.

AutoCar's take on the future of Jag and LR is a similar story, with less prognostication about products and more about business practices and platform sharing. You can read all three articles by following the source links below.

[Sources: Autoweek, AutoCar (1) (2)]

Ford has issued a press release confirming that it has sold both Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata Motors for an approximate price of $2.3 billion, which comes under some numbers as high as $2.65 billion that were being tossed around yesterday. The rumor that Ford will contribute to pension funds associated with the brands is also true, as it confirmed that $600 million will be dropped into the retirement coffers of the brands once the deal closes. It is, of course, subject to regulatory approval in a number of countries, but the automaker expects the deal to be done by the end of the following quarter. As part of the deal, Ford will continue to supply powertrains, stampings and other unnamed vehicle components to Tata for "differing periods", as well as R&D research, environmental and platform technologies, and even accounting services, among others. Clearly the ties that bind Jaguar Land Rover to Ford are strong and will take some time to undo. Judging from the press release, it seems all parties involved, including the employees of Jaguar Land Rover, are pleased with how the deal went down, and for the time being both brands will be run business as usual during the transition period.

[Source: Ford]

Click above for high-res gallery of the Alfa Mi.To

Hot on the heels of the impending sale official sale of Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata and news that Fiat is looking to start producing Alfa Romeo vehicles in the U.S. are reports that Fiat would be interested in partnering up with the new Jaguar ownership to share rear-wheel-drive platforms for their high-end Alfa models. Tata and Fiat already have close ties, as Ratan Tata, chairman of the Tata Group, is a member of Fiat's board and the two companies jointly produce engines and transmissions in India.

In addition to possible platform sharing between Jaguar and Alfa, Fiat is also interested in using the existing Jaguar and Land Rover dealer base in the U.S. as a way to ease Alfa's re-entry the American market. Anything that helps get Alfa Romeo back in the U.S. is fine by us, but there are surely issues with selling what could possibly be competing brands from the same dealer lots.

[Source: The Financial Times]