India's Big Daddy Customs gets Creative with Tata Sumo Grande

The blue-colored gem you're looking at in these pictures is the XENON concept based on the Indian market Tata Sumo Grande crossover and it was made by local replica and coach-builder Big Daddy Customs.

In contrast to the two previous models from Big Daddy Customs that we've shown you on these pages and which include a Chevrolet Optra-based replica of the 1967 Ford Mustang Eleanor and a Tata Safari-based clone of the Range Rover Evoque, the XENON is a unique project commissioned by Tata itself.

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Jaguar Land Rover pushes up Tata's profits

Tata Motors has announced a 41% rise in profits booted by rise in sales by Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) despite fall in profits within the Indian market (falling more than half to 1.74bn Rupees).

The rise is attributed to sales (32,000) of the new Range Rover Evoque model.

In the three months to December 31, China has also overtaken UK as JLR's biggest market. China now accounts for 17.2% of total sales compared with 16.5% for the UK. Sales have also increased in Russia. In the same quarter, JLR had a profit of £440m, up 57% from a year earlier.

Source: BBC News.

Tata invests in the West Midlands

There was some good news for the automotive sector in the UK today as Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) announced that they plan to increase their workforce at their plant in Solihull by more than 25%.
For more info read their press release here.

This follows the opening of their new Global Headquarters at the Company's site in Whitley in Coventry last week.

From left: Mr Ravi Kant, Vice President of Tata Motors, Mr Ratan Tata (cutting the tape) Chairman of Tata Sons, and Dr. Ralf Speth, CEO of Jaguar Land Rover (Right).

Tata the Indian owners of Jaguar Land Rover will be investing more than £1.5 billion pounds annually for the next five years.

Jaguar starts making money

Here's some good news from the UK auto industry. Jaguar Land Rover has announced a net profit of £55m (US$140.7 million)in the last three months of 2009. The profit came from increased sales (more than 165,000 models)outside the UK. The biggest markets were Russia, Europe, North America and China.


Other related links:

• Tata Motors profits boosted by Jaguar Land Rover
• Jaguar Starts Making Money for Tata Motors
• Jaguar Land Rover makes £55m in return to profit

Tata Nano launch today

Tata Nano the World's cheapest car will be commercially launched today.



Watch the 10 things you should know about the Tata Nano slideshow on the Time site.

Go to the Tata Nano microsite for more information about the car.

Tata to create 700 jobs in the UK

Indian car maker, Tata recently announced a £ 700 million investment plan with the creation of 600 jobs at Jaguar Land Rover. It is also launching a new programme to recruit new graduate engineers in September. That's great news for the Midlands.

I have no idea why but unlike other companies, there is absolutely no news about this in both the Jaguar or the Land Rover sites. Only got to read bout it in the local newspaper.

The Tata, Jaguar, Land Rover Deal in the news

Lord Bhattacharyya, who founded the Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick says “How often do two such icons come up for sale at the same time? Land Rover is now sustainably profitable and you are about to see a renaissance of Jaguar,". Read "Tata, Jaguar and Land Rover. Now what?"

Analysts think it's not a good deal. "Tata's Jaguar Deal Worries Analysts".

Investors are apparently worried as well with the company falling a few points on the Bombay Stock Exchange. "Tata Motors plunges 5 pc post JLR deal".

Definitely Tata will face several management challenges. Read "Can Tata Rev Up Jaguar?"

Tata, Ford, Jaguar and Land Rover

It's official - Ford has sold Jaguar and Land Rover to the Indian Tata Group for $2.3 billion (approx. £1.15bn). Read the BBC report: Tata buys Jaguar in £1.15bn deal
and the Tata Group's press release: Tata Motors enters into definitive agreement with Ford for purchase of Jaguar Land Rover.

Tata doesn't expect any "significant changes" to Jaguar or Land Rover employees' terms of employment, meaning that jobs are safe. The deal is expected to be completed by the end of the summer.

Wonder whether the Indians can finally make Jaguar profitable again.

Tata Nano - the World's cheapest car launched

As promised earlier, India's Tata Motors Ltd today unveiled the world's cheapest car at the 9th Auto Expo show in New Delhi, India.

Dubbed the "people's car", the four-door Tata Nano costs only Rs 100,000 (about $2,500/ £1,300).

It is powered by a 33-bhp 624 cc rear-wheel drive, all-aluminium, two-cylinder, multi-point fuel injection petrol engine. According to reports, the car gives about 23 km per litre of petrol.


The Standard version

It is definitely a no-frills car with no air conditioning, no power windows or power steering and comes with only one wing mirror. The dash board only has a speedometer, a fuel gauge and an oil-warning light.


The Luxury version

It is expected to be in dealers' showrooms by September.

Read their press release.

It seems that there were some "Protests over 'World's cheapest car' by Tata" as well.

Tata set to take over Jaguar, Land Rover

Tata Motors, a subsidiary of the Indian Tata group is set to take over British luxury marques Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford.

Ford stands to make around £1 billion (about $2.05 billion / Rs 8,000 crore) from the sale.

Tata won over two other bidders , namely, Indian car company, Mahindra & Mahindra and American private equity group, One Equity.

If it works out, this will be the first time ever that an Indian company has taken over a Western auto company.

Jaguar dealers in the US are worried that the take over might hurt the brand image. Ken Gorin, chairman of the Jaguar Business Operations Council, reportedly said:

I don't believe the US public is ready for ownership out of India of a luxury car make...

Read "Tata hits image problems in the U.S."