Sam Skelton I’ve just seen pics of the next Aston Martin. It’s not, as you would be forgiven for thinking, a large and expensive GT car with a big V12. Instead, it’s the answer to a question nobody has ever asked. It would seem that Aston Martin have done some market research and found that [...]

George Gao, Gasgoo.com, 29th June, 2009 Jaguar Land Rover, the luxury vehicle division of Tata Motors, expects China and other emerging economies to account for a third of the unit’s sales as demand in the U.S. and Europe plunges amid recession, Bloomberg reported today. China, Brazil, Russia, India and other developing nations are now about [...]

Erik van Ingen Schenau The MG TF/ZR/ZT and Rover 75 are not the first former BMC>MG models to be manufactured in China. The original production lines for the Morris Marina and the Austin Maestro were also sold to the Chinese and, ironically, both ended up in different factories located in the city of Chengdu. I [...]

Tom Scotney, Birmingham Post, 29th June, 2009 A  deal on crucial research and development money for Jaguar Land Rover needs to be done by the end of the summer – or the firm could suffer the same fate as MG Rover. The claim from an industry expert came as bosses at JLR owner Tata Motors [...]

Automotive News Europe/Reuters, 29th June, 2009 MUMBAI (Reuters) — Tata Motors on Sunday launched its Jaguar and Land Rover brands in India. Chairman Ratan Tata said it was a momentous occasion for the company. “This is in keeping with our desire to extend the penetration of the brands in India,” he said. Tata Motors bought [...]

Aston Martin has developed a new luxury commuter concept which has been christened the Cygnet and will afford ‘customers a distinctive, intelligent and exclusive solution for urban travel in style and luxury.’ The concept will offer Aston Martin’s trademark design in a commuter car package based on the critically acclaimed Toyota iQ with a Euro NCAP [...]

MGLive!, the biggest event in the MG calendar, takes place at the Silverstone Circuit from the 10th to 12th July, 2009 and four members of XPart’s MG and Rover specialist network will be flying the XPart banner at the event with race entries and a strong trade presence. Dreadnought Garage, Brown & Gammons, Luffield Cars [...]

Susan James From this… to this… Yes, I have relieved Keith of the burden of his boomerang and, yes, she is as pretty as her picture. I did ask myself why I would go and buy a car five years older, with twice the mileage and sight unseen, but any fears I had were unfounded. Yes, [...]

Jonathan Walker, Political Editor, Birmingham Post, 26th June, 2009 The inquiry into the collapse of MG Rover has completed its work – but we may still have to wait to discover what it says. My colleagues on the business desk are working on a story reporting that the inquiry into the collapse of MG Rover [...]

 Jim Pickard, Political Correspondent, Financial Times, 27th June, 2009 The long-awaited inquiry into the collapse of MG Rover has finally been completed* after four years and nearly £16m of taxpayers’ money. The Business Department confirmed Friday night that it had received the findings of the investigation into the demise of the carmaker and said the [...]

Automotive News Europe/Reuters, 26th June, 2009 MUMBAI (Reuters) – India’s Tata Motors may consider more job cuts and plant shutdowns for the Jaguar and Land Rover unit, a top official said on Friday. “There has already been 2,000 job losses. We may be looking at more job losses, more plant shutdowns,” Vice Chairman Ravi Kant [...]

Automotive News Europe/Reuters, 26th June, 2009 MUMBAI (Reuters) — Slumping demand and poor results from Jaguar and Land Rover swung Tata Motors Ltd., India’s top vehicle maker, to its first annual loss in eight years. The company, which bought the British premium brands from Ford Motor Co. in 2008, said it was readying for a [...]

Jon Griffin, Birmingham Post, 26th June, 2009 A new LDV crisis has been signalled after more than 230 dealers and suppliers owed millions of pounds by the Birmingham factory were told no warranties would be honoured. Businesses across the UK, the majority of them totally reliant on the vanmaker, face a grim battle for survival [...]

Jon Griffin, Birmingham Post, 25th June, 2009 Hundreds of workers have been given fresh hope LDV could be rescued within a month as a range of “very credible” bidders prepare to battle it out for the stricken van maker. With the hours running out before today’s deadline for first round bids, Administrators handling the collapse [...]

Diana T. Kurylko, Automotive News Europe, 24th June, 2009 With so many dealerships closing, Mini USA says it has become a lot easier to find prime sites for new stores. Many of the hand-raisers who were recently awarded one of 17 new Mini franchises were able to become dealers because an ideal location had opened [...]

 Automotive News Europe/Reuters, 22nd June, 2009                       London’s iconic black cabs may soon become a common sight on the streets, with Geely producing the TX4 in China   HANGZHOU, China (Reuters) — London’s iconic black cabs may soon become a common sight on the streets [...]

The Hindu, 22nd June, 2009 Tata Motors is likely to remain on its growth path as the strength of its domestic operations would more than offset the weaknesses at Jaguar Land Rover, which itself could see a recovery in sales by next year, brokerage firm Merrill Lynch said on Monday. Tata Motors will see “strong [...]

Ally Liu, Gasgoo.com, 23rd June, 2009  Buick Regal – China’s Vauxhall Insignia  A recent rumour suggesting that China’s Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) might be intending to purchase the new Buick Regal’s platform appears a little far-fetched, not least in the eyes this Automotive News Editor. It would be next to impossible for GM to [...]

Ally Liu, Gasgoo.com, 23rd June, 2009 China’s Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp (SAIC) is planning to purchase the new Buick Regal’s platform from General Motors to make its own brand car models, according to an informed source quoted by Chinese language newspaper 21st Century Business Herald. The source said delegations headed by Jiang Jun, Deputy General Manager [...]

MINI E’s UK launch with (from L to R) Lord Drayson, Minister for Science and Innovation, Andy Hearn, General Manager, MINI UK and Lord Adonis, Secretary of State for Transport The UK Government’s Technology Strategy Board announced yesterday that a consortium led by BMW Group will be supported by a proportion of a £25m fund, enabling [...]