Ford of Europe boss John Fleming has said that a new owner for Jaguar and Land Rover will be decided upon within two months, and that the two firms will be sold together.In an interview with Spanish newspaper El Mundo, Fleming confirmed that Ford was close to making a decision on the bids it has received for its British luxury car making brands.Asked if there was a possibility of separating the firms, Fleming replied: “No, not really. Both are very integrated and it would be difficult to sell them separately.”Fleming also played down rumours of a possible sale of Volvo. “We are doing a strategic analysis of how it would affect Ford. Volvo is an essential partner… It would be very dangerous to give it to a competitor,” he said.While that still leaves the possibility of a sale, it’s unlikely to happen in the near future.Instead, Fleming said that Ford of Europe was concentrating on new models that had global significance, such as the Mondeo, new Fiesta (previewed by the Verve concept at this year’s Frankfurt motor show) and commercial vehicles. Ford also plans to expand its influence in Eastern Europe, as shown by its investment in a new plant at Craiova in Romania. Fleming said that there were no plans to build a Dacia Logan-rivalling budget car here, though Ford would build such a car “if it had to”. Instead, the new plant will be used to build “a small car and probably a small commercial vehicle.”
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