Right, it’s all about racism. We can all be assured of that now, because you have put it so simply. WHAT were we thinking to doubt it?

We know, for instance, that in India several types of French curry powder have taken off and are gaining market share rapidly.

Well, maybe that is true (though I did make it up), but how many American’s would prefer French curry powder to an Indian import? No, when your neighbor decides to try their hand at curry, they will not likely be buying something with french on the label.

Also, cowboys supposedly threaten to string up people who serve them salsa from anywhere north of I-10. Is that racism as well? (I learned this bit the same place you learned about how all white people are racists).

Sorry, but the only way you can write this off as racism so simply is if you are predisposed to do so. People with any respect for others whatsoever would be more considerate before stating,or spreading, an accusation of racism, which in our society is considered an awful offense.

And while we are actually trying to engage our minds, what reason other than trying to buy the cache would Tata have?

The Ludicrousness of White Cachet
http://www.salon.com/tech/htww/2007/12/18/white_brand_value/index.html

Tell the blokes (with Indian job security) screwing the Jags together to stick with blood pudding on workdays. :)

No argument there: I’ve been ashamed at what my fellow Indians say in Hindi, assuming their subject matter doesn’t understand. Its disgusting.

I expect this will also happen when Indians sit with a Jag salesman to negotiate their next TATA-esque ride.

You may think there is a difference between Canada and the US on racism, but there is not. I lived there. Different areas of Canada, like the US, have different sets of prejudices about different folks. I think you are being fooled by their ability to toe the party line in word rather than action. Once you spend more time working with people up there, you will find that they are little different in most ways. Especially if you get out of the cities.

If you REALLY want to observe racism, learn an Asian language and walk amongst them as if you cannot understand. Color me racist, but Alabama has nothing on the east asian societies when it comes to racism. Yes, I have lived over there as well.

I don’t believe racism is at the heart of the Jag thing. Had Ford pulled manufacturing and engineering out of Britain the same thing would have happened. No one thought Ford would kill the goose, and they didn’t (though they may have bruised it a bit).

In his book “Blink”, Malcolm Gladwell discussed research that revealed how Chicago-area car salesmen made all sorts of prejudicial assumptions about potential customers based on ethnicity and gender.

Perhaps Mr. Gorin is simply a product of his environment…;-D..

http://gladwell.typepad.com/gladwellcom/2006/12/bad_stereotypin.html

Personally I’d be just as happy with a good quality pleather (I’m thinking of MB-Tex here) or the strange space-age stuff Volvo uses (T-Tec). A good woven cloth is OK, but to often the fabric on seats is made out of belly button lint. I have leather seats now, and as long as they’re heated I’m happy.

leather

If it’s any solace, I agree with you. I don’t care for the leather. I freaked out an Acura salesman by telling him the same. I like velour for the same reasons people like carpet. I find it warmer and more inviting, and also like you said, it’ll hold you in through the corners, it isn’t so temp sensitive, and it doesn’t need to be sliced off of a cow. Unfortunately, velour is considered too low class for many luxury brands. I don’t think you can get an Acura or Infiniti anymore without leather.

Tarted up Fords or tarted up TATAs, who cares what they are or who sells them, they aren’t going to be real Jaguars.

–chuck

Leopard – Africa and Asia

Cougar – North America

Jungle Book’s black panther, Bagheera, must have been related to the leopard.

Experience with Indian professionals in the US for IT and medical care services… excellent.

Experience with Indian service (Quick-E Mart & restaurants) in the US… good. Better than their competitors, whom can be pretty bad.

Experience with Indian services IN India… not so good (Looking at you Dell).

Experience with with Indian products… none. Can’t name one.

Strike two against India is its reputation for a lack of, well how do I put this nicely, just getting shit done on time. One wonders how in a country where it takes years to get a land line or electrical hook up. How will they make top quality parts for the car?

Japan, Korea, Taiwan have all been where India is now. I have no doubt that India will, in my lifetime, achieve a reputation for quality tech products. But it is a long haul they are in for.

Jag, under Indian ownership, is going to have to work twice as hard as everyone else just to keep their critics at bay. Japan did it when Honda launched the the Legend brand and Toyota followed with Lexus.

But if they do it right, it will have a halo effect on other Indian products. They future is their’s to loose.

I think the other issue with an Indian-based ownership is the current war that no-one wants. You can google for yourself just how much the average American does not know about the war: where it’s being fought, or why! I think a general assumption would be “They them-folk over there took over Jaguar while they’re still terrorizing us, what the f*@%! Buy a Caddy!”

I find it a little hard to believe that there are large numbers of persons that could afford a Jaguar but are so geopolitically challenged that they wouldn’t know the difference between Islamic extremists and Indians.

Tata can’t be worse than Ford.

Not to mention TATA supports UK’s labor unions (and vice versa) Even if Indian presence skews Jag’s heritage for many, they are committed to keeping middle class jobs in the UK.

The labor interests see the writing on the wall. And its gonna play well compared to the Kuwaiti (?) equity firm considering moving Aston Martin (Rapide) production elsewhere. Happy workers = better cars.

The majority of people out still do not know that Ford owns Jaguar. Do they care? I don’t know. But if an Indian company quietly took Jaguar over, and actually boosted quality & reliability in the vehicles, I’m sure no one would care either. It would only attract attention to the public if the new owners made things worse, negativity always gets attention.

I think the other issue with an Indian-based ownership is the current war that no-one wants. You can google for yourself just how much the average American does not know about the war: where it’s being fought, or why! I think a general assumption would be “They them-folk over there took over Jaguar while they’re still terrorizing us, what the f*@%! Buy a Caddy!”

The British labor union, BTW is pro-Tata. The choices at this point are between the two Indian corporations and a Kuwaiti-based group of investors headed by Jac “Rolled Explorer” Nasser. The US Jag dealer group, apparently a bunch of suckers and/or masochists, wants to get Knifed again.

Here’s an editorial from Business Standard, an Indian business magazine, debunking Mr. Gorin’s concerns.