Fresh off nailing down the Jaguar/Land Rover deal; there are rumors that Tata is interested in getting a stake in both MV Agusta, the hyper-performance Italian motorcycle maker; and Italian coachbuilder Pininfarina.

It's interesting to note that both VW (VW and Ducati?) and now Tata, are interested in getting an exotic motorcycle brand under their large umbrellas.

As for Pininfarina, Tata is aiming to take a minority holding in the firm, partnering up with the French industrial group, Bollore, with up to a 100-million euro capital increase. It's expected that Tata and Bollare will cut down the Pininfarina family's share from 55-percent to 30-percent.

Full story here and here.

Now that Tata has taken on the burden of reviving Jaguar and Land Rover, we can look back on this ill-fated Ford-Jaguar-Land Rover saga. That's exactly what AutoObserver has done; what went right (not a whole lot), and what went wrong (a whole lot).

The Jaguar/Land Rover Sale: It’s Best Not to Add Up How Much Ford Wasted

After months of will-they or won't-they, of when and for how much, Tata and Ford have finally inked a deal that will transfer ownership of the iconic British brands to the Indian Tata Motors. The price is reportedly close to $2.3 billion. In addition Ford will contribute $600 million to Jaguar Land Rover pension plans.

Full story here.

Here's Auto Observer's take: Ford Sells Jaguar, Land Rover to India's Tata for $2.3 Billion and Tata Gets Near-Death Jaguar, Recovering Land Rover from Ford In U.S.

Here's Inside Line's take: Ford Sells Jaguar, Land Rover to Tata and Tata Faces Major Work on Jaguar, Land Rover

The Tata Nano made its European debut here in Geneva, and once again it drew a huge crowd. Onlookers marveled at its impossibly small wheels, straw-sized exhaust pipe and single windshield wiper. We weren’t allowed to get inside, but given that there’s no radio, air-conditioning or any other features to speak of, there isn’t much to see anyway. The rear-mounted engine displaces a whopping 623cc and generates all of 34 horsepower. It’s connected to a continuously variable transmission that helps it achieve roughly 50 mpg. Acceleration is probably leisurely at best, but what do you expect for $2,500?

At this point, the Tata only meets emissions and crash test standards in India, and in case you’re not up to speed on those, they are considerably less stringent than U.S. requirements. Think 1990s and you would be close. In other words, don’t expect to see any Nanos in the U.S. any time soon.  –- Ed Hellwig, Senior Editor, Inside Line





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Tata is exploring new ways of selling their el-cheapo Nano, one being on the Internet. In doing so that would cut out sales commissions to dealers and sales staff. Another idea on the table is to sell completely knocked down (CKD) units to regional centers, which would in turn assemble vehicles before delivering them to dealers.

Here's AutoObserver's take: Tata Nano Could Be Sold Via Internet

It appears not everyone is thrilled with the idea of Tata buying Land Rover and Jaguar, as number of Tata shareholders are dumping their stock at the thought of this deal going through. The feeling is Tata should concentrate on investing in India with cheap products like the Nano, and not in taking over expensive import brands like Jaguar and Land Rover.

There's also a rumor out that Tata really only wants Land Rover and not Jaguar. So if the deal does go through, they may end up selling Jaguar. Stay tuned folks. This ain't over yet...

Here's AutoObserver's take: Tata Shareholders Not Thrilled with Proposed Jaguar, Land Rover Purchase

Clearly, the $2,500 MSRP (in India) of the Tata Nano has sparked a lot of debate within the auto industry, as well as everywhere else.

That being the case, AutoObserver decided to see what else is out there, both in terms of motor vehicles and other products, that $2,500 will purchase. Some items listed might surprise you.

Tata Nano: The Secrets of the $2,500 Car

What Used Vehicles Sell for $2,500 in the U.S.

What Else Will $2,500 Buy?

It looks like Tata is burning the candle from both ends. On one hand they make, or will be making, one of the the smallest and certainly the cheapest car in the world with the Nano; and then on the other hand, they will be supplying parts for the new humungous—in size and cost—Boeing Dreamliner.

I guess, when the Tata/Land Rover/Jaguar deal goes through, they will also burn that candle from somewhere in the middle.

Here's Inside Line's take: Strange Bedfellows: Tata and Boeing

What appeared to be a done deal just a couple of weeks ago, the sale of Jaguar and Land Rover by Ford to Tata, is still under discussion by all parties. And to throw a possible wrench into works, Moody's Investor Services is casting some doubt as to whether this is even a good idea.

"Should (Tata Motors) proceed with the transaction and acquire these two businesses, it will face considerable execution and integration challenges," Moody’s said. The rating service noted that though Tata has a strong position in the low-to-medium segments in India, the acquisition of Jaguar and Land Rover would expose the company to the luxury product segment in wider global markets, which would increase the material risk to the automaker.

So, what all this mean? Don't know yet—but stay tuned...

Here's AutoObserver's take: Jaguar, Land Rover Good Fit for Tata? Moody’s Says Possibly Not

Long rumored, the sale by Ford of Jaguar and Land Rover to Tata of Mumbai, India appears to be close to being a done deal. Tata is part of the Tata Group, which is a large Indian conglomerate that has holdings in hotels, trucks  tea and more. In addition Tata makes some bottom-feeder cars, which should make for an interesting juxtaposition (and a marketing challenge!) by adding these two luxury car brands.

Here's AutoObserver's take: The Sun Rises on an Indian Auto Empire: Tata Buys Jag, Rover