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In addition to Nissan/Renault, Chrysler has been talking with Tata, FiatBob Nardelli, Chrysler's current CEO, has given his employees the closest thing to an admission as we are likely to see that the company has been in serious negotiations with other automakers regarding future product plans and possibly even mergers. As has been widely reported over the weekend, Chrysler has apparently had discussions with General Motors regarding a tie-up between the two automakers, and the rumormill is churning away with stories that GM isn't the only suitor. Carlos Ghosn already has a history of merging automakers, and his Nissan/Renault partnership has naturally been recalled as a possible mate with Chrysler, as have Fiat and Tata Motors. Remember that there's nothing concrete here to report, just speculation. At this point, all we know is that Nardelli admits that there are "third parties who are interested in exploring future possibilities with Chrysler" and that "as the company evaluates strategic options to maximize core operations and leverage its assets, we engage in a dialogue with these parties." Sounds pretty vague, wouldn't you say? These talks can be routine or they could be much more. We'll just have to keep an interested eye on the news.
posted : 10/16/2008 @4:52:06 PM
Tata ready to move Nano plant away from contentious region

The Tata Nano may be the most expensive vehicle ever to be the cheapest new car on earth. Violent protests at one of the car's planned assembly sites have gotten so rampant that the Indian automaker is near a deal to exit the nearly completed West Bengal facility all together. Just a few days after a supplier CEO was killed by a mob of protesters, two body guards were also assaulted at the contentious facility. The controversy in West Bengal centers around the land that local farmers lost to the $200 million Euro facility, and with the building nearly complete, it's hard to believe that land will be returned any time soon even if Tata did abandon the region. Word out of India is that the state of Karnataka has offered Tata Motors 1,000 acres plus incentives to move Nano production there, and the local media is reporting that Tata is going to announce plans as early as next week. We're not in the micro car business, but if we were, we'd avoid building them where there is the constant threat of being beaten or killed by an angry mob. Moving Nano production to a region that actually wants the Tata there seems like a foregone conclusion at this point.
posted : 10/5/2008 @2:59:50 PM

Supplier CEO attacked and killed by laid-off workersThe Tata Nano, which will be the world's least expensive car, has already exacted enormous sums of money and time. A dispute over the location of a new factory has cost Tata close to a year of court wrangling and might end up spoiling a £200 million investment. Now the efforts to build the Nano have cost a life.

Unhappy workers were invited to a meeting with Indian and Italian executives of Cerlikon-Graziano Transmissions, which makes auto parts, to discuss reinstatement. Only a few workers were in the meeting, but more than a hundred were waiting outside. When those outside heard someone inside call for help, they rushed in, and in a mob fog anger, bludgeoned the company's operations head, Lalit Kishore Choudhary, to death.

It was later reported that some of the folks involved in the melee weren't even employees of the company. What Tata will need to urgently figure out is where it needs to go -- inside or outside of India -- to build the Nano without backlash. In the mean time, our condolences go to the Choudhary family.

posted : 10/2/2008 @4:40:00 PM
Tata: No Jaguar/Land Rover sales data for the U.S.Fans of our monthly By the Numbers posts may have noticed the conspicuous absence of sales data for both Jaguar and Land Rover over the past few months. The reason we haven't included their sales figures is because we haven't been able to find them since Ford handed over ownership of the two British brands to Tata. The automaker from India says that it will no longer report U.S. sales data for its two newest assets because of what it calls a strategy that "stresses quality over quantity." A spokeswoman for Jaguar tells Ward's Auto that the brands were forced to report their numbers when owned by Ford and now, since they're privately owned by Tata, they don't have to. She also notes that the sales figures could create a "distorted and potentially harmful commentary." Yeah, we suppose that happens when you sell a fraction of what your competition does. Still, Jaguar is missing out on an opportunity to revel in the relative success of its new XF, which we know has bumped up the brand's pitiful sales performance in the U.S. Regardless, By the Numbers will no longer include spots for Jaguar and Land Rover unless someone wants to go out and count their sales by hand.
posted : 9/23/2008 @10:57:19 PM
Seven-seat Land Rover LR2 could hijack LR3 name

The LR2 gives Land Rover a semi-affordable entry model that is much more fuel efficient than the rest of the luxury SUV-maker's lineup. To help keep LR2 sales strong in a car market that is increasingly tougher for crossovers and SUVs, Land Rover is reportedly looking at adding a third row of seats by 2010. So the question is, how does Land Rover differentiate the seven-seat LR2 from the five-seater? Sometimes an automaker will just increase the number in the model's name by one, but that apparently doesn't work well with the luxury automaker's brilliantly simple naming convention. One idea is to shuffle names around to differentiate the two LR2 models. The seven-seat LR2 could be called the LR3, while the current LR3, a different model entirely, would then get bumped up to LR4 status. We understand there aren't many options for Land Rover, but shuffling around model names with which customers are already familiar seems extreme. Why not make the seven-seat model the LR2 L or LR2 XL or LR2 ES? There is, after all, already an LR2 HSE.
posted : 9/22/2008 @9:57:56 PM
400 owners can be wrong: NHTSA closes Tacoma unintended acceleration investigation

