As part of the $2.3 billion deal that gave India’s Tata Motors ownership of Jaguar and Land Rover from Ford, the company also acquired rights to the famed Daimler luxury car name (not to be confused with Daimler AG). Ratan Tata says he’d like to position the brand well above Jaguar, and compete with the likes of Bentley and Rolls-Royce for markets in Britain, Asia, Russia, the Middle East, and probably America.
Tata is apparently budgeting nearly $2 billion to develop new models in the three British-based brands it has purchased. At the same time, Land Rover and Jaguar might be taken further upmarket, priced as high as $200,000 for some future models, say Times Online reports.
Both of the moves are in sharp contrast to Tata’s plans to also build and sell the world’s least expensive car, the $2,500 Nano.
The Daimler Motor Company has a storied history, being one of the first automakers, having been founded in 1896. It originally sold engines developed by founder Gottlieb Daimler in Britain. Whole cars were first built in 1897, and posted a first victory in motorsports in 1899, when a four-cylinder Daimler won the Paris-Ostend road race. By 1960, Jaguar acquired Daimler, before both were purchased in 1989. Britain’s Kind Edward VII was the first member of the royal family to use a Daimler vehicle.
Currently, the only Daimler-badged vehicle is the Jaguar-based Daimler Super Eight, having been launched in 2005 and costing £80,000 in the U.K.
07/28, 1:51 PM
posted by:
inline6
The Daimler Super Eight is not the cost equivalent of $160,000 in the UK. It’s 80,000 pounds, where a GTI is 22,000 pounds, and an American GTI is $22,000.
07/28, 1:54 PM
posted by:
Nightblack_97
All the way from the Nano to a Bently. Well they would certainly have a broad customer base.
07/28, 2:02 PM
posted by:
Rafa LL
If I want a 200k big lux car I wouldn’t opt for a brand new Indian one.
07/28, 2:03 PM
posted by:
jumpoffit
have to give it to Ratan, he’s got a plan
07/28, 2:07 PM
posted by:
xyunya
My concern is: what Queen will drive in meanwhile? She was driven in Daimlers as long as I can remember. What royal family will have as Crown wheels?
07/28, 5:03 PM
posted by:
Madcapp
Just exactly what the world DOESN’T need.
07/28, 5:28 PM
posted by:
RaineMan
So can anyone explain the difference between this Daimler and the Daimler in Daimler-Benz?
07/28, 6:10 PM
posted by:
ktulu
Ratan Tata is a smart guy. He’s gotten a lott o’ press in te last year.
Charles Ferguson gets drinen in a Daimler.
07/28, 6:12 PM
posted by:
peacemf
Daimler-Benz = hilter associated
Daimler = british soliders raping indians
07/28, 6:12 PM
posted by:
olds307
who cares?
07/28, 6:22 PM
posted by:
ihustle
The queen should drive the Chevy cruse, thats the only way that car has a chance.
07/28, 6:32 PM
posted by:
1c3d0g
peacemf: ROFL…that’s sad.
07/28, 9:54 PM
posted by:
Catiadesigner
I don’t know who is buying all these super top line motors, but they must be selling, one look at the top marques magasine in England and its full of Bentleys, If the car is made right ie. not by the trolls at castle bromwich, it might have a chance. Trouble is this all seems to be very reminiscent of the late 80’s when everyone was falling over themselves to make super expensive cars only for the bottom to drop out of the market in less than twelve months.
07/29, 4:05 AM
posted by:
JohnnyBlazE
Smart man, smart idea.
If they bring the ride quality up to James May’s standards, the looks of a truly classy luxury car and reliability slightly better than the average BMW then they’d be onto a winner.
To truly make luxury they’d not be far off.
In Richard Hammond’s car confidential he states the kings of pimping rides were the Maharajahs of India who had many Rolls Royces back in the day.
They would adorn them with ivory steering wheels, custom made body work including moulds and silver panels all round, diamond encrusted interiors etc… The Indians know luxury – some Maharajahs had many Rollers in their garage…:
“When the Maharaja of Patiala was snubbed by snooty British salesmen at a Rolls Royce showroom in the U.K., he hit back by buying up the entire consignment of 50 vehicles on display and turning them into garbage trucks back home.”
07/29, 7:58 AM
posted by:
fuzz40
So can anyone explain the difference between this Daimler and the Daimler in Daimler-Benz?
Isn’t one, it is just a case of who bought up the rights to the company name. Both are of the names are speaking about the same person.
07/29, 11:40 AM
posted by:
JohnnyBlazE
Well Daimler-Benz was an association between Karl Benz and Gottleib Daimler’s Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft.
The British Daimler was introduced because Gottleib Daimler sold his name for use via license to a LOT of people and this included the British who bought rights to the UK patent of his 1891 engine. After many name changes etc it is now just a name owned by Jaguar, or indeed now Tata (thanks to British Leyland and more recently Ford).
The reason we had Mercedes-Benz is due to renaming of Daimler-Benz to avoid the confusion which still remains… Oh well.
You know… Wikipedia is your friend.
07/29, 1:27 PM
posted by:
inline6
I hope that Daimler comes back in force. The DS limousine of 1968-92 was such a classy limousine. It’s too bad that Ford didn’t see the value in turning Daimler into a Rolls/Bentley competitor.
Tata should do the following with Daimler:
Sovereign: Jaguar XJ-based coupe, convertible, sedan, and LWB sedan with a 6.3L V12 based on the XJ 4.2, supercharging optional. With different bodywork/interior from the XJ would being necessary, of course. Competition: Bentley Continental FS, new Baby Rolls, Aston Martin Rapide.
DM630: Mid-engine 6.3L S/C F430-fighter.
Conquest: Range Rover-based 6.3-equipped luxury SUV. Supercharging optional, of course. Competition: None.
Majestic: Large Phantom/Arnage/Maybach-competitive ultra-luxury sedan. Comes in coupe, convertible, sedan, LWB sedan, Phaeton, and limousine bodies. 7.5L V12 based on upcoming Jag 5.0L V8.
DR750: Mid-engine supercharged 7.5L V12-equipped supercar to compete with the Veyron.
07/30, 7:18 AM
posted by:
JohnnyBlazE
Interesting ideas inline6… a lot of big engines which might not sit well with these people who continue to ignore Jeremy Clarkson :@
07/30, 1:48 PM
posted by:
inline6
Johnny BlazE, that may be true, but how many small engines do Bentley, Rolls, Maybach, Aston, and Ferrari offer?
While 6.3 and 7.5 liters are massive engines by today’s standards, I just used those displacements as guidelines, basing them off of Jaguar’s 4.2L and upcoming 5.0L V8s per-cylinder displacement, and multiplying that by 12.
If Jaguar doesn’t offer a V12 in their own cars again, Daimler should.