Jaguar - the speculation gets going Plenty of speculation in the British Sunday newspapers yesterday over Jaguar. Three reports of note, as far as I can see. The Sunday Times has Land Rover being offered with Jaguar as a sweetener. The idea of Ford keeping a minority stake in a venture with another maker is an interesting one, too. And just-auto contributor Julian Rendell over at The Observer has Hyundai down as a possible buyer for Jaguar. Certainly, Hyundai would give it a once-over I would think - and there could be interest from Chinese OEMs too. Actually, Julian does a good job of listing the strengths of Jaguar, its assets and the opportunities it is missing. Does Ford - in its present financial condition - have the will to pump more money in? The Sunday Express has the Russian oligarch - Oleg Deripaska - who owns GAZ (the firm that just purchased UK van maker LDV; Martin Leach running that particular show) interested. Jags are, let's face it, a little sexier than the utilitarian delivery vans produced by LDV. For an ambitious Russian oligarch with a few bob to spare, it just might be an attractive proposition - especially if there is some good in-house expertise to call on. Ex-Ford man Martin Leach at Jaguar - now there's a thought. Links to two of the newspaper reports below: Land Rover may go in Jaguar sell-off (The Sunday Times) Koreans eye the Jaguar on the forecourt (Julian Rendell, The Observer)
First Look: 2007 Lexus GS 450H Read this full First Look & Review Road Test article at Motor Trend: While Toyota hybrids are all about gas mileage, Lexus hybrids are all about performance, although it's a warm, responsible kind of performance rather than the head-banging AMG variety.
Pressure Products Announces the Global Marketing Release of the SoftTouch Implantable Device/Seat Belt Protection System Pressure Products Announces the Global Marketing Release of the SoftTouch Implantable Device/Seat Belt Protection System
Long-Term Test Verdict: 2004 Chevrolet Silverado Hybrid Read this full Article at Motor Trend: From the beginning, inviting the Silverado Hybrid into our long-term-test fleet was a roll of the dice.
Ford Reduces North American Vehicle Production as Part of Accelerated 'Way Forward' Turnaround Ford Reduces North American Vehicle Production as Part of Accelerated 'Way Forward' Turnaround
Valeo wants Visteon It's reported that Valeo could be interested in buying Visteon. I d give the reports some credence, as Valeo is interested in growth through acquisitions and also has a long history of interest in increasing its presence in the US. FRANCE: Valeo after Visteon I recall interviewing Valeo CEO Thierry Morin in his Paris office a few years ago. For a guy who is an accountant by training, his enthusiasm over the latest technologies and Valeo s future growth strategy was impressive. He s a man with a vision. During the course of the interview, Morin maintained that he saw a big opportunity for Valeo in the US marketplace. In particular, he envisaged Valeo as a supplier adding value, with leading edge technology, that could help the Detroit Big Three to move away from a prevailing cost-down mentality (in relations with suppliers) and in the process actually improve customer perceptions of its products. It was an interesting argument, I thought. Exclusive: Interview with Valeo's Thierry Morin While Valeo has seen its profits fall lately, mainly on higher raw material costs, it is still a relatively strong performer and expanding rapidly. Morin the man who turned Valeo around at the beginning of the decade is continuing to deliver. If Visteon - or a substantial chunk of it - ends up in Morin s hands, Detroit could find that it has an even more powerful, switched on and potentially very helpful Tier 1 supplier in its midst. A nettle to grasp that could be beneficial. And it could be a smart move for Valeo, massively strengthening its US market (and global) presence at relatively low cost. On a related note, there was research published earlier this week by consultants Roland Berger on supplier strategies. It forecasts suppliers accounting for an increased percentage of the value-added in vehicle production globally as hard-pressed vehicle makers require their suppliers to assume more engineering and design responsibilities. US: Supplier strategies suggested Roland Berger s suggestions for supplier strategies must be music to Thierry Morin s ears. And financially challenged Ford and GM might be a particularly fertile furrow for Valeo to plough in the coming years, especially with the possible addition of Visteon s business in the case of Ford.