Ford looks to sell Land Rover ...

[jeffryscott]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/6741809.stm

could be good news ... Land Rover might get to keep its soul.

[Jonathan Hanson]

Think, for a moment, of the possibilities, if Toyota bought Land Rover . . .

[detailbarn]

Think, for a moment, of the possibilities, if Toyota bought Land Rover . . .

now that's just so wrong to tease like that! ah but the possibilities could be close to the dream overland vehicle , what a dream!

[dieselcruiserhead]

I don't think they would.. The build quality is too poor, Land Rover is literally the poorest built vehicle built, maintenance wise. Not surprisingly, Lexus is the best.. Rover needs something like 450 things fixed over a 10 year period, and Lexus is just over 100. Saab (my daily driver) is second worse... Which I could probably agree with, mostly tons of small stuff..

[DaveInDenver]

Think, for a moment, of the possibilities, if Toyota bought Land Rover . . .
Maybe they'd buy Rover to shut it down so that the last major pockets of 'Yota hold outs in the UK and Africa would have to assimilate. :-)

[pskhaat]

Wow, wonder if we all pooled our spare change, incorporated and put in a bid? If it's anything like Chrysler, maybe they'd pay us to take it?

Just think what one of us (Toyota fans) could do at the helm of the Land Rover brand...

[dieselcruiserhead]

I agree.. But unfortunately not very likely.. also Toyota seems to never but other companies outright... Sometimes they will be a percentage but that's it...

[jeffryscott]

Wow, wonder if we all pooled our spare change, incorporated and put in a bid? If it's anything like Chrysler, maybe they'd pay us to take it?

Just think what one of us (Toyota fans) could do at the helm of the Land Rover brand...

that's funny, I was thinking along those lines as well. Bring on the defender.:shakin:

[pskhaat]

In all sincerity, Rover is still the heart & soul of expedition travel. I love my Toys but oh honestly what the Rover brand could bring to the market if they simply tried (and stuck to the roots), especially in the US.

[gary in ohio]

Well maybe the Crosslander USA can buy land rover and do what they planned to do with the ARO in the USA. Low cost offroad utility vehicles. Since the Romanian deal is never going to be revived.

[FourByLand]

In all sincerity, Rover is still the heart & soul of expedition travel. I love my Toys but oh honestly what the Rover brand could bring to the market if they simply tried (and stuck to the roots), especially in the US.

:arabia: My thoughts exactly.

[haven]

Three groups entered serious negotiations with Ford for the purchase of the Jaguar and Land Rover brands. They are Tata, Mahindra, and a private investment group advised by Jacques Nasser, former head of Ford. The first two are major auto manufacturers in India.

The winner appears to be Tata. The British unions affected by the sale received some promises from Tata that jobs would be preserved.

Chip Haven

[taco2go]

Oh man! How deliciously ironic. The former colony vying for the jewel in the crown. Probably won't see any Jaguars rolling off the assembly line in Mumbai anytime soon though- they'll likely keep the same production plants, with (hopefully) smarter management.

Just another 21st century case of- what goes around......

[grahamfitter]

Oh man! How deliciously ironic. The former colony vying for the jewel in the crown. Probably won't see any Jaguars rolling off the assembly line in Mumbai anytime soon though- they'll likely keep the same production plants, with (hopefully) smarter management.

Just another 21st century case of- what goes around......

I hope they do better than the current former colony who has all but destroyed the marque!

Cheers,
Graham

[Alaska Mike]

I was really saddened that Ford couldn't do something with Land Rover. I always felt they should have returned it to its roots- basic utility vehicles. They haven't made an impact in that market since the original Ford Bronco. They already had the upscale market covered with other, blingy vehicles.

I'm not suprised that one of the Indian firms looks to be winning. Hopefully they can return Land Rover to the more practical and move away from the gadgets.

[nwoods]

I was really saddened that Ford couldn't do something with Land Rover.

LOL, well, they made it profitable. Something no one else has been able to do for decades!

Sure, they made choices that make purests knash their teeth, but they pumped over a billion dollars into the company, and turned a profit.

[Scott Brady]

I think the Indian firms will be a good thing. The Russian guy would have been even better (he was an enthusiast).

[Alaska Mike]

Russian firms scare me a little. With the ebb and flow of their economy, plus the governmental and criminal interference, it could be a messy situation that could kill a brand. At least with an Indian firm you will probably be around for awhile. Heck, they still make CJ-3Bs over there.They could probably keep the Defender line viable for decades.

Profitable doesn't always = good.

I'd like to see if overall it was a profitable move for Ford. You pump over a billion dollars into a company and then sell it a couple years later?

[DaveInDenver]

Profitable doesn't always = good.
Profitable means there's some revenue and so it's attractive to some buyers. Also unprofitable generally equals out of business for good.