Jalopnik
bajaj ulc
Posts Tagged “Tata”
bajaj ulc
industry news
Volga Display Of Prana: Russian Automaker GAZ Seeks Partners In India
Apparently this has been out there for a while, but before we discussed the news that Gorkovsky Avtomobilny Zavod, manufacturers of the Volga line of hulking vehicular tragicomic props, was looking for partners on the Indian subcontinent, we needed to find press releases with the right sort of Moose-Und-Sqvirrel feel. More »
industry news
Tata Strikes a Deal. Now What?
The Jaguar and Land Rover employees I’ve talked to recently — the few still on the payroll — say that Ford cut off financial life support for the brands a while back. The U.S. headquarters building in Irvine, Calif., for Ford’s crumbling Premier Automotive Group, of which Jaguar and Land Rover were key components, is eerily empty.
industry news
Tata Now Owns Jaguar, Land Rover, Rover, Daimler And Lanchester
Apparently, we were more prescient (or slow) than we thought when we asked "Who Should Tata Buy Next?" It turns out that, as part of the Ford-Tata deal, Tata ended up owning not only the Jaguar and Land Rover brands, but also Daimler, Rover and Lanchester. Someone is going to have to re-do that chart. The story of how the names have transfered is kind of hilarious and featured under the jump. It also may have played into the mysterious $300 million that evaporated from the big deal this week.More »
commenter of the day
Commenter Of The Day: Reversal Of Fortune Edition
Try this on for size: Between the wars, at its pinnacle in the 20th century, Britain exerted dominion over almost half a billion people. Yes, yes, it would all go completely to crap in less than 50 years and leave us associating the UK with the likes of the Spice Girls, Simon Cowell and Amy Winehouse. Imperialists all, in their own ways, but not exactly the same thing. Anyway, the sheer global vastness of the Pax Britannica is not something that exits collectively memory all that quickly, even as the land of King Arthur and Winston Churchill sheds assets like they were going out of style. We hinted at this development in our Question Of The Day, which focused on increasingly mighty Tata Motors and the matter of whom they should next acquire, after Jaguar and Land Rover. Which of course brings us to the realignment of power and influence that's currently afoot, and to our COTD. More »
industry news
Ford Officially Selling Jaguar, Land Rover To Tata For $2.3 Billion, Song And Dance
While many decided yesterday to report "officially" that Ford was shaking Jaguar and Land Rover free to the Indian subcontinent for $2.6 billion we knew it was prudent to wait and report it as merely rumor because that number just didn't sound right. That's because here at Jalopnik, we "get" the US auto industry and we knew that when an 'merican automaker (German automakers too — that's right Daimler, we're looking straight at you) spends billions of dollars to bring a brand back to solvency, you expect a sale price to in no way reflect that. Ford didn't disappoint. You see, the sale's actually for $2.3 billion — $300-some-odd million less than yesterday's "whisper number." But wait, there's more. In addition to the cash transaction with Tata Motors, they'll also inject a hot $600 million capital infusion into the pension plans of the two brands. You know, because they haven't already sent enough money into the black hole that was Ford's PAG. Full press release after the jump. More »
industry news
CNBC Asia Reporting Tata, Ford To Close Deal For Jaguar, Land Rover Shortly
The version of "America's Business Channel" spiced with a taste of Asia is reporting Tata's close to finalizing a deal with Ford for Jaguar and Land Rover we've been reporting on for what seems like forever. A Tata Group spokesman said discussions were still going on and the company had no guidance to give reporters on the deal, but a variety of sources are now claiming signatures could be put on paper as early as tomorrow on a deal we're hearing to be less than $2.65 billion. Ratan Tata, the founder and CEO of Tata Motors, is reportedly so excited, he's tried to shake a set of Jaguars. Hmm, that isn't quite as funny.
tara tiny
Tara Tiny Is The New Tata Nano, Priced At $2,450
The race to the bottom continues as Bengal Enamel's Tara International will be teaming with Chinese company Aucma to produce a sub-sub-1-lakh car called the Tara Tiny. Yes, the little-known company seeks to lakh-block the Tata Nano by building a range of electric powered two- and four-seat cars starting at a rock bottom price of 99,000 Indian Rupees, 999 Rupees less than the price media outlets originally reported. With a grand total of 35 moving parts and a range of 100 km, the Tiny should be an urban drivers dream come true — low maintenance costs, eight hour recharge time via a 250 V outlet, and no need for costly speeding tickets (it only goes about 30 mph).More »
over the back fence
Could The Jaguar E-Type Be Making A Return?
