Tata Defender Anyone?

[karlo]

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/08/24/business/AS-FIN-India-Tata-Ford.php

[thermidorthelobster]

Tata are a very successful and apparently well-run company.  Not so long ago they decided to branch out into IT consultancy and didn't mess around with it.  The "Tata" brand (associated generally with mass-marked products rather than high quality) didn't appear to hinder them.  They seem a switched-on bunch.  I don't think them taking over Land Rover would be a bad thing, apart from the obvious temptation to move manufacturing over to India, which is a bummer if you work for Land Rover.

I worry more about the Jaguar-shaped albatross wrapped around Land Rover's neck.

[V8MoneyPit]

I think I'm right in believing they have links with Mercedes. So build quality should be OK.

[Range Rover Blues]

I don't know about links with Mercedes, but they ripped off the 3 pointed star for the front of their pick-up type truck.

Didn't know they owned Chorus, maybe not a bad thing I don't know.  When Avesta was sold that was mainly for the order book then anything else.

[beast5680]

Tata didnt rip off the merc badge they are one of a limited few companies allowed to build merc engines under license for their own use , the pick up they build although not pretty actually has quite a good engine

[thermidorthelobster]

In Asia I've seen a fair number of Hiace-style vans (ie the rounded style with engine under driver which are totally ubiquitous from Far Eastern manufacturers) with Merc badges, but they don't bear any resemblance to anything else Mercedes make.  Are these likely to be Tata-built with the badge denoting a Merc-designed engine?

I'm also interested to know the origins of the bonnetted Mercedes trucks akin to their 1960s models, which are still made and used in the Middle East and elsewhere (badged as model 1927 and 27xx amongst others).  They're all over the place in Syria but I can't find much about them on Google.

[beast5680]

tata not a small company are they

Agricultural inputs
 Agrochemicals (Rallis)  
 Fertilisers (Tata Chemicals)  
   
Automotive  
 Automotive components (TACO)
 Automotive services (TACO, Tata Technologies)
 Commercial vehicles (Tata Motors)
 Diesel engines (Tata Cummins)
   
Aviation  
 Charter flights (Taj Air)
   
Chemicals
 Chemicals (Tata Chemicals, Rallis)  
 De-sulphurising compounds (Jamipol)  
   
Communications  
 Broadband services (Tata Indicom)  
 Telecommunications (Tata Indicom)  
   
Consultancy  
 Management consultancy (Tata Economic Consultancy Services, Tata Strategic Management Group)
   
Electronics  
 Digital disc recorder (Tata Elxsi)
   
Energy
 
 Oil and gas (Tata Power)  
 Power (Tata Power, Tata Projects)
 Solar energy (Tata BP Solar)
   
Engineering
 
 Air-conditioning products and services (Voltas)
 Bearings (Tata Steel)
 Construction equipment (Telcon, Voltas)
 Engineering consultancy (TCE Consulting Engineers)
 Engineering equipment and services (TRF, Voltas)
 Engineering projects and project services (Tata Projects, Voltas)
 Industrial electronics (Nelco)
 Industrial machinery (Voltas)
 Manufacturing engineering (TAL Manufacturing Solutions)
 Mining and material handling equipment (Voltas)
 Precision equipment (Tata Precision Industries)
 
   
Financial services
 
 Insurance (Tata AIG General, Tata AIG Life)
 Investment (Tata Asset Management, Tata Investment Corporation, Tata International AG)  
   
Food products
 
 Coffee (Tata Coffee)  
 Food additives (Tata Chemicals)
 Spices (Tata Tea, Tata Coffee)  
 Tea (Tata Tea, Tata Tea Inc)  
   
Hospitality
 
 Hospitality (Indian Hotels)  
 
   
Information technology
 
 IT-enabled services (SerWizSol)
 IT products and solutions (TCS, CMC, Tata Infotech, Nelito Systems, Tata Interactive Services)
 IT services (TCS, CMC, Tata Infotech, Tata Technologies, Nelito Systems)
 
