Ford sold LR already, earlier this week. They are an indian company but with UK roots..why just not enough profit or what?..

from web
"Tata Motors Limited, formerly known as TELCO (TATA Engineering and Locomotive Company), is India's largest passenger automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturing company. OICA ranked it as the world's 21st largest vehicle manufacturer, based on figures for 2006.[1] It is part of the Tata Group, and has its headquarters in Mumbai.

Tata Motors was established in 1945, when the company began making trains. Tata Motors was first listed on the NYSE in 2004. Tata Motors had created the wealth Rs. 320 billion during 2001-2006 and stood among top 10 wealth creators in India. It has its manufacturing base in Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Pune and soon one more plant is going to established at Singur, West Bengal. In 2004 it also bought Daewoo's truck manufacturing unit, now known as Tata Daewoo Commercial Vehicle, in South Korea. In March 2005, it acquired a 21% stake in Hispano Carrocera SA, giving it controlling rights in the company.

On January 3rd, 2008 Ford Motor Co. picked India's Tata Motors Ltd. as the top bidder for its Jaguar and Land Rover units and has now entered more "focused negotiations at a more detailed level" with Tata.[2]

http://www.aulro.com/afvb/general-chat/473...ld-lr.html

sad news isn't it? ladrover under TATA leadership and design unbeliveble compination  2007 Range Rover Sport Supercharged, Buckingham Blue, Ivory converted to HST Silver

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Last edited by sportman on Sun Jan 06 2008 1:08pm. Edited 1 time in total

been discussed already - http://www.rrsport.co.uk/forum/topic8797.html

Ford have no money = LandRover have no money

TATA have money = LandRover have money

personally I think its a good move

The "deal" hasn't yet been confirmed, but as the press release states, they have now entered more "focused negotiations".

I would have preferred a UK buyer, but I really can't think of anyone suitable.

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Kaine wrote:

been discussed already - http://www.rrsport.co.uk/forum/topic8797.html

Ford have no money = LandRover have no money

TATA have money = LandRover have money

personally I think its a good move

Sorry, but I don't agree. I am not British but have owned Land Rovers for many years.

IMHO Tata is neither BMW nor Ford and I just cannot see LR being able to continue to do as well under Indian ownership. The computer company my brother-in-law is working for (in a senior position) was taken over by Tata a year or two ago and even though the company continues to do well, a lot of internal things were changed and certainly not for the better. Indians are pure finance guys and for them money is everything. I've used to work as an expat under an Indian guy during a stint in Indonesia and couldn't stand his way of thinking and his arrogance, and aren't they all a bit the same.

If Tata leaves LR's managent alone it might still work, but even then, without a major car partner either prices will have to go up or quality will suffer. It's as easy as that. In car manufacturing t's all about buying power and LR will be much too small to get decent deals on parts and supplies (unless of course they get them from India..................... ).

For me it's very much a wait and see but at the moment my gut feeling is that I wont be driving Land Rovers in five years time.  SOMETIMES YOU'RE THE BUG AND SOMETIMES YOU'RE THE WINDSHIELD

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Roland,

I hear what your saying, however you have to remember that although it LR are doing well with the RRS and Disco3 etc, they are being starved of funds from Ford and have been for many years - I cant see Ford's fortunes turning around in the short/mid term, plus I get the impression (no evidence for this) that LR cant stand on its own two feet financially (most car manufacturers struggle). It would have been nice for LR to be 'British' owned, however this was just never going to happen. I guess time will tell regarding the impact of TATA, however I suppose I'm thinking it will be a financial interest only.

Kaine

[quote="Roland"]

Kaine wrote:

In car manufacturing t's all about buying power and LR will be much too small to get decent deals on parts and supplies (unless of course they get them from India..................... ).

If I'm not mistaken TATA already provide the sheet metal that goes to make LRs... 

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Can I add some politics here..Brithish used to occupied Indians for long time and now the way arround..don't court me for my words but I'm very upset to hear and see what is going to happen with Land rover soon 2007 Range Rover Sport Supercharged, Buckingham Blue, Ivory converted to HST Silver

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There's no evidence to suggest LR is going to suffer at the hands of this change of management. Us Brits do tend to hold a fairly "imperial" view of the world still (look at the "horror" when James Bond started driving BMWs! ) but we have to be realistic. There's not really any company in the UK that would have made a better buyer (or would have been interested). 

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shmoogle wrote:

................ There's not really any company in the UK that would have made a better buyer (or would have been interested).

Don't remember that Rupert, but if they were it seems they're not in the race any longer  

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Mmmmm, there's something in the back of my mind about JCB being in the running a good while ago. I remember it being discussed either here or over on the D3 site & someone, saying that like Ford in the past offering any colour so long as it was black, that JCB will offer Landys in any colour so long as it was yellow.

Must try to do a search & see if I tun up anything. If even just to see if I actually am delusional or not

Shame that JCB are no longer in the running though, they certainly build some solid machines

Edited to add: Found this thread started by VA......

http://www.rrsport.co.uk/forum/topic4048.html?highlight=jcb

.... bit of a lark, so maybe that's all I've been thinking of !

It was just VA namedropping again  

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No! I did have the conversation with him at the time the press were suggesting JCB were interested.

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Very Annoyed wrote:

.....................at the time the press were suggesting JCB were interested.......

Ah Ha !!

So there was something about JCB being interested in LR

My sanity is intact