The press-service of the BMW group has dispatched the official application of a management of group for the unexpected decision to sell English allroad branch Land-Rover to Ford Motor. Most likely, the complete end of the bargain, that is "the period of adaptation" under the new owner of the mark Land-Rover is held in the second quarter of present year.
Together with the industrial areas Ford will receive the rights to make and to sell automobiles under the marks Land-Rover, Range-Rover, Discovery, Freelander and Defender. I not casually have emphasized the names of concrete models. These names Ford can use and for the models. Though hardly we shall see a Ford Dicovery. Image of Land-Rover production rather strong, therefore Ford, probably, will leave all as is. At least, while. Creation new, second under the account of generation Disco, developed with new Explorer is possible later which to the Detroit motor show has passed restyling.
Land-Rover, most profitable already former branch of the BMW group, now experiences not the best times. If with sales of business go more - less tolerably (so, in USA now Ranges scatter, as hot pies), in questions of development of new models - finance trobles. Ford, probably will decide this problem, which became "Achilless" for BMW in the English operations.
Land-Rover modelling policy in light of collaboration with Ford now is not clear which already has in Great Britain companys such Aston and Jaguar (as makes the products under the Daimler mark). Two years back Land-Rover's representatives declared, that the branch already has prepared the sensation for entry of mankind per new century. The speech went about complete (!) and fast (!) updating all modelling (that is practically of all models at once), and all of them, except Freelander (which in itself is new model, from which reforms in a modelrange of firm have begun, will use one (!) a general platform HeartLand with non-frame (!) body. How many sensations can at once be sounded. On their realization there was not enough time. And means. And here also Ford Motor with its ambitions and policy of new allroad division.
So, Rover wanted at Range (essentially new model the company promises by 2000), Disco (new model - by 2003) and, main, Defender (the concrete time of a debut while is not known), to remove a frame, which is necessary "hereby" allroaders! Besides it was, on their plan, the same design, only in its different variants, as the american corporations offering the same automobile under the different marks act today.
But the lack of means on development is not argument for the buyers. You see not one case is already known for the automobile world, when �������� of a similar sort were impact on reputation of the auto manufacturer.
Though, if the Land-Rover engineers will try, it is quite probable, that new models the quite good selling - name in the world of auto business today waits, as never, much means for the buyers.
Is quite possible is next: all three models will seriously differ among themselves by registration, Defender will be let out as in passenger and ����������������� variants, with different length of base and various types of top, Discovery will be extremely longwheel base passenger version of Def, and Range-Rover - luxury version of Disco, and is strong differ with it not only by design, but also degree of equipment.
As Land-Rover's unconditional luck of this year it is necessary to consider is a beginning of manufacture of the top-version of Freelander SUV with V6 motor. Earlier because of absence of this motor has appeared impossible to deliver Freelander on the american market. The then BMW chapter Picshetsrider has named it as the largest disappointment for the German company since it has bought Rover.
Originally Freelander did not intend for sale in USA, however by one of the first decisions of the BMW company after the introduction into the rights of the Rover's owner, there was an order about expansion of the program on operational development of this machine under inquiries of the transatlantic market, which main theme became installation on the automobile of the German engine KV6. However all was again rested against money. All the engines, earlier certificated in USA, BMW had a longitudinal arrangement. To install the KV6 on Freelander, to certificate (that rather inconveniently), and as to increase capacity of a bootcanor at the expense of lengthening a back part of a body, the means were necessary additional, and considerable. The developers have found expenditure of such money unjustified. Freelander has not gone to US.
And now, after occurrence in Detroit new SUV Ford Escape and its "double" - Mazda Tribute, will not go too. Besides in Europe it will prevent too the Ford Maveric sales (Escape's version for the European market) and Tribute. Let's look, whether will leave it on the conveyor in general.
Cause some surprise the rather courageous statements of the Land-Rover's representatives that cardinally new Range will appear this year. The company while was limited to revival of the limited-version traditionally designated Vogue.
The white forward indexes of turns new cast disks. More shortly, as it always happened, all the recources was reduced only to small restyling for 2000.
Now courageous applications of a Land-Rover management about fast updating of all model line look unfairly arrogant.
Except for flatter epithets to address the English firm from a Ford Motor management any concretic about the future of the English company has not sounded.
In the widespread press release the BMW representatives at the same time have emphasized, that in too time the BMW group does not plan to refuse the "automobile" English marks Rover, MG and Mini.
by Denis SKOROBOGATIY