   
Infrastructure
 
 Construction services (Tata Projects, Voltas)
 Realty (THDC)  
 
   
Materials
 
 Advanced composites (Tata Advanced Materials)
 Cement (Tata Chemicals)  
 Dolomite Refractories (Tata Refractories)
 Pig iron (Tata Metaliks)
 Pigments (Tata Pigments)  
 Renewable wood (Tata Conswood)
 Roll manufacture and supply (Tayo Rolls)
 Sponge iron (Tata Sponge Iron)
 Steel (Tata Steel)  
 Steel processing and distribution (Tata Ryerson)
 Tinplate (Tinplate Company of India)  
 Tubes (Tata Steel)  
 
   
Publishing
 
 E-learning (Tata Interactive)  
 Publishing (Tata McGraw-Hill)  
 
   
Trading
 
 E-trading (mjunction services)  
 Trading (Tata International, Tata AG, Tata Incorporated, Tata Limited)

[beast5680]

In Asia I've seen a fair number of Hiace-style vans (ie the rounded style with engine under driver which are totally ubiquitous from Far Eastern manufacturers) with Merc badges, but they don't bear any resemblance to anything else Mercedes make.  Are these likely to be Tata-built with the badge denoting a Merc-designed engine?

I'm also interested to know the origins of the bonnetted Mercedes trucks akin to their 1960s models, which are still made and used in the Middle East and elsewhere (badged as model 1927 and 27xx amongst others).  They're all over the place in Syria but I can't find much about them on Google.

try researching mercedes L series trucks, they,re the bonneted ones
the numbers usually mean in the case of 1927
19 tonne rated weight and 270 hp=1927 most 19 series were lhd i believe.
my dad used to drive a 1632 back when he was driving and i believe most 16,s were rhd as we had a lower rated weight

[thermidorthelobster]

They should diversify into spuds - Tata Taters.

[shaun and co]

i had the misfortune to drive a tata once..... After kicking my way out of the drivers door at the end of the journey i swore i would never drive one again! my father in law then bought one which was also a bag of bolts and fell to pieces within two years from brand new. i really hope they dont get there hands on landrover!!

[CJ]

Do you know that TATA own and make Tetley Tea Btw !

Oddly enough, TATA contacted us tp purchase 20 x 8by16 Landrover rims ??

All sold and sent over to india?  wonder what that was for?

[Terranosaurus]

They had Pug TD engines in the Tata Safari's, I used to know one of the (ex) dealers and he towed his rally car around with one. We went up to Scotland and back in it, seemed to perform quite well even towing. But then again Pugs TD's are some of the best in the business especially back then.

As for build quality how could someone taking them over possibly make Land Rovers build quality worse.

And the comment about Jaguar Millstones, I'm sure I heard the Jag are the only profitable bit of the Ford empire.

[thermidorthelobster]

No, it's the opposite.  Jag are losing money hand over fist;  Land Rover are currently the most profitable bit.

And re build quality, the Range Rover and Disco assembly lines have a good reputation for build quality, which is partly why they currently dominate the premium 4x4 markets.  Defender maybe not quite so much, but the nature of the product is that it's built using fairly antiquated methods, and will be until it's redesigned.

[GREENI]

I seem to remember an article in TOR, saying they would prefer to get mugged than own a Tata Safari..second only to walking..

[Manicminer]

And re build quality, the Range Rover and Disco assembly lines have a good reputation for build quality, which is partly why they currently dominate the premium 4x4 markets.

The assembly lines may have a good reputation, but the RR Sport and D3 came close to bottom in a recent Which? product report.

[thermidorthelobster]

The assembly lines may have a good reputation, but the RR Sport and D3 came close to bottom in a recent Which? product report.

What were they evaluated on - build quality, or reliability?  Being built well doesn't necessarily mean the car lasts a long time, if the components are wrongly specced or the design is flawed.