Tata visits US Jag-Rover Dealerships

[David Kronenfeld]

Thought this was pretty interesting...

http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080630/FREE/940478590/1530/FREE

Now if only Tata will get the message to bring back a bare bones diesel D90 and 110 along with a simple Disco type model.

Hmm, perhaps a Pininfarina Mall Rover, now that's something I'd like to see...

 

[antichrist]

I wonder if he'll meet with customers next.

 

[varova87]

it seems like the majority of his focus is more on jag than LR...

 

[EJB90]

Don't you wish you had enough money to buy Land Rover and have fun with them?

 

[landrovered]

I see this as a great sign. Our job is to lobby the dealer folks to see things our way. I wish we could find out where is going to be so we could show up and talk to him.

 

[MarkP]

I suspect the Land Rover and Jaguar sale to Tata was just in time. June auto sales are down big time.

Ford's were down 28%.
LR and Jag down 40%.

Ford will have a difficult time just investing in the core product lines. At least Tata is viewing this as a long term investment and the path into the US market. The next few months should see some major realignment with some bankruptcies.

 

[ange87]

There is an article in Wired magazine that spells out Tata's focus right now which is to bring really cheap and 50 MPG cars to the emerging market of millions in India not diesel D-90's to the U.S.

"This goes beyond economics and class," says Ravi Kant, managing director of Tata Motors. "This crosses the urban-rural divide. Now a car is within the reach of people who never imagined they would own a car. It's a triumph for our company. And for India."

 

[asmith996]

it seems like the majority of his focus is more on jag than LR...

From a business perspective it should be, did you see the part about how Jaguar Sales are in decline while rover sales have increased? He seems to have a handle on how the vehicles need to be made lighter as well. Once that happens and the company is in a better place financially, more money to play with for new lines!

 

[jim-00-4.6]

"I've been a Jaguar dealer for 40 years," says Norm Tompkins, owner of San Jose British Motors near San Francisco, whom Tata invited to lunch. "In all the years Ford owned us, I never met a single Ford executive."

Probably never met any of the multitude of British execs, either.
I've got a warm and fuzzy feeling about this..

 

[LR Max]

I think a newer version of the XKE will be interesting and probably what Jag needs to pull itself out of the gutter. Competing against Bentley is an interesting goal, and probably a good one.