With Aston Martin gone, will British siblings Jaguar and Land Rover be next to go? Auto industry analysts and investors looking for a sweet deal à la Aston Martin are buzzing over who else Ford might put on the block.
Selling Jaguar and Land Rover might prove a little trickier, however, even at the kind of fire sale price David Richards' consortium paid for Aston Martin. Jaguar has been losing money in the worst way, and that's not expected to change. And since, unlike Aston Martin, Jag and Land Rover share engines and other parts, selling one without the other doesn't really make sense.
Still, Ford — whose execs used to insist that Jaguar was not for sale — is now looking at all options in its quest to right its tipping ship. "Ford needs simplicity and focus right now," says John Casesa, an leading industry consultant who advised Richards' investment group on the Aston Martin deal. After borrowing $23.5 billion just to keep Ford afloat, simplicity may take a while.
Will Ford Shed Remaining Luxury Lines? [The Wall Street Journal (subscription required)]
