Tata - Gets New Ceo

[unit731]

Well all may scoff at Tata Motors.

 

And the Nano.

 

But they now own Land Rover and Jaguar.

 

LINK

 

MUMBAI, India — Carl-Peter Forster, the former BMW executive who headed General Motors Europe until late last year, has been named chief executive officer of Tata Motors. He will lead the Indian automaker's global operations, including Land Rover and Jaguar.

 

Forster, 55, left GM last fall after the collapse of a deal to sell Opel to Magna, the Canadian parts maker, and Russia's Sberbank.

 

In a statement, Chairman Ratan Tata said, "Tata Motors expects that Mr. Forster's induction will greatly facilitate its ambition towards being a truly international company."

 

Inside Line says: Forster will have his hands full trying to reorganize Jaguar and Land Rover and return them to profitability. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent

[C. Charles Hahn]

Very interesting. Though I still question just how seriously they can be taken in the mass market.

 

BTW, I think you meant "formerly" in the title... not "formally"

[unit731]

Thanks for the correction in spelling. I had quite a difficult time in High School English classes. It was a real struggle for me. Verbs, nouns, pronouns, past tense, grammer, spelling, actually reading a book from the beginning to the ending. I recall one English teacher in high school who would give out 30 words each class for homework - to learn meaning and spelling. I thought that was absurd. What a waste of time - me thought. History classes in high school were even worser. Why do I have to learn all those names, dates, and battles? What a waste of time. Boooooring ! Well, I got a job after high school and a tour duty in the Marine Corps and went to college nights for 17 years. Got myself a degree. And that degree was in HISTORY !!!! Then continued on to a Masters Degree in of all subjects: Education ! Gotta love learning, I guess. Yes, there is spell check nowadays.

 

But back to cars/trucks.

 

I'm old enough to remember when the imports first arrived. And there were many that flourished and many that failed/withdrew. Renault was number 2 at one point. Simca, Rootes, Sunbeam, NSU, Vespa (yes Vespa made an automoile), and others I have forgotten. Volkswagen made it big because they sold a simple automobile that was inexpensive and cheap to own. Being made in Germany may have been important. Or was it the design of Ferdinand Porche? Or was it marketing?

 

Styling. The original Volkswagen was styled in the 1930's and kept going well into the 1970's here and much longer in the rest of the world. So styling wasn't the point on this automobile.

 

Tata could sell a lot of inexpensive cars in the US but the price has to be right and the quality has to be very good. But no manufacturer can sell just one model and continue. Where are all the Smart cars today? Where are all the Mini's? What happened to the Yugo?

 

Tata is a very large company. And they could easilty sell a variant thru the Land Rover or Jaguar dealers - but those dealers may balk. But it could happen.

 

Build a good inexpensive car and people will buy it.

 

Now to my spell check. Where is it?

[C. Charles Hahn]

Thanks for the correction in spelling. I had quite a difficult time in High School English classes. It was a real struggle for me. Verbs, nouns, pronouns, past tense, grammer, spelling, actually reading a book from the beginning to the ending. I recall one English teacher in high school who would give out 30 words each class for homework - to learn meaning and spelling. I thought that was absurd. What a waste of time - me thought. History classes in high school were even worser. Why do I have to learn all those names, dates, and battles? What a waste of time. Boooooring ! Well, I got a job after high school and a tour duty in the Marine Corps and went to college nights for 17 years. Got myself a degree. And that degree was in HISTORY !!!! Then continued on to a Masters Degree in of all subjects: Education ! Gotta love learning, I guess. Yes, there is spell check nowadays.

 

Wow, you're quite the elaborate jackass, aren't you?

[hockeypro1411]

Thanks for the correction in spelling. I had quite a difficult time in High School English classes. It was a real struggle for me. Verbs, nouns, pronouns, past tense, grammer (how ironic), spelling, and actually reading a book from the beginning to the ending. I recall one English teacher in high school who would give out 30 words each class for homework - to learn meaning and spelling. I thought that was absurd. What a waste of time - me thought. History classes in high school were even worser. Why do I have to learn all those names, dates, and battles? What a waste of time. Boooooring ! There's not a space between a word and the punctuation. Well, I got a job after high school and a tour duty in the Marine Corps and went to college nights for 17 years. Consider revision. You made a run-on sentence. Got myself a degree. That's not even a proper sentence. And that degree was in HISTORY !!!! Again, no spaces are needed between the word and the appropriate punctuation. Then continued on to a Masters Degree in, of all subjects, Education ! Who the hell taught you to put that space there?! Gotta love learning, I guess. Yes, there is spell check nowadays.-That's not even a word.

 

But back to cars/trucks.

 

I'm old enough to remember when the imports first arrived. And there were many that flourished and many that failed/withdrew. Renault was number 2 at one point. Simca, Rootes, Sunbeam, NSU, Vespa (yes Vespa made an automoile), and others I have forgotten. Volkswagen made it big because they sold a simple automobile that was inexpensive and cheap to own. Being made in Germany may have been important. Or was it the design of Ferdinand Porche? Or was it marketing?

 

Styling. The original Volkswagen was styled in the 1930's and kept going well into the 1970's here and much longer in the rest of the world. So styling wasn't the point on this automobile.

 

Tata could sell a lot of inexpensive cars in the US but the price has to be right and the quality has to be very good. But no manufacturer can sell just one model and continue. Where are all the Smart cars today? Where are all the Mini's? What happened to the Yugo?

 

Tata is a very large company. And they could easilty sell a variant thru the Land Rover or Jaguar dealers - but those dealers may balk. But it could happen.

 

Build a good inexpensive car and people will buy it.

 

Now to my spell check. Where is it?

 

They must have hid it pretty well because it's pretty evident that a few things slipped through.

 

P.S.- Thank you for your service!