http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5jEKT0WJW3lPKXwfmeo1OD4wl4QIg

The leveraged buyout of our country's assets and businesses begins in earnest?

HEH....Long before I was in the website business I owned a commercial cleaning company and I had the cleaning contract for Jaguar Cars US Corporate Headquarters in Mahwah NJ. That was when for had just purchased it. I also had the contract for the post construction clean-up after they built the building, they had a huge party and invited the owners and management of the companies that built and serviced their building.

I actually attended a lunch and party that had a ton of famous and infamous people, Fergy and Prince Andrew were there although heavily gurded by US State Dept security they actually made their rounds and spoke with pretty much everyone there.

/derail off


I'm not so sure that was a bad move to dump Jag, I think it was a loss leader, although I'm sure there are a few people turning over in their graves because of the sale to an Indian company.

"The leveraged buyout of our country's assets and businesses"

Isn't it a bit disingenuous to declare these U.S. businesses?

Certainly they were assets of Ford, but Jaguar was purchased in the early 90s, and Land Rover in the late 90s (from BMW). Jaguar was a terrible deal for Ford, and Ford has been basically burning money in it ever since. They wanted to dump it, and no established car company wanted it. Tata is big in India but has no brand outside of India, so they were a perfect buyer for Ford.

I assume Land Rover was similar (perhaps used to sweeten the deal). I don't think Ford was losing as much on Land Rover as they were on Jaguar. Regardless, however, I don't think either brand is considered an American brand despite their Ford ownership. Now if Tata had bought the Yankees...

It's all the same. If the dollar weren't so weak, the deal probably wouldn't have even been discussed.

You're making that out to be the big part of the story Sanchek when it really isn't. Even before the dollar took its plunge US car companies were having problems, and Jaguar specifically doesn't have the same market it used to and has been a drain on resources. It was a drain before the dollar took a dip as it is now. Its a good thing they are selling it, and it would have been sold regardless of the value of the dollar at some point OR it would have took the company down with it.

It is a big part of the story, if you're paying attention to current trends. Billions in foreign buyouts have occurred already this year, and that's only increasing.

Regardless of profitability, Jaguar and Land Rover are both prestigious brands. In good times, Ford wouldn't have parted with them.

Another interesting viewpoint on the buyout:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB120658030582967343.html?mod=opinion_main_comment aries

Interestingly, deals like the Tata purchase (foreign direct investment) have been declining for years --

"The U.S. share of global FDI inflows has already been declining for decades: from 31.5% in 1988-1990 to 24% in 1998-2000 and to just 16% in 2003-2005."

I suspect the 1988-1990 FDI was the heyday of Japanese investment (remember the hysteria then?) before their economic woes.

That's like looking at wedding statistics from Spring through Winter and pointing out the decline as if it's predictive of a continual decrease.

While our economy was booming, of course foreign investment would decline. Even in the 80's, foreign investors have never had the kind of leverage that they do now.

I still want a Jaguar, right side (English style) drive if possible; I am used to that driving postal vehicles, so would not be an issue unless a manual transmission. I have only seen one English style Jag in Minnesota. This has always been one of my favorites auto's, despite some it's problems over the years.

Jag was a declining brand before ford bought them. They were known for there problems execessive maintence cost and reliabilty issues.

Ford really turned the brand around in those regards. Dumping them is a great way for ford to focus on there core products and research. Hopefully turning the company as a whole around.

The car industry is hemorraging right now. I thought Id buy a new Tahoe or Avalanche this year. But with gas as it is. ill be happy to have it paid for in 4 more months then gas wont be much of an issue.

If I buy another car just to not drive the tahoe it will be a used 7-10k. lol Ive even been looking at an old 89 Iroq Z Ive wanted one since I graduated High school as a fun project weekend cruiser.

its amaziong the deals you can get not to mention 0% finaincing for 66 - 72 months

( edit ) 0Oh yeah look at re sale valuees of land rover range rovers. ever try to get an extended warranty on one ? Everyone i know that has one leased them and would never actually buy one.

Mechanically Jags suck.

My father always said...never by an english car, an italian car or a french car. None of them know the first thing about reliable mechanics.

I bought an LR2 last summer. No problems so far - knock on wood. Well, there is a rattle in the sunroof, but that will be fixed when I take it in for the recall for it.

My father always said...never by an english car, an italian car or a french car. None of them know the first thing about reliable mechanics.
Rolls, Bentley, Aston Martin?

Rolls, Bentley, Aston Martin?

Ugh Bentley's are beautiful... Drives so smooth, and sounds so purty.

'Rolls, Bentley, Aston Martin?'

- My thoughts exactly.

Actually, Jaguar's reliability is on the upswing....according to consumer reports. The went up 17 places in this years overall brand reliability firmly seated as average. The absolute least reliable brand of automobile: Land Rover, by a huge margin. Land Rover doesn't have a single model that is considered even average in reliability. A little better, but still horrible in reliability,: Hummer, mainly due to it being based on the Suburban, Escalade, Tahoe line of horribly unreliable vehicles. Interesting too that Mercedes is 33rd out of 36 in overall brand reliability.

Keep in mind, Comsumer Reports defines "reliability" as ALL problems reported with the vehicle.

Here's a link to the stats, but I think you need a subscription:

http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/cars/used-cars/reliability/best-worst-in-car-reliability-1005/how-makes-compare/0407_how-makes-compare.htm

Here's a link to the stats, but I think you need a subscription:


So cut and paste them for us!!

'Rolls, Bentley, Aston Martin?'

- My thoughts exactly.

I would think he meant the more average english cars, however in the US, do you know how few and far between mechanics qualified to repair those cars are?

I would think he meant the more average english cars, however in the US, do you know how few and far between mechanics qualified to repair those cars are?

Was figuring he meant average too, which is why I did not mention Maserati, or Ferrari.