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brompton March 12, 2008 6:18 PM

I agree with Ed. Good to see the interest generated by such a simple basic car. A girl in the hairdressers wants one although I warned her it might cost £8,000 in the UK.

Then a young colleague, a professional in product design but not a car nut said it was really cool and he wanted one too !!

Jaggie March 13, 2008 11:14 AM

So these are greener than Astons Eh?

loather March 13, 2008 11:18 AM

Ed, has it crossed your mind that this state-funded £40 million programme might be linked to Tata's purchase of Jag/LR?

If I were a EU-based car manufacturer I would be right now instructing my legal dept. to look into this and bring it to the attention of the EU competiton commisssioner, Neelie Kroes.

State-aid, whether openly or disguised as a generic, non specific car maker targetted grant is illegal if it skews competiton within the EU Single Market.

I believe Brown's clown government must have had whispers back from Tata that they were getting cold feet. The deal for the purchase was meant to be officially presented by Ford at last week's Geneva motor show. All gone quiet though - apparently still weeks, if not months off. Why the delay by Tata? Added, yesterday it was reported that Tata was seeking to raise $1 billion in funds from the open credit market to finance expansion, new programmes, projects etc, and the purchase price of Jag/LR. Hang on a mo! Aren't Tata supposed to a mega flush Indian industrial behemoth? Why would they need a measly billion dollars from the open market? Plus rates on offer in the open market for finance have shot up since last year. They may have to pay upwards of 10% interest. Plus Gordon clown's govt. has just announced a further tax of £1000 on the purchase of the majority of Jag/LR's products in the UK. Sales prospects now look anything but rosy for a prospective buyer, especially with £5.50 a gallon diesel and rising.

No, it looks to me as though Mr Tata is having second thoughts on his prestige British marques purchase. Oil's going through the roof and the two marques most important market, America, is heading into a second Great Depression.

I think UK Gov. and its officials have cobbled together some plan, masquerading under a govt. sponsored green industry initiative whose real intent is to subsidise the Tata on/off purchase. Consider it in Indian cultural reference terms a marriage Dowry - from the ever-giving UK taxpayers, after Brown the Clown's giveaway of £1 billion to poor relief on the Indian sub-continent, er, to buy ethnic minority votes in UK, in his last pre-budget report.

However, for Gordon the Moron, I think the EU commsissioners may just spot this bribe and call it for what it is. Brown's as much to blame anyway for Tata's reticence because of the ludicrous £1000 purchase tax on 'gas guzzlers'.

Here's a better idea Clown-man, rather than tyring to incentivise Tata with £40 million sobs fron the broke UK taxpayer, how about not spending £100 plus BIILLION on a disgraceful, insignificant regional building society that employed only 6500 tops, compared to the 20,000 plus in the West Mids. that'll go down the road if Jag/LR go belly up. Plus I'd rather value the skills of a track worker, designer, engineer over the till dollies of a building society.

loather March 13, 2008 11:26 AM

Oh yeah Ed, almost forgot, that Indian gentleman at Warwick University's manufacturing group, Battacharyya, stands, no doubt, to see a fair share of this £40 mill. - for his group's activities of course - and its "leading edge car-industry related manufacturing technologies". I mean, the fact that Bhatta. pops up every week in the business stories of all the main papers praising Mr Tata and lobbying for Tata's purchase of Jag/LR has got nothing to do with it of course - goes without saying naturally. Oh, and who made Bhatta. a Lord? The Labour Party under Tony Bliar and Gordon the Clown Brown. Wheels within wheels as they say.

loather March 13, 2008 11:28 AM

Re. my above two comments, conclusion: the only thing truly 'green' in the UK are the taxpayers.

coolGav March 13, 2008 12:31 PM

Couldn't the government use the £40m to buy JLR and run it as a national car company - supplying some civil servants with Jags and the army with off roaders?

RobotBoogie March 13, 2008 4:50 PM

Bloody hell, Loather. You see a conspiracy everywhere!

JJBoxster March 18, 2008 3:44 AM

There's probably more truth in a Loather post than 15yrs of this labourious Labour mis-management. Gordon 'Hash' Brown is about as 'safe' with Britains economy as choosing a monkey to drive the school bus!

Under his 'management' Govt borrowing has grown at inflation-busting rates, Govt tax-grabbing has reached 48% of GDP, consumer debt has passed £Trillion mark and the balance of payments are redder than ever. And that was after 10yrs of Labour lathergy.

The economy is F**ked. What's not to Love?!!

So throwing £40M of taxpayers hard earned at India all makes perfect sense if you're insanely financially irresponsible and don't give a stuff for the British people you extort the money from.