Overclocker

Do Ford premium brands and Nasser belong together? Former Ford CEO Jacques Nasser and the Aston Martin DB7 Vantage are pictured at the 2001 Detroit auto show, not long before Nasser's departure from the automaker.

Date posted: 08-29-2006

NEW YORK — It was only five years ago that Jacques Nasser was ousted as CEO of the Ford Motor Co. after his expansionist moves became controversial.

Now, as a venture capitalist, he is reportedly negotiating to buy Ford premium brands Land Rover and Jaguar.

Nasser is a partner in venture capital firm One Equity, which is a unit of JP Morgan Chase. One Equity is reportedly negotiating to purchase the luxury brands from Ford. The Wall Street Journal and other news outlets have been citing Ford sources as saying Jaguar, Land Rover and the Ford Motor credit unit are all potentially up for sale as the company leads a strategic review of its holdings.

Nasser was ousted as Ford CEO in the wake of the massive Firestone tire/Ford Explorer debacle in 2001. Before that, he was the mastermind of the Premier Automotive Group that includes Aston Martin and Volvo as well as Jaguar and Land Rover. The Detroit Free Press today characterized him as "an ambitious and abrasive figure." Another report, in the Times of London, notes that Nasser and Ford CEO Bill Ford, Jr., are said to be on good terms despite Ford's firing of Nasser.

What this means to you: What goes around comes around.

Source: http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...cleId=116644#2

HKGS300

IMO ... with a good strategy brands like Land Rover and Aston Martin will have some nice potential and both are in much better shape than - let's say -5 years ago.

The last couple of years Land Rover products has been improved significantly, both in design, but also quality (with some help of BMW ), and also Aston Martin is looking good with the current product line.

So, if the price is right to Nasser, there is plenty of potential. Note there is a current trend that rich MiddleEast investors are now buying into car stocks...

GlobeCLK

iTrader: (5)

But Land Rover still ranks last in quality according to Consumer Reports, and is still the bottom 2 places for JD Powers.

I doubt BMW can help anyone improve quality.

HKGS300

Outside the US Landrover is doing better than before. However, the US market is probably one of the biggest markets for Landrover.

Lexmex

Always would have loved to have seen a Jag SUV.

mmarshall

Africa traditionally has also been one of the largest. Land Rovers, despite their unreliability, are superb off-roading machines...some of the best on the planet.

GlobeCLK

iTrader: (5)

reminds me of the news from SoCal a few weeks ago when a guy brought his 3 children out to Death Valley for a trip across the desert when his Explorer (or Expedition?) died.

HKGS300

Landrovers can be made more reliable by using modified parts

One of my friends made a trip from Hong Kong all the way to the UK in a Land Rover. However, he made a few improvements

Reliability nowadays is not as bad as in the old days, however, also the aftersales service has to be improved, not sure what LR did in the US.

Incendiary

Even though they're not officially the same company, I've always considered Land Rover to be the SUV group of Jaguar...