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All you want to know about Jaguar, Land Rover
January 07, 2008
Tata Motors has emerged as the frontrunner in the race to acquire two of Britain's premier car marquees, Jaguar and Land Rover. So what are these two iconic brands all about? Here's a peek into their colourful history:
A perfect 'rags to riches' story started when Bill Lyons, a British motorcycle enthusiast met William Walmsley in Blackpool, England. Jaguar, one of the world's greatest automotive names, renowned for style, tradition, performance and quality, started its journey from Swallow Sidecar Company, a small factory manufacturing stylish sidecars for motor cycles. The factory started in September 1922 with a bank overdraft of pound 1,000.
The Rover Company started off in the mid-1800s selling sewing machines and then 'safety' tricycles and bicycles. By the 1930s, it had evolved into a car company but was hit badly by the The Great Depression. In common with many British industrial companies during World War II, its factories were turned over to the war effort and produced engines for tanks and aircraft.
By 1945 and the end of WW II, Rover found itself with two excellent factories and a highly skilled workforce. It was looking at restarting car production and nurtured plans to produce 20,000 cars per year. But its plans were dashed as the government refused to allocate steel for more than 1,100 cars per year.
The Series II Land Rovers were manufactured between 1958 and 1962.
Also read: Ratan Tata: India's shining jewel
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