Despite the ongoing shenanigans between Ford and TATA over the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover, there are whispers emerging about the possible revival of the venerable Jaguar E-Type. Australia's Courier Mail is reporting Jag honchos are considering the revival of what many consider the most beautiful production car to have ever been built. This news has us torn. While we absolutely love the E-Type, so much so that it holds a position in the Jalopnik Fantasy Garage, we think on Jags history of reviving legendary marques and wonder if this is this a good idea. More »
over the back fence
Tata Considering Buying Stake In Ferrari, All Your Premium Automakers Are Belong To India
Not content to just sell the cheapest car, the Tata Nano, or to own the formerly imperial Jag and Land Rover, it's now rumored that Ratan Tata is interested in getting in bed with Ferrari (and we're not talking about a stripper from Paramus named Ferrari). Motor Authority has latched on to a quote from Italy's L'Espresso, wherein Ratan Tata says he'd always dreamed of being a jet fighter and/or owning a stake in Ferrari... like all normal children. More »
geneva motor show
Tata Nano Makes The World Go 'Round
"Technology, the new life-force." That's what Tata Motors says. We had no idea. We kinda miss the old life-force — you know — life? Whatever. One thing this video played this morning at the Nano reveal can give you, is a feel for just how important the automaker from India sees themselves. But who can blame them, what with all the magazine cover stories and the comparisons of the Tata Nano to the Ford Model T. Of course, the Model T was a replacement for horses, while the Nano is a replacement for
geneva auto show
Ratan Tata, the Henry Ford of Mumbai, just revealed his dreamwork here, the Tata Nano, to a European audience here at the Geneva Auto Show that may never get to drive one. The micromini — which, in person, appears to be two scooters sheathed inside an extra-large Maytag dryer — is for now just for emerging markets where safety regulations are far less stringent. The price is 100,000 rupees, which is a mere $2,500. That's cheaper than some scooters, and you only get one! Nonetheless, Tata says he's repaying Geneva for its hospitality 11 years ago when he was a paltry millionaire and his car company was just a fledgling. Now there are four million Tatas on the road, and soon to be many millions more of this microbox.
Tata Nano, Not for Europe; Just Saying Hi To Geneva
Ratan Tata, the Henry Ford of Mumbai, just revealed his dreamwork here, the Tata Nano, to a European audience here at the Geneva Auto Show that may never get to drive one. The micromini — which, in person, appears to be two scooters sheathed inside an extra-large Maytag dryer — is for now just for emerging markets where safety regulations are far less stringent. The price is 100,000 rupees, which is a mere $2,500. That's cheaper than some scooters, and you only get one! Nonetheless, Tata says he's repaying Geneva for its hospitality 11 years ago when he was a paltry millionaire and his car company was just a fledgling. Now there are four million Tatas on the road, and soon to be many millions more of this microbox.
industry news
Tata Buying Jag and Land Rover from Beleaguered Ford, Getting Even More Bodacious
It appears speculation hath ended and the courtship is nearly consummated. According to Automotive News, Ford and Tata Motors will announce that the Blue Oval is selling two of its Premium Automotive Group brands, Jaguar and Land Rover, to the Indian conglomerate. Automotive News is also reporting the official word of the sale—as well as confirmation of the $2 billion price tag that has been bandied about for several months now—will occur March 5 or 6. If that report's correct, ust like that, Ford sheds its two Anglophilic marques and dispatches them to quite possibly a more rightful home on the Subcontinent, where sleek, posh motorcars and rugged SUVs favored by royalty may encounter better ownership. Or at least a more nationalistic one. More »
alternative energy
BBC Discovers Air Car, We Chuckle At Fill Up Procedure
We heard about the Tata backed and French developed Air Car back in January and are intrigued by the brilliantly simple concept. It seems the Beeb has caught wind of it too and recently ran the coverage you see above. The numbers on it are pretty exciting for something running like an air compressor with its valves reversed. A top speed of 110 km/h and a range of 200 km makes it seem almost useful. Predictions on production dates are to be taken with a grain of salt, but claims of the end of the year are bandied about. Wonder if it will be an available option on the Tata Nano?
industry news
Malaise Redux: Blame the Tatas
The previous malaise era had its clutch of culprits: OPEC, mismanagement at the Federal Reserve, the Vietnam hangover, the Watergate hangover, the Altamont hangover, the hangover hangover. But blame for Malaise 2.0 is being placed squarely and preemptively on the
new cars
Tata Xenon Is Rugged, Diesel Equipped
Tata recently came out with its latest light truck offering for the South African Market, the Xenon. Compact pickups in South Africa are called bakkies, a term we think is the bees knees, and this one is Tata's second bakkie for that market. The Xenon rides on a double wishbone front suspension with a solid axle and leaf spring setup in the back. Shift-on-the-fly all wheel wheel drive can be accomplished up to 65 kph by way of a knob on the dash - four wheel low has to be engaged at a stand still. The truck has only one power option, a 3 liter four cylinder turbo diesel with direct injection good for 114 hp and 220 lb.ft. of torque routed through a 5 speed manual. All that is well and good, but the tubular bumpers and roll over bars are the real winners here. When and why did that go out of style?More »
news
Tata Partners with Chrysler for Electric Truck, U.S. Nano on the Horizon?
That $2,500 Tata Nano jobber has been all over the news as of late. There was no word if this marvel of engineering would ever make it to the good old United States. Rest assured, Tata is one step closer to getting something over here, following a recent announcement of a partnership with Chrysler.
More »
from the mailbag