As is usually the case when complaints of unintended acceleration are levied against a vehicle, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has concluded that no specific vehicular defects have been found in 2004-2008 Toyota Tacomas. The mid-sized truck had been under fire from over 400 owners who claimed their trucks had accelerated without them touching the gas resulting in 51 crashes and 12 injuries. According to Toyota, however, the truck features a drive-by-wire system and its computer records any event of a mismatch between the gas pedal and the engine's throttle. None of the trucks involved in accidents reported any such codes. The NHTSA has closed its investigation and believes that driver error is the most likely cause for the vast majority of complaints while a few could be attributed to loose floor mats. While the fact that the Tacoma has received so many specific complaints is worrisome, we are not big believers in unintended acceleration and tend to agree that publicity of the issue may well have attracted more erroneous claims. Debris stuck under the brake or pedals that are just closer together than some drivers are used to remain possible explanations, but could hardly be considered defects.
posted : 9/14/2008 @5:59:46 AM
Tata cuts Land Rover production

Land Rover sales are tanking along with the rest of SUVs sold here in the States and in Europe, but strong sales in China and Russia are keeping Tata's new luxury SUV brand to within 3% of last year's sales volume. Encouraging sales in emerging markets isn't enough, however, for the Indian automaker to keep from cutting production to hedge against a further worsening of market conditions. In an effort to keep production in line with sales, two shifts have been cut from the Solihull Land Rover plant and 300 workers have been moved to the Castle Broomwich Jaguar plant. Tata is also executing production cuts at the Halewood Jaguar factory where the perpetually disappointing X-Type is produced. With Land Rover making up all the profits between Tata's two newly owned British Marquees, the Indian automaker is keeping a keen eye on production to make sure the luxury SUV brand continues to bring in profits. If sales begin to slip further, we'd expect Tata to make more drastic cuts, and quickly.
posted : 9/13/2008 @5:15:39 AM
Nano plant protests may cause Tata to reconsider

Fueling speculation that the Tata protests last week may have been much more effective than originally reported, India's Tata Motors Ltd has said it will move the upcoming Tata Nano plant from its planned eastern India location if the violent protests don't end. The tension is between the industry that is pushing for the 1,000-acre plant and the farmers who wish to retain the land for agricultural use. After the unveiling of the plant in January, which was hailed by the state's ruling Communists, the protests have been gathering steam. It eventually led to the violent clash last week as more than 1,000 people marched against the planned facility. The announcement from Tata Motors is significant as the company has invested more than 1,500 crore rupees ($350 million) in the project so far, and there is no alternate plan to replace the facility at Singur (although the Nano is going to be manufactured at other plants, as well). In addition, other manufacturers who are expanding into India (including Nissan, Renault, GM, and Hyundai) are watching the unfolding events very closely as they plan their next moves.
posted : 9/13/2008 @3:19:37 AM
Police and protestors clash at future site of Tata Nano plant

Raze 1,000-acres of farmland to build an automobile factory, and somebody is going to protest. Even in India. The automaker is Tata, and the protesters numbered at least 1,000 strong as they went head-to-head against police in eastern India yesterday at the future manufacturing site of the Tata Nano (rumored to be the world's cheapest car at just $2,380). The protests are rooted deeper than just "open space" issues. In fact, the real tension is between India's ruling party, and the communist-run government in West Bengal where the plant is to be located. The farmers are unwilling to part with their agricultural livelihood, while the government continues to promote industry. After blocking a highway for a few hours, the stick-wielding protesters were dispersed without injuries. Once again, progress wins out over pastures.
posted : 9/2/2008 @5:29:47 PM
Mahindra not interested in HUMMER

Despite assurances from top GM brass, every bidder for the troubled HUMMER brand appears to be removing itself from the rumormill. Considered one of the strongest suitors interested in the off-road marque, India's Mahindra is the latest brand to pull out of consideration. According to Vice Chairman Anand Mahindra, "There has been a lot of speculation. I want to say categorically we are not pursuing HUMMER." That sounds pretty definitive to us, leaving Tata Motors as the only company from India still reportedly interested. Russian billionaire Oleg Deripaska has pulled his name out of the mix, as has China's Hunan Changfeng Motor Co. Until an official announcement is made, all of this is just speculation, but we have to wonder just how valuable the HUMMER brand could possibly be now that its sales have plummeted so far and so fast.
posted : 9/2/2008 @2:27:40 AM
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