[sids911]

In May 2015 issue of MotorTrend, my heart warmed twice because of Indian references (both for the exemplary turnaround of British Motor Industry by Tata).

During an Interview with AC/DC's Brian Johnson, Brian mentions about turnaround being brought by Jaguar, Land Rover (and Bentley) to the British motoring industry which was dying a "slow, horrible death" and how Tatas brought a change which let engineers like Ian Callum do their thing. He then goes on to thank Tata for this amazing turnaround!


In another reference, MotorTrend editors, while reviewing the Jaguar XE, writes "Everything has changed under Ratan Tata's stewardship of William Lyon's baby (Jaguar)".

High praise indeed IMHO - Motortrend is a American magazine, and those references have just reached a million hands this month!

[GTO]

Even in the UK, everyone is gaga over Tata! And rightly so, he saved one of their most iconic marques.

'The decision came from the absolute top of the company and from a guy who just loved the history of these British brands.

'There’s no operational synergy between Tata and JLR, and almost no technical co-operation between them.

'Only a romantic could be convinced that Jaguar could make money after such a long history of losing it.’

Ratan was an instant hit at Jaguar.

‘He has an incredibly noble presence and real charisma,’ says one former Jaguar insider.

‘He loves being in the design studio, looking at studies for future models, and particularly the new sports car.

'I remember sitting in one meeting where we just agreed a £100 million investment right there, and didn’t have to go to America or anywhere else for approval. It felt incredibly liberating.’

‘And they’ve been very decisive in choosing the management. But once they’re in place, they leave them to get on with it, unlike Ford. They’re long-term, committed, patient owners. All the things you want.’

Source: A must-read article, this.

[FourWheelDrift]

Source : http://auto.economictimes.indiatimes...s-ceo/46710695

Excerpt from Economic Times' interview with Mark Fields, CEO of Ford on his recent visit to inaugurate the new plant in Gujarat.

Since you were personally involved in Ford's Premier Automotive Group that once owned Jaguar Land Rover and Volvo, how do you look at the sale of JLR to Tata Motors in hindsight?

When we went through the downturn, we had to make some fundamental decisions for the company. And this is near and dear to my heart as I ran the Premier Auto Group for some years. I had many friends in JLR, but we made a couple of key decisions, one was to focus on brand Ford. We had a number of different brands and we loved all those brands, but given where we were in that point of time in history, we had to focus on brand Ford. And based on that process, we went to sell JLR. Our ethos as a company is to do the right thing, and so unlike some of our competitors, who worked differently who ended up with different results.

We found a great partner and a great buyer in Tata, we have so much respect for the company and so much respect for Ratan Tata. I take a lot of pride that JLR is doing so well right now and you could always have hindsight, should we have kept them. I think it was the right decision for the time, I think, we sold to the right partner. They are successful now, and I think that gives us a lot of satisfaction.

[1100D]

Originally Posted by FourWheelDrift

I had many friends in JLR, but we made a couple of key decisions, one was to focus on brand Ford. We had a number of different brands and we loved all those brands, but given where we were in that point of time in history, we had to focus on brand Ford.

I think it was the right decision for the time,

Very nicely put. One thing is for sure, JLR survived, Ford Survived, but what about Tata as a brand for passenger cars?

Could also be a shift in the groups strategy regarding making cars. The focus today clearly seems to be on where there is more money and more recognition

[srishiva]

On other thread about Ratan Tata, I commented on Mr Tata's passion for automobiles and how Tata engineers/designers have let him down.

His grant of independence to JLR and approval of investment on future products tells the same. He should really get some good people into Tata. He is enthusiast in terms of his interest and not someone who can influence a car's design/performance technically.

[prashanthyr]

Another article I found on the web, which shows how involved Mr Tata is with JLR..


Quoting from the article:

“He’s got a sharp eye for design detail,” Dietsch said of the 74-year-old chairman, who completed a degree in architecture and structural engineering at Cornell University in 1962.

“He spends a bit of time with Ian and Gerry when he’s in town. They’ll have a two-day review, and he’ll spend probably three, four, five hours with the design directors.”

Dietsch said Callum and McGovern respected Tata not simply for his leadership position within the company but the unique perspective he brought to the design process.

“He had a little bit to do with the most recent Range Rover.

“It’s not necessarily about little bits of design detail, but he’ll stand back and say, proportionately, I’d like that to be a little bit shorter there, or a little bit taller there, or the relationship between the glass and the body size needs to be changed or something, and he’ll provide some input that way.

“He might come back in three months and the design team will show him that’s what you saw last time and that’s what you’re seeing now. He’ll do the thumbs up and you’ve done the right thing, it’s moved in the right direction.”

“You’d kind of expect that he wouldn’t get down into that kind of detail. He’s a reasonably busy sort of guy, but I think it’s important that his opinion is noted.

“Ian and Gerry tend to take notice of him and respect him because he’s come with an industrial arts background and he’s got an eye for that kind of detail.

“There are few others they would probably listen to I would suspect in that kind of detail but with him they give him some time.”

Dietsch said Tata was a softly spoken leader, but said that when he spoke, people listened.

“He asks for something to happen, whether it’s for you to do something personally or for something to be changed, and what he’s really actually doing is telling you, ‘This is what’s going to happen’, but it’s done in a way that you go, ‘I’m going to go off and do that because I want to’.”


Read more at http://www.caradvice.com.au/206362/l...WlORWUwydAh.99