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It's becoming increasingly apparent that India's largest automaker
Tata cannot be stopped. On the verge of finalizing a deal to acquire
Jaguar and
Land Rover from
Ford, Tata is now
rumored to be interested in buying a stake in one of the most beloved performance marques of all time:
Ferrari. We stress that this is a rumor, because it stems from a quote given by Tata's chief Ratan Tata to
Italy's
L'Espresso in which he reportedly said that he's always dreamt of being a fighter pilot (takeover of Bob
Lutz?) and participating in the shareholding of Ferrari.
The reason this rumor has some legs is that Tata already has an established relationship with Ferrari's parent company Fiat. It's on the board of Fiat and has some engine supply deals with the Italian automaker. Fiat owns an 85% stake in Ferrari with an option to purchase an additional 5%. Could Tata, the maker of the world's least expensive auto, one day have a stake in the company that builds some of the world's most expensive and exotic autos? We wouldn't bet against Tata at this point.
[Source: L'Espresso via Motor Authority, Automotive News - sub. req'd]
The reason this rumor has some legs is that Tata already has an established relationship with Ferrari's parent company Fiat. It's on the board of Fiat and has some engine supply deals with the Italian automaker. Fiat owns an 85% stake in Ferrari with an option to purchase an additional 5%. Could Tata, the maker of the world's least expensive auto, one day have a stake in the company that builds some of the world's most expensive and exotic autos? We wouldn't bet against Tata at this point.
[Source: L'Espresso via Motor Authority, Automotive News - sub. req'd]
