So yesterday, amidst all the overly dramatized speculation about an 'alliance' between the Blue Oval and the General, Rover's name came up for sale. Ford, who had the right of first refusal, bought the mark in an effort to quell the possibility of confusion between Range Rover and Rover. Easy enough, now what do they do with it?
Most likely, it will sit in a drawer collecting dust, but Edward Lapham, executive editor of Automotive News, thinks there may be a better use for the storied mark.
Back in the 90's Mazda toyed with the idea of having a luxury division, much like ToMoCo's Lexus and Honda's Acura. The Amati brand never took flight due to financial woes and the idea was shelved. With Mazda currently experiencing an up tick in perception and sales, Lapham contends that using the Rover badge to launch an upscale Mazda may be the best way to expand Ford's luxury cache and profit from Mazda's upwards trajectory.
We think it's a novel idea that will probably never see the light of day; we're interested in your thoughts though. Find a voice in 'comments.'
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
Most likely, it will sit in a drawer collecting dust, but Edward Lapham, executive editor of Automotive News, thinks there may be a better use for the storied mark.
Back in the 90's Mazda toyed with the idea of having a luxury division, much like ToMoCo's Lexus and Honda's Acura. The Amati brand never took flight due to financial woes and the idea was shelved. With Mazda currently experiencing an up tick in perception and sales, Lapham contends that using the Rover badge to launch an upscale Mazda may be the best way to expand Ford's luxury cache and profit from Mazda's upwards trajectory.
We think it's a novel idea that will probably never see the light of day; we're interested in your thoughts though. Find a voice in 'comments.'
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
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