Ford / Tata

[Mr E]

Have heard a few rumours over the past couple of days, but this seems to confirm...

Tata is certainly rich enough to afford one or more major acquisitions in this market, but would the brands cope with the perceptions of Indian ownership?

 

[kwakdonut]

What an awful thought - does anyone remember the CityRover? Exactly........That was a Tata, awful, just plain awful.

 

[BlackC55]

I have had the pleasure of driving a TATA bus and pick up truck. The worst vehicles I have ever driven.

 

[gurpz]

Tatas are VERY popular in India and sold VERY well

I have seen very few Tatas in the UK but they all look naff here !

 

[Bobby Dazzler]

What an awful thought - does anyone remember the CityRover? Exactly........That was a Tata, awful, just plain awful.

But that was engineered by TATA to be a TATA, and later MG Rover got in on the act as a badge engineering exercise, as I understand it.

TATA buying Jaguar / Land Rover would bring Jaguar / Land Rover engineering expertise.

The cost of new model development will be staggering though for both brands, and whilst I've no doubt Ratan et al have deep enough pockets, I'm less convinced that they won't be tempted to do things more cost effectively.

 

[Howard]

What's TATA's Mr Frodo Sir ?

 

[kikkthecat]

Having travelled on Tata buses and driven the pick up I cant imagine they would do much for the image of either Jaguar or Land Rover. But in their home market they have a billion potential customers who may well disagree

Would you want to buy a quality car from the same people who also want to do this.

The group's automotive unit has been drawing up plans to launch the world's cheapest car, a $2,500 vehicle that could be launched as early as next January"

$2500 ? That has to be made from bamboo and running on lamp oil

 

[Swiss Toni]

I have seen very few Tatas in the UK but they all look naff here !

Ummmmmm

Correct me if I am wrong (and really WANT to be wrong....) but aren't the TATA pick-ups we get over here made with the front end of the W201 190E?

The grill is clearly different, but look at the profile of the bonnet, the wings...

PLEASE tell me I am wrong wrong wrong...

 

[Dave Lewis]

Tata have been building Mercedes trucks under licence for years, so I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[Dieselman]

Swiss..
Bad news...LOL..

 

[Mr E]

I guess it depends to some degree what they do with it - yes, they'll buy in some engineering resource, but don't forget that they are pretty good at (general) engineering anyway. I wouldn't have thought that there was yet a huge market at home for these cars, and the backlash would be enormous...

There'll be little/no corporate parts bin (X-type / Mondeo, for example) so product development goes through the roof. But suspect it will come down to who's got the deepest pockets - and the PE funds should see something from it.