Jalopnik
As we learned yesterday, every automaker owns every other automaker and it's just a matter of who gets the biggest piece of the pie. And now that the Tata-Land Rover-Jag-Ford deal is all-but complete, we can officially anoint Ratan Tata as the hungriest hippo in the automotive world. We'd also point out that the main Tata hinted at getting a stake in Ferrari next. With the impending Nano and a gigantic market, can he be stopped?
Eventually, but not for a while. In the meantime, he seems to be positioned to take advantage of the fact that certain other automakers aren't prospering and have extra brands for sale. Let's pretend your Tata's main business advisor and he's got an appetite for car companies. Who's next?
[Photo: AP]
Comments
Fiat.
Mercury?
Saab
After consulting my trusty "Automotive Family Tree" for some 18 seconds... Mini. Tata, being Indian, needs to stick it to the Brits just a little bit more.
After seeing the new Geely GT, I wouldn't be surprised if he got in that bed as an in-road to China.
Just sit tight and see if Land Rover profits can make up for the lack of Jag sales and if this deal actually makes financial sense.
They should buy Jeep from Chrysler.
They should have three automakers in each country so they they can all do an international circle jerk and slap their names on each others cocks.
I figure Tata should invest thousands in tuber-based alternative fuel sources and move their company HQ to Idaho.
Yep.
Tater Tatas.
@estern: They should go after Holden, too, start buying out companies from all of the UK and the colonies. The sun will never set on the Indian Empire!
In some strange "payback for colonization" deal, how about every single Brit-brand?
Checker.
They should check Craigslist, you can find awesome deals there.
They should buy Barely Legal Magazine. They already have an affinity for small Tatas.
Chrysler?
Chrysler? :P
Ford.
Aston Martin and TVR. Then they can be their former overlord's automotive overlord.
As a Detroit sports fan, I would like to see Mr. Tata ask that the Detroit Lions (Which Mr. Ford also owns) be thrown in with this deal. Even though Mr. Tata probably knows nothing about American football, he would be 10 times better as an owner than Mr. Ford.
@Andrewpetty: BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
@JoSCh: COTD
I'm torn between Wheel Horse and Lawn Boy.
@Al Navarro: Halla
@Al Navarro:
@Al Navarro: Although I'd like to say I came up with this quote, I didn't:
"I can't wait to see the Tata people riding up to the first Jag/Land Rover meeting with riding crops and spectacles..." --DGJ
I'd only like to add that they'll be riding up to the meeting on their little Nanos.
they should buy the M-DOT fom michigan, and completely rebuild their roads to our conditions and realize just like us, that they were better before they fixed them
of course, they'd first have to builda road to destroy first...
Lotus.
"Lets pretend your Tata's main business advisor"
Let's pretend you graduated high school.
It's great to see a country (India) protect its domestic car business (Tata) with a closed marketplace (import restrictions and high tariffs) so it can generate handsome profits at home (by screwing the India consumers with poor selection and higher prices) so the domestic car company (Tata) can buy up companies (Ford's Jagaur) that are forced to compete in open markets (US and Europe). It's truly heartwarming.
@Ray Wert: High-larious!
And I would have to say Audi makes good business sense...why buy all the english brands when you can just invade their roads with an allegiance between their mortal enemies and provincial whipping boys and their finicky cars?
@TPSreports: A GED counts, right?
and then they can out-source all of their tech service from us americans and we can fake our names are indian...hello, tata motors? my name is chandra, how can i help you?....
Edsel
@usa1: Heh. Was waiting for that one. I don't think Tata will be buying anyone for a little while...the $6.5B company is taking on about $2.7B in debt for this deal alone and will have to raise some serious capital. International markets have also slightly downgraded Tata, probably as a warning.
Still, in a highly protected business environment, Tata stands to win. As long as it doesn't get on the government's bad side.
does any one else notice the president of tata motors looks like the professor from one of the first "planet of the apes" movies?
Volvo.
Saleen.
They Should buy some grocery stores: Piggly Wiggly, Big G, and Super Fresh.......This way they can have Big, Fresh, Wiggly TaTas!
@Maymar:
COTD nom for the reference to the old "Sun never sets on the British Empire" adage...you made the same point that I was trying for, but with a great stinger...
@Andrewpetty: Is Cherry for sale?
@ m3_of_doom:
How on earth would they buy Audi? It's VAG's most profitable brand, VAG's flushed with all sorts of cash pre and post Porsche buy-out so hostile takeover's way beyond a pipe dream. That doesn't make the remotest of sense.
I'll vote for Chrysler after cerberus is done raping them to give Tata easy access to US production and another automaker with an under funded product lineup.
Anyone else stoked Tata bought jag? Here's to no longer forcing new models to use ancient platforms and running luxury marquis on a shoe string budget. More power to 'em.
Those tires could cut pizza for Papa John's and probably reduce urban delivery times.
Buy ASTON MARTIN and start the ROYAL INDIAN RACING Team. First entry at Silverstone.
Toyota would be the obvious cherry on top.
@j6r: Too late...they are already Malasian
They can buy whatever they want.....after the Nano they can afford it. Buy Bristol and Aston...they are the only Britans left?
@FThorn:
Toyotata? :-)
@bmoredlj: The Tata Wrangler. I like it.
Ferdinand Piech suggested they make a move on the Sudetenland.
GAZ - Get the two most power hungry automakers together to rule the world!
Mahindra will buy Jeep before Tata does. Mahindra got its start building cars & trucks with assembling kits of Jeeps.
@usa1: It's great to see a country (India) protect its domestic car business (Tata) with a closed marketplace (import restrictions and high tariffs)
You can't really call India a closed marketplace just because of import controls.
India allows 100% Foreign Direct Investment (China requires a Chinese partner). Almost all the major global car companies have assy plants in India, so while there are import restrictions, non Indian car companies can compete in that market. The Indian passenger car industry was started when the government went into partnership with Suzuki to start Maruti. Suzuki still owns half the company and controls it (Maruti built more cars last year than Suzuki did in Japan) and the Indian gov't has sold all its stake.
Maruti has about 50% market share. I'm pretty sure that Hyundai is #2, and Tata is #3.
America? Teh WORLD!?!?!
@TPSreports: a little malicious, but funny and true none the less